Hydrothermal Systems Analysis
Assay data, drillcore, underground mapping and field appraisal of prospects and terrains can focus on the identification of core elements of the alteration, geochemistry, geometry, and timing of fluid flow pathways that have led to mineralization. Hydrothermal pathways analysis is aimed at producing:
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A practical ‘toolkit’ of revised procedures to identify key fluid conduits, reject unimportant ones, and identify the planning steps needed to take this forward in mine or exploration lease development;
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Maps, sections and reports identifying these conduits and suggesting alternatives for testing. These would ideally be layered/interwoven with structural and geophysical datasets;
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New geochemical and alteration recognition data designed to either retrospectively validate or constrain older datasets, and to then add value to these datasets by restructuring and expanding their utility
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Practical ‘toolkits’ of sampling and logging procedures tailored for each deposit
Analyses would normally be in two stages starting with a short scoping program (7-14 days) to assess the scale of the problem, provide initial analysis, and define the scale of any further work that would be required to provide complete solutions.
Many companies involved with exploration and mining geology are faced with the dilemna of inherited geochemical and structural datasets of varying quality, and no clarity on how to deal with the earlier data versus the program moving forwards. Our approach will try to get you past this hurdle into the more useful realm of combining the geochemistry with your other (geophysical, geological, structural) datasets. For example, have you considered how to work out where the veins are from your geochemical data rather than your logging (relevant with very broken or strongly clay-altered core)? And have you used your structural logging for anything other than cross-section preparation - which structures host the high grades? We can approach these problems by examining your data, and your field or mine exposures, or drillcore.
Nick Oliver brings over 30 years of experience in ‘hydrothermal’ geology in structurally complex terranes to provide practical field-based analyses of hydrothermal framework of mineralisation at both the deposit-scale and regional exploration scale.
Contact: Nick Oliver