Mineral Exploration Geology III Course 10160 2002

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Mineral Exploration Geology III Course
101602002

• Dr. Solomon Buckman
• Rm H2-24
• Email Solomon.Buckman_at_unisa.edu.au
• My Background
• BHP Cannington Ag/Pb/Zn, MIM Mount Isa
  Cu/Pb/Zn
• Phd Hong Kong Tectonics and Gold
  Mineralization of NW China
• Sons of Gwalia, WA Au Exploration, Hargraves
  Au/Cu

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Week 1An Introduction to Mineral Exploration

• Mineral exploration is a high-risk enterprise
• Mineral exploration is inherently difficult
  because it incorporates numerous geological
  variables and processes that have been operating
  for millions/billions of years
• Mineral exploration is a multi-disciplinary field
  incorporating geology, geochemistry geophysics
  to aid in the discovery of ore deposits

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The Australian Mineral Industry

• Mineral industry is Australias largest export
  earner 43.8 billion - 1999-2000 and contributed
  4.75 billion in taxes, royalties and transport
  levies
• Among the top 3 producers of the 10 most valuable
  minerals (Au, diamonds, Zn, Ta Ni) in the world
  
• The value of the minerals industry has helped
  Aust become the 6th wealthiest country, per
  capita
• Benefits extend beyond export profits to the
  development of regional infrastructure,
  manufacturing and IT
• Over the past 20 yrs the resource sector has
  contributed 500 billion to Austs wealth

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Australias Mineral Production Rates
Source AGSO, 2001. Australias Mineral
Exploration. http//www.agso.gov.au/pdf/minerals/p
mseic_28jun01.pdf
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Australian Industry Exports
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Australian Exploration

• In 2000, Australia attracted 17 of the worlds
  total exploration expenditure

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Exploration
WMC attributes its growth entirely to successful
exploration which, in turn, is attributed to the
successful application of geological science.
Roy Woodall, former Director of Exploration, WMC,
1983. mines formed probably the most efficient
industry in Australia, by international
standards, but a big section of the public and
many politicians came to think that the dazzling
procession of mineral discoveries had depended
more on luck than on effort and ingenuity.
Geoffrey Blainey, historian, 1993.
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Background Mineral Resources

• Our mineral resource crisis mineral consumption
  is growing even faster than the population
• Most minerals are used in more developed
  countries (MDC) with relatively small consumption
  in less developed countries eg MDCs account for
  16 of population but consume 70 of world
  aluminium, copper, and nickle, 58 of world oil,
  48 gas and 37 coal.
• As the standard of living in LDCs increases they
  will begin to increase consumption of their
  minerals
• Our civilization is based on mineral resources
• If global population increases as rapidly, the
  pressure to find and produce minerals will be
  enourmous, as will the potential pollution
  related to their extraction and use.

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Case Study Olympic Dam
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Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves

• Go to http//www.jorc.org/main.php?action4 to
  download a copy of the JORC Code and Guidelines
  for reporting Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves

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Factors Controlling Mineral Availability

• Geologic Factors - constant
• Engineering Factors decreasing ie technology
• Environmental Factors increasing rapidly
• Economic Factors variable

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Minerals and Global Economic Patterns

• The impact of minerals on the global economy is
  enormous. Primary (not including recycling) fuel,
  metal and industrial mineral production are worth
  700, 500 150 billion (Fig 1.7, 1992)

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The New Era of World Minerals

• Traditional geologic, engineering and economic
  constraints are being joined by limitations
  imposed by environmental considerations. Dealing
  with these many factors to supply the next
  generation with mineral resources will require
  compromises based on a full understanding of the
  issues.

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Mineralogy of Economic Deposits
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Mineral Deposit Geology

• Nature and Morphology of Orebodies
• Size and shape
• Discordant orebodies
• Regularly shaped veins, faults, pipes, chimneys
• Irregularly shaped disseminated, stockwork
• Irregular replacement skarn
• Concordant orebodies
• Sedimentary hosts BIFs, limestone replacement
• Igneous hosts VMS, layered intrusives
• Metamorphic hosts Kanmantoo
• Residual deposits - bauxite

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Discordant regularly shaped orebodies
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Discordant irregularly shaped orebodies
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Sedimentary Hosts
Limestone replacement parallel to bedding and a
limited development perpendicular to it,
therefore stratiform.
Stratabound any type of orebody, concordant or
discordant, which are restricted to a particular
part of the stratigraphic column
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Mineral Deposit Geology

• Wall rock alteration
• Alteration halo eg garnet Cannington Ag-Pb-Zn
• Plate tectonics and the global distribution of
  ore deposits
• Metallogenic provinces and epochs
• Mineral deposits in the principle plate tectonic
  regimes

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Mineral deposits in the principle plate tectonic
regimes

• Continental interior basins, intra-continental
  rifts and aulacogens
• Inland seas Kupfershiefer copper shales,
  Bushveld Complex

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Ocean basins and rises
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Passive continental margins

• Mississippi Valley type stratiform sandstone
  hosted Cu-Pb-Zn deposits

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Subduction related settings
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Strike-slip settings
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Collision related settings

• S-type granites - uranium

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Mineral Exploration
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