P1153 - Applying the explorers' toolbox to discover Cu, Au and Mo deposits
VALUE
AUD 2,070,000.00
COMMENCEMENT YEAR
2015
DURATION (YEARS)
3
COMMENCEMENT MONTH
July
STAGE
Management
PROGRAM MANAGER
Adele Seymon
RESEARCH PROVIDERS
ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub, Transforming the Mining Value Chain (TMVC); University of Tasmania, Professor David R Cooke, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Hefei University of Technology, Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, Lakehead University, Natural History Museum
SPONSORS
Barrick Gold Exploration Inc, BHP Billiton, Boliden, CIa. de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A., Codelco, First Quantum Minerals Ltd, Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation, MMG Limited, Mount Isa Mines - A Glencore Company, Newcrest Mining Limited, Quantum Pacific Exploration (QPX), Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Limited
PROJECT SUMMARY:
P1153 will develop new methods and implement methods developed in previous projects (P765, P765A and P1060) to help its sponsors discover porphyry and/or epithermal deposits. Analysis of the geochemical signals recorded in hydrothermal alteration halos will provide explorers with both fertility (how large?) and vectoring information (how far, and in what direction?), allowing the presence, location and significance of porphyry and/or epithermal copper, gold and molybdenum deposits in an exploration tenement to be determined during the early stages of exploration.
HIGHLIGHTS / DELIVERABLES / VALUE ADDITIONS:
This project will further refine fertility and vectoring tools in porphyry and epithermal environments and in addition there is also a significant focus on being able to replicate learnings in the field by seeking out simple technologies that can provide qualitative analysis to use as proxies for the mineral chemistry vectors learnt from the application of more sophisticated technologies like LA-ICPMS. Considerable success is being achieved and recognised by the adoption of blind site tests, where the research team has applied appropriate methodologies to a set of samples provided by a project sponsor, from an undeclared area (hence blind test) - to successfully vector to mineralisation and provide indicators of fertility.
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