Dr Nathan Reid

Dr Nathan Reid completed a PhD from the University of Adelaide on the role of biogeochemistry in mineral exploration in Australia and discovered the importance that spinifex could play in gold exploration. He then moved to CSIRO in Perth where he has spent the last 16 years working on hydrogeochemistry and biogeochemistry projects related to mineral exploration. He now leads research in hydrogeochemistry and promotes the collection and integration of groundwater chemical data into the Continental Scale Hydrogeochemistry initiative.

New technologies: Dr. Reid has spearheaded the development of innovative products that have gained recognition and adoption within CSIRO and external agencies. An example of this is working to champion the incorporation of drone imagery into new projects by becoming one of 2 RPA (drone) pilots within Mineral Resources. The following achievements highlight his impact:
• FAIMS/Fieldmark (https://faims.edu.au/): Dr. Reid was an early pioneer in the development of an application for geochemical field sampling that was initially conceived for hydrogeochemical field samples. The Federated Archaeology Information Management System (FAIMS) was initially a product from the Archaeology Department at Macquarie University but it could be utilized for CSIRO sampling protocols. The scope broadened to include biogeochemical, soil, and rock sampling. Its potential was highlighted within the Coompana geochemical sampling campaign with GSSA, helping to optimize the helicopter time spent on ground to save at least 40% of fuel as a true economic saving. Its practicability and usefulness have been acknowledged by a variety of companies and survey staff, who have continued to use FAIMS even after the completion of collaborative CSIRO projects.
• The Fluid Monitoring System (FMS): A breakthrough technology conceptualized within the DET CRC, the FMS evolved into a commercially viable product for facilitating real-time monitoring of drilling fluid chemistry with ion selective electrodes. This product is being investigated further as a potential application in environmental monitoring and rapid fluid characterisation.
• XT Hydro (https://apps.exploration.tools/xt-hydro/): Dr Reid’s early engagement with the Exploration Toolkit team (https://research.csiro.au/xt/) has led to the adaptation of the hydrogeochemical workflow into a tool aimed at simplifying the processing and interpretation of hydrogeochemical data. This tool has been launched onto the CSIRO Marketplace and is being trialled by industry partners.

Critical Minerals Research (Clay hosted Rare Earth Elements - REEs)
Rare earth accumulations in the regolith occur in several regions in Australia, but they have received little attention until recently. Securing an Australian supply of REEs has become a major focus for the government and the minerals industry, with particular interest in identifying ionic clay-type deposits similar to those mined in China.
Over the past three years, Dr Reid has led a team to integrate geophysics, geochemistry, spectral mineralogy, and regolith science to characterize the clays and model the landscape evolution of the Splinter Rock prospect in SW Western Australia. This effort aimed to understand the behaviour of REE metals and the formation of their accumulations. The ultimate goal is to develop a methodology for quickly exploring and characterizing this type of mineral system to accelerate the growth of the Australian REE industry.

Hydrogeochemistry Research
Groundwater data across Australia is theoretically accessible but not standardized or easy to assess mineral potential, or for other land usage (agriculture, climate monitoring). Dr Reid is the driving force behind the development and delivery to community and industry of Australia’s National "Continental Scale Hydrogeochemistry” map and dataset (https://doi.org/10.25919/fy7h-0h34).
One of the biggest challenges for mineral exploration companies is exploring covered terrains, which are often in areas not known for mining and can face land access issues, such as regional parks or farmland. Dr. Reid has brought what was once a niche science to the forefront of exploration strategies. CSIRO's hydrogeochemical techniques are successfully used by companies across Australia, Africa, and Scandinavia for base metals, uranium, and gold, and expanding into critical metals exploration (Li, Sc, REEs and Ge). Mineral exploration companies can now use hydrogeochemistry in the early stages of their exploration programs as a fast, effective, and non-invasive technique to detect geochemical signatures.