PROJECT SUMMARY

This three-year project aimed to help explorers achieve more efficient recognition, definition and discrimination of porphyry, epithermal and related targets using mineral-specific pathfinder elements. Previous research produced a series of mineral chemistry vectors within porphyry copper systems to allow the primary deposits to be “seen” from much further away than previously. In particular P765A focused on two problematic environments surrounding or overlying mineralized systems – “green rocks” and lithocaps. An unusual and popular feature of the project was to allow sponsors to actively test the vectors in real situations by submitting blind test sites to the research team. As an example, the giant high-grade Resolution deposit in Arizona was accurately detected from early exploratory drill holes under 1 km of barren cover. P1060 continued this work by looking at other simple minerals which are commonly found in such systems and which can be easily identified by field geologists. Other new aspects were also researched to complement the earlier investigations, including a continuation of blind testing.