Minerals for Energy Applications
Minerals are inorganic substances such as metals that are found in the Earth’s crust and formed over millennia by heating, compression, solidification, weathering and erosion.
Increasing understanding and distribution of critical elements and geological material in Aotearoa New Zealand, including minerals and rock aggregates, is critical to addressing supply issues of low-carbon technologies, contributing to major infrastructural development and reducing associated carbon emissions.
Origin and development of minerals
GNS Science leads Aotearoa New Zealand's largest minerals research programme. We seek to improve understanding of formation processes, develop more effective exploration and extraction practices, assess resource potential and better define mineral resources related to Māori interests.
Our researchers study the origin and development of minerals using a variety of methods, including 3-D modelling and offshore exploration, to help Aotearoa New Zealand better understand, manage and sustain our natural taonga.
Our expertise
GNS Science has used paleogeographic reconstructions to increase our understanding of pre-100 million-year-old rocks and mineral deposits. The more we know about formation and development, the lower the potential risks of mineral exploration.
We offer consultancy services on geological mapping, geophysics, geochemistry, petrology, ore genesis and GIS database management to deliver research solutions to the minerals industry. We can advise on sustainable mining and areas of potential growth. For example, we have completed datasets for known gold deposits in New Zealand along with GIS-based quantitative analyses and, supported by these, map-based prospectivity models that identify numerous areas of strong potential for gold exploration.
