The Frome airborne electromagnetic survey is due to begin in the next few days and will continue until October.

The survey is a partnership between the South Australian

Government and Geoscience Australia, the Federal Government’s national geological survey agency.

“The survey area lies east of the Flinders Ranges, from the northern Murray Basin to north of the Flinders Ranges and covers more than 93,000 square kilometres – an area equal to one and a half times the size of Tasmania,” Mr Holloway said.

“The data gathered by the survey will assist the State and Federal Government to manage the State’s mineral, energy and water resources by improving the understanding of our geology.

“This will be achieved by mapping critical elements of the survey area such as different geological and hydro-geological units buried beneath cover.

“This survey data will also provide valuable new pre-competitive data for the mineral, geothermal and petroleum exploration community."

Mr Holloway says PIRSA will also trial the collection of airborne electromagnetic data in a smaller survey over the Cariewerloo Basin, north of Port Augusta.

“This collaboration will be a partnership between the Federal Government-funded and nationwide Onshore Energy Security Program and the State Government-funded Plan for Accelerating Exploration, or PACE,” he said.

“This partnership highlights the collaborative nature of the PACE initiative and shows once again this Government’s ongoing commitment to the resources and energy sectors.”