MINING exploration companies have expressed interest in a unique new digging technique that could make expensive drilling programs a thing of the past.
The Geological Society of Australia said that explorers are finding it difficult to reach deep-lying bedrock in some parts of Australia to search for minerals that are far below ground level.
In these cases, mining companies usually have to undertake expensive preliminary drilling to determine whether precious commodities such as gold and diamonds are even there.
To find another alternative, The Geological Society of Australia has been conducting research on termites and have discovered that the ‘natural drillers’ are able to travel down to 30m below the Earth's surface in search of water, and also in search of soil from which they build their nests.
Termites travel deep into the Earth's surface and essentially do the work of a geologist by bringing up soil samples and providing an indication of what minerals are where.
The group claims that by simply taking a sample of a termite mound, geologists can gain a good idea as to what minerals and metals can be found in the ground beneath it.
This makes it much cheaper to undertake preliminary soil testing for minerals exploration.
The society said that if the results are promising then more intensive testing can then be undertaken.
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