Lake Eyre Basin Rivers 174 Mineral and energy resources and the Lake Eyre Basin Mining within and around the margins of the Lake Eyre Basin has focused mainly on petroleum, base metals (copper, lead and zinc) and some gold mining. These remain the commodities for future developments, along with substantial coal, CSG and, potentially, shale gas and tight gas projects (e.g. Geoscience Australia and Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics 2010). Mineral deposits and energy resources are associated with the major geological provinces, including the Mount Isa Block and Galilee Basin, the Arckaringa Basin and Stuart Shelf, the Pedirka Basin and the Willyama (Broken Hill) Block (Fig. 19.1). Water remains one of the most critical resources, potentially constraining or affected by these developments (see Chapter 20). This includes changes to flood waters which periodically flow through the Lake Eyre Basin rivers and the underlying groundwater resources in the Great Artesian Basin (see Chapter 1). There are substantial mineral and energy commodities available for production, compared to annual production in and around the Lake Eyre Basin (Table 19.1). For the Fig. 19.1. Eastern Australia showing the location of the Lake Eyre Basin (black outline), Great Artesian Basin (blue outline), major geological basins or blocks (Ackaringa Basin (orange), Bowen Basin (yellow), Cooper Basin (black), Eromanga Basin (light grey), Galilee Basin (light blue), Mount Isa Block (dark green), Pedrika Basin (dark grey), Surat Basin (red), Willyama (Broken Hill) Block (light green), major towns (marked x, Alice Springs – A, Coober Pedy – C, Longreach – L, 2 – Mt Isa) and the locations of four case studies (filled circles, 1 – Mary Kathleen uranium mine 2 – Mount Isa lead-zinc-silver-copper mining complex 3 – Olympic Dam copper-uranium-gold-silver mining complex 4 – Lady Annie copper mine).