NRS-15074 | Coal reports (CR)

Full description

Coal reports detail surveys and exploration work carried out to ascertain the presence of coal in a particular area. A coal report may consist of numerous documents and reports for a survey or mining operation conducted by an exploration or mining company.

The reports may contain raw data and test results from exploration surveys of a particular lease area. There is usually an analysis and interpretation of the data and the reports may contain a history of the lease area, a description or outline of current and previous exploration work, a description of the stratigraphy of the survey area, and projected figures for the quantity and value of coal in the area.

Reports may also contain maps and diagrams showing all or a combination of the following: survey location; bore hole location; land capability; geological cross-sections; cultural features such as National Parks, power lines, railway lines, pipelines, fences, buildings, and silos. There may also be plans of the ground’s geological structure. The reports usually contain conclusions and recommendations based on the survey findings.

Some reports have a report summary sheet at the front of the report and some contain aeromagnetic surveys. Many of the reports are six monthly reports sent to the Government agency responsible for monitoring mineral exploration in the state. The reports may also contain correspondence, memoranda, and minutes of meetings between the Government agency and mining companies. This series includes reports on water bores. Some reports may contain a notice inserted into the reports to acknowledge a missing document. A small number of Coal reports contain Geological Survey report numbers and it would appear the Survey reports also became Coal reports, and can be identified by either number.

Coal reports are part of the Geological Survey collection, a unique collection of unpublished reports on the results of exploration submitted to the then Department of Mineral Resources by companies and individuals as a consequence of exploration and mining licences being granted. The exploration reports are essential sources of information for explorers, and also add to the understanding of the State's geology, mineral, coal and petroleum resources. If the company is still engaged in mining activity or if mining licences are still active then reports may be confidential and unavailable.

Due to the high access rates for the Geological Survey Reports, the then Department of Mineral Resources undertook a copying program making digitised copies available on the Geological Survey (DIGS) website. Interested parties can view published and unpublished exploration, mining and Departmental reports on-screen and these can be downloaded. The images have been slightly downgraded to minimise download times, however, higher quality images can be ordered from DIGS.


Custody History
The original reports comprising the Geological Survey collection were transferred from the Department of Mineral Resources to the State Records Authority between 1999 and 2001.

A note regarding access to Coal Reports
The original reports will not be issued to the public so those interested in accessing them should refer to the Geological Survey (DIGS) where copies of non-confidential reports are available. The reports are indexed and can be searched by title, author, subject terms, tenement, location, map reference, report number, and report year. In addition to the reports being indexed, the various documents making up the report, such as contents page, text, maps, and photographs, are also indexed and therefore retrievable.