Mineralogical and textural controls on spectral induced polarization signatures of the Canadian Malartic gold deposit: Applications to mineral exploration

Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. B135-B151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L. Bérubé ◽  
Gema R. Olivo ◽  
Michel Chouteau ◽  
Stéphane Perrouty
Keyword(s):  
Gold Deposit ◽  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Sedimentary Rocks ◽  
Sulfide Mineral ◽  
Induced Polarization ◽  
Spectral Induced Polarization ◽  
Mineral Phases ◽  
Mineralized Zone ◽  
Mineral Interfaces ◽  
Liberation Analysis

Applications of the spectral induced polarization (SIP) method to mineral exploration are limited by our knowledge of the relationships among rock texture, mineral composition, and electrical properties. Laboratory SIP responses were measured on rock samples from the Canadian Malartic gold deposit. Field SIP responses were also measured at the outcrop scale, along a profile that intersects a well-studied mineralized zone. The mineralogy and the texture of sedimentary rocks from this deposit were quantitatively determined with mineral liberation analysis. A systematic decrease (Pearson [Formula: see text]) in total chargeability with increasing fraction of the sulfide mineral interfaces associated with feldspar minerals (namely, K-feldspar and albite) was observed. On the other hand, total chargeability increased with the fraction of sulfide mineral interfaces associated with carbonates and micas (Pearson [Formula: see text]). At Canadian Malartic, proximal alteration in the mineralized zones is marked by rocks that lack a foliation plane and that were subjected to pervasive K-feldspar, albite, and pyrite alteration. In contrast, distal alteration in sedimentary rocks is marked by biotite, albite, carbonate, and pyrite that are oriented along the regional [Formula: see text] foliation. In the least-altered (LA) sedimentary rocks, quartz and biotite are associated with pyrrhotite and ilmenite as the main sulfide and oxide mineral phases, respectively. SIP measurements conducted at district and outcrop scales and along a drill core indicated that proximally altered sedimentary rocks were characterized by low total chargeability values ([Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] in the laboratory and [Formula: see text] in the field). In contrast, the LA sedimentary rocks were characterized by total chargeability values up to [Formula: see text] in the laboratory and [Formula: see text] in the field. We conclude that mineralized zones associated with this type of ore deposit are characterized by low chargeability anomalies.

scholarly journals ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX APPARENT RESISTIVITY DATA CONJUGATING SPECTRAL INDUCED POLARIZATION AND ELECTROMAGNETIC COUPLING

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Taíla Crístia Souza Sant’Ana ◽  
Edson Emanoel Starteri Sampaio
Keyword(s):  
Apparent Resistivity ◽  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Electromagnetic Coupling ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Polarization Characteristic ◽  
Induced Polarization ◽  
Forward Modelling ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Spectral Induced Polarization ◽  
Geological Information

ABSTRACT. The induced polarization characteristic is to provide geophysical and geological information via geoelectric parameters, making possible mineral discrimination in the scope of mineral exploration. Although represents one of the main noises in measurements of this method, electromagnetic coupling between current and potential electrodes also contributes to the understanding of the geological scenario. Thus, the most appropriate way to deal with such data is an integrated study of these two phenomena, taking into account their particularities. Forward modelling and Gauss-Newton inversion of the mutual impedance in the frequency domain provide the analysis of the complex apparent resistivity considering both spectral induced polarization and electromagnetic coupling for homogeneous and one-dimensional, non-polarizable and polarizable Earth models. Besides synthetic data, this new approach was applied to data from the Copper District of Vale do Curaçá, Bahia, Brazil. The results reveal the ability of the method to distinguish between induction, dominant at the highest frequencies, and induced polarization, which varies with depth and frequency. It also may constitute a basis for mineral discrimination with the analysis of analogous circuit parameters, a fundamental tool in the search for metallic targets in mineral exploration.Keywords: Forward Modelling, Geophysical Inversion, Electromagnetic Method, Mineral Exploration.RESUMO. A polarização induzida espectral se destaca por fornecer diversas informações geofísico-geológicas através dos parâmetros geoelétricos, viabilizando a discriminação mineral no âmbito da exploração mineral. Embora constitua um dos principais ruídos nas medidas desse método, o acoplamento eletromagnético entre eletrodos de corrente e potencial também auxilia na compreensão do cenário geológico. Dessa forma, a maneira mais adequada de lidar com tais dados espectrais é o estudo integrado desses dois fenômenos, levando em conta suas particularidades. A modelagem direta e a inversão Gauss-Newton da impedância elétrica mútua no domínio da frequência proporcionam a análise da resistividade complexa aparente considerando tanto a polarização induzida espectral como o acoplamento eletromagnético para modelos de terra homogênea e uni-dimensional, polarizável e não-polarizável. Além do dado sintético, essa nova abordagem foi aplicada a dados reais do Distrito Cuprífero do Vale do Curaçá, Bahia, Brasil. Os resultados revelam a capacidade do método em distinguir o efeito indutivo, dominante nas mais altas frequências, e a variação da polarização induzida com a profundidade e frequência. Isso contitui um estudo base para a discriminação mineral por meio da análise de parâmetros de circuitos análogos, uma ferramenta fundamental na investigação de alvos em exploração mineral.Palavras-chave: Modelagem direta, Inversão Geofísica, Método Eletromagnético, Exploração Mineral. 1Universidade

scholarly journals Spectral Induced Polarization Survey with Distributed Array System for Mineral Exploration: Case Study in Saudi Arabia

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fouzan A. Alfouzan ◽  
Abdulrahman M. Alotaibi ◽  
Leif H. Cox ◽  
Michael S. Zhdanov
Keyword(s):  
Effective Medium Theory ◽  
Coupling Effect ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Drill Hole ◽  
Induced Polarization ◽  
Effective Medium ◽  
Inductive Coupling ◽  
Geothermal Resources ◽  
Spectral Induced Polarization ◽  
Distributed Array

The Saudi Arabian Glass Earth Pilot Project is a geophysical exploration program to explore the upper crust of the Kingdom for minerals, groundwater, and geothermal resources as well as strictly academic investigations. The project began with over 8000 km2 of green-field area. Airborne geophysics including electromagnetic (EM), magnetics, and gravity were used to develop several high priority targets for ground follow-up. Based on the results of airborne survey, a spectral induced polarization (SIP) survey was completed over one of the prospective targets. The field data were collected with a distributed array system, which has the potential for strong inductive coupling. This was examined in a synthetic study, and it was determined that with the geometries and conductivities in the field survey, the inductive coupling effect may be visible in the data. In this study, we also confirmed that time domain is vastly superior to frequency domain for avoiding inductive coupling, that measuring decays from 50 ms to 2 s allow discrimination of time constants from 1 ms to 5 s, and the relaxation parameter C is strongly coupled to intrinsic chargeability. We developed a method to fully include all 3D EM effects in the inversion of induced polarization (IP) data. The field SIP data were inverted using the generalized effective-medium theory of induced polarization (GEMTIP) in conjunction with an integral equation-based modeling and inversion methods. These methods can replicate all inductive coupling and EM effects, which removes one significant barrier to inversion of large bandwidth spectral IP data. The results of this inversion were interpreted and compared with results of drill hole set up in the survey area. The drill hole intersected significant mineralization which is currently being further investigated. The project can be considered a technical success, validating the methods and effective-medium inversion technique used for the project.

Mineral exploration with 3-D controlled-source electromagnetic method: a synthetic study of Sukhoi Log gold deposit

2019 ◽  
Vol 219 (3) ◽  
pp. 1698-1716 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Malovichko ◽  
A V Tarasov ◽  
N Yavich ◽  
M S Zhdanov
Keyword(s):  
Finite Difference ◽  
Gold Deposit ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Mineral Deposit ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Contraction Operator ◽  
Inversion Algorithm ◽  
Controlled Source ◽  
Regularized Inversion

SUMMARY This paper presents a feasibility study of using the controlled-source frequency-domain electromagnetic (CSEM) method in mineral exploration. The method has been widely applied for offshore hydrocarbon exploration; however, nowadays this method is rarely used on land. In order to conduct this study, we have developed a fully parallelized forward modelling finite-difference (FD) code based on the iterative solver with contraction-operator preconditioner. The regularized inversion algorithm uses the Gauss–Newton method to minimize the Tikhonov parametric functional with the Laplacian-type stabilizer. A 3-D parallel inversion code, based on the iterative finite-difference solver with the contraction-operator preconditioner, has been evaluated for the solution of the large-scale inverse problems. Using the computer simulation for a synthetic model of Sukhoi Log gold deposit, we have compared the CSEM method with the conventional direct current sounding and the CSEM survey with a single remote transmitter. Our results suggest that, a properly designed electromagnetic survey together with modern 3-D inversion could provide detailed information about the geoelectrical structure of the mineral deposit.

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