• The provisional program for the 2026 Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) held in Alice Springs,  has been released, showcasing leading industry expertise.
   
• AGES brings together high-quality geoscience data, research and technical insights to unlock the Northern territory's resource potential.
   
• Gold production in the Territory reached a record $1.7B in gold production value.

In our year of growth, certainty and security, the Finocchiaro CLP Government is backing industries that power jobs, investment and long-term economic strength — with the release of the provisional program for the 2026 Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) to be held in Alice Springs from 14 - 15 April. 

Each year, experts convene at AGES to share high-quality advice and mineral and energy geoscience data — the wheelhouse to mineral and energy discovery and investment that fuels the Territory’s economy.

Minister for Mining and Energy Gerard Maley said AGES plays a critical role in supporting ongoing exploration and delivering real economic benefits for Territorians.

“Exploration remains fundamental to sustaining a strong pipeline of future mining projects — and if you want a strong economy, you need a strong pipeline,” Mr Maley said.

“AGES is worth its weight in gold because it brings together the data, the science and the industry expertise that unlocks the Territory’s prospectivity and resource potential.

“We are rebuilding the Territory’s economy by backing our strengths. That means creating the right conditions for investment, driving jobs in the bush and in our towns, and giving industry the certainty it needs to get on with the job.”

The 2026 AGES provisional program features confirmed industry speakers from Deep Yellow, Emmerson Resources, Encounter Resources, Geognostics, KGL Resources, Patronus Resources, Prodigy Gold, PC Gold, and Tennant Mines, with more still to come.

AGES delegates will be among the first to access insights from the Northern Territory Geological Survey, Geoscience Australia, industry proponents and academics. Highlights include:

• rapid copper and gold resource growth and new mining developments around Tennant Creek;
• insights on the resource potential of the greater McArthur Basin;
• geological updates on the Beetaloo Sub-basin as it moves into pilot production;
• a focus on Pine Creek and its gold, copper endowment, as well as the latest gold news from the Tanami.

The Northern Territory remains one of Australia’s most prospective, but underdeveloped, regions for gold. Gold production in the Territory reached a record $1.7 billion in gold production value in 2024–25.

Copper remains central to global decarbonisation and electrification, with demand rapidly expected to outgrow supply. Alongside established commodities such as bauxite, manganese, zinc, uranium and iron ore, the Territory is building a broad and diverse minerals sector to underpin long-term economic growth.

“Territorians know that mining and resources are not abstract concepts — they are local jobs, stronger regional communities and opportunities for the next generation,” Mr Maley said.

“By investing in exploration and backing events like AGES, we are securing the pipeline that keeps our economy moving and our communities strong.”

AGES is held at the Alice Springs Convention Centre on 14 and 15 April.

View the 2026 AGES Program: AGES2026 conference program

For more event details and to register, go to AGES 2026.

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom