b'IndustryNewsTechnologySchodde (2020) also refers to changes in exploration technology since the 1940s (Figure 3). This work was originally presented by Rowe and Craske (2018). Schodde notes that the period from the inception to maturity (point at which the technology is in routine use) can be quite long, often 20 years or more. With underlying changes in the demographics of the industry, many of the new technologies, especially those designed to aid in processing and interpretation of complex datasets, are being under-utilised. Figure 4 from Figure 2:Primary search method used at the prospect-scale for all significant non-bulk mineralWitherly (2016), shows an estimate discoveries in the World from 1900-2018. Source: Schodde 2020. of the distribution of geophysicists and exploration plays become moreto be tested at far lower cost thanworking in the minerals exploration purely drilling dominated. Maybe this isconventional wire-line or rotary drillingindustry. The number of company because Australia was an early adaptortechnology (Hillis 2015). employees engaged with the end use of the minerals system approachof survey data, i.e. its application to (many explorers outside Australia areIn the context of the value of regionalexploration programmes to locate or still unfamiliar with the term), whichdata sets, two recent papers; Bettsdefine new resources, has declined emphasizes the importance of goodetal., (2020), and Woodhead (2020),significantly over 20 years. Arguably as regional assessment work at projectand an earlier study, Betts et al. (2017),well, there are more datasets available scale, and Australian Commonwealthexamine how regional geophysicaland the processing software has and state agencies have investeddata can be better used to definebecome more complex.heavily in a variety of regional pre- areas of high prospectivity. While thisFor reasons poorly understood, since competitive geophysical data setsstyle of assessment can benefit from1990 many new acquisition and (McKenzie, Witherly and Ronachercomplementary mapped geology, thisprocessing technologies have been 2019). The Australian industry hasgeophysically-driven approach is almostintroduced into the market place, but also invested in innovative drillingessential when deposits are expected toneither at the individual level (i.e.airborne technology to enable targets at depthbe located beneath cover. gravity gradiometry or Heli-TEM) or Figure 3:Time line for 72 key technology innovations developed for minerals exploration. Source: Rowe and Craske 2018 modified by Schodde 2020.AUGUST 2020 PREVIEW 12'