The Obstacles and Opportunities of the Mineral Resources in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq

The Kurdistan Region in Iraq is located in the extreme northeastern part of the Arabian Plate which is in a collision since the Late Cretaceous with the Iranian Plate. Therefore, large ophiolite bodies have been thrust along the northeastern margins of Kurdistan Region; accordingly, different metallic mineral can be associated with igneous and metamorphic rocks at Penjween, Qalat Diza and Rawandouz vicinities, besides, radioactive minerals like uranium and thorium. Moreover, large and long thrust fault has developed along the northern and northeastern parts of the Kurdistan Region. Along the plane of this huge thrust fault, hydrothermal liquids have deposited different metallic minerals as showings, especially between Zakho and Amadiyah towns. We have presented and discussed the discipline of mineral investment in Kurdistan Region, the announced minerals’ blocks for investment by the Ministry of Natural Resources in the Kurdistan Regional Government, the encouraging factors and obstacles of investments. To fulfill the scope of this work, we have used the best available and updated data as acquired from different sources. The main obstacles which contributed to the backwardness and non-development of the mining industry in the Kurdistan Region can be summarized in the nonexistence of a valid and promising mineral investment law which can attract the big international mining companies to invest in the region, adding to the nonexistence of comprehensive, detailed and mineral exploration studies which can give confident figures of the mineral and ore reserves in the region. The non-availability of a specialized mining education institution which prepares mining expertise and mining engineers who can lead the progress in this regard could count as another hurdle.

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On-line presentation of mineral occurrences in Greenland

Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin ◽

10.34194/geusb.v7.4839 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 57-60

Author(s):

Leif Thorning ◽

Lisbeth Aa. Christensen ◽

Bo Møller Nielsen ◽

Frands Schjøth ◽

Henrik Stendal

Keyword(s):

Mineral Exploration ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

National Income ◽

Mining Industry ◽

Mineral Resources ◽

International Investment ◽

New Information ◽

Mineral Occurrence ◽

The Government ◽

Petroleum Sector

The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum (BMP, under the Government of Greenland) have co-operated on the international promotion of the mineral resources of Greenland for more than ten years. The Government of Greenland follows a strategy aimed at the development of a mining and petroleum sector in Greenland capable of yielding a significant proportion of the national income. To reach this goal it is necessary to attract international investment. In respect of mineral exploration, many parts of Greenland can still be considered virgin territory and it is therefore vital that all data relevant for the identification of possible exploration targets are available to the international mining industry. GEUS has produced many compilations of geoscience data for that purpose in traditional reports, on CD-ROMs and in scientific journals. In 2004, a new source of geoscience information was developed based on an interactive GIS facility on the Internet, and mineral exploration data and information from a region in central West Greenland are now accessible at the Greenland Mineral Occurrence Map (GMOM) website at GEUS (Fig. 1; www.geus.dk/gmom). Technically, this new facility will be maintained and developed in accordance with general principles for Internet services adopted by GEUS (e.g. Tulstrup 2004). New information from other regions of Greenland will gradually be added.

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APPLICATION OF WELL LOGGING TECHNIQUES IN METALLIC MINERAL MINING

Geophysics ◽

10.1190/1.1440071 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 143-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

R. W. Baltosser ◽

H. W. Lawrence

Keyword(s):

Mineral Exploration ◽

Petroleum Industry ◽

Mining Industry ◽

Well Logging ◽

Nuclear Radiation ◽

Open Pit ◽

Seismic Velocities ◽

Groundwater Movement ◽

Metallic Mineral ◽

Shear Modes

Nearly all of the well logging devices currently used in the petroleum industry have found some limited application in metallic mineral exploration and mining. However, due to differing problems, the emphasis in the mineral industries has been on those devices regarded as “exotic” or “specialty” by the petroleum industry. These include devices to measure or determine induced polarization, magnetic susceptibility, and, hopefully, nuclear activation and the use of spectral analysis. Problems which the mining industry believes are solvable with well logging methods include bulk assay and recognition of minerals adjacent to and retired from a borehole, delineation of joint and fracture systems, leaching problems which involve porosity, permeability and groundwater movement, bank stability in open pit mines, roof and pillar loading in shaft mines, grindability, and penetration rates in drilling. Devices currently offered by the well logging industry which may be useful for these problems include those capable of measuring electrical properties, natural and induced nuclear radiation, seismic velocities of both compressional and shear modes, temperature, mechanical features of a borehole such as diameter and rugosity, and borehole photography either direct or by television.

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Karrat 97: reconnaissance mineral exploration in central West Greenland

Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin ◽

10.34194/ggub.v180.5089 ◽

1998 ◽

pp. 73-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Agnete Steenfelt ◽

Bjørn Thomassen ◽

Mogens Lind ◽

Johannes Kyed

Keyword(s):

Stream Water ◽

Mineral Exploration ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Mining Industry ◽

Mineral Resources ◽

Field Work ◽

Geochemical Data ◽

Joint Project ◽

Project Area ◽

West Greenland

NOTE: This article was published in a former series of GEUS Bulletin. Please use the original series name when citing this article, for example: Steenfelt, A., Thomassen, B., Lind, M., & Kyed, J. (1998). Karrat 97: reconnaissance mineral exploration in central West Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 180, 73-80. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v180.5089 _______________ The Karrat 97 project aims at the acquisition of geochemical data from drainage samples and information on mineralisation within a 10 000 km2 area, which stretches from Uummannaq northwards to Prøven (i.e. from 70°30′ to 72°30′ N; Fig. 1). The project area comprises a major Palaeoproterozoic supracrustal unit, the Karrat Group, from which the project takes its name, and which hosts the abandoned Black Angel lead-zinc mine. It is a joint project between the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum (BMP), Government of Greenland, and wholly funded by the latter. The goal of the project is to win back the interest of the mining industry to the area. The eastern part of the project area is difficult of access due to alpine topography with peaks up to 2300 m, abundant glaciers, and steep-sided, often ice-filled fjords. A somewhat more gentle topography prevails in the western parts of the area. The whole area is underlain by permafrost. Field work was carried out during seven weeks in July–August 1997 by a team of four geologists and four local prospectors. Job-training of the prospectors was an integral purpose of the project, and the manning of the teams was periodically changed so that all four prospectors were introduced to the different topographical and geological terrains in the area as well as to the methods of operation. A chartered 68 foot, 77 tons vessel – M/S Nukik – served as mobile base with accommodation and meals on board; a MD 500 E helicopter with crew chartered through Grønlandsfly A/S participated for one month. The work was carried out from five anchorages, with the helicopter stationed on the adjacent coast. The weather was relatively unstable in the field period, but only five days of work were lost due to bad weather. The field work comprised regional-scale systematic drainage sampling, and detailed mineral exploration at selected sites. The sampling of stream sediment and stream water supplements the geochemical mapping programme of Greenland undertaken jointly by GEUS and BMP (Steenfelt 1993, 1994), the aim of which is to provide systematic, quality controlled geochemical data. The data are used together with geological and geophysical information in the evaluation of the potential for economic mineral resources. Samples were collected by two teams, transported by helicopter or small boats. All ice-free, near-coastal localities were sampled by the boat team, whereas all other localities were sampled by the helicopter team. The results of this work have been reported on by Steenfelt et al. (1998). The detailed mineral exploration was follow-up work on previously outlined indications and anomalies. It was carried out by two teams on daily trips by rubber dinghy or helicopter, or by foot traverses from field camps. This part of the project has been reported on by Thomassen & Lind (1998).

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Seismic methods in mineral exploration and mine planning: A general overview of past and present case histories and a look into the future

Geophysics ◽

10.1190/geo2012-0028.1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 77 (5) ◽

pp. WC173-WC190 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

Alireza Malehmir ◽

Raymond Durrheim ◽

Gilles Bellefleur ◽

Milovan Urosevic ◽

Christopher Juhlin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mineral Exploration ◽

Mining Industry ◽

Mineral Resources ◽

Great Depth ◽

Mine Planning ◽

Mineral Deposits ◽

Mining Areas ◽

Seismic Methods ◽

Wide Range ◽

Borehole Seismic

Due to high metal prices and increased difficulties in finding shallower deposits, the exploration for and exploitation of mineral resources is expected to move to greater depths. Consequently, seismic methods will become a more important tool to help unravel structures hosting mineral deposits at great depth for mine planning and exploration. These methods also can be used with varying degrees of success to directly target mineral deposits at depth. We review important contributions that have been made in developing these techniques for the mining industry with focus on four main regions: Australia, Europe, Canada, and South Africa. A wide range of case studies are covered, including some that are published in the special issue accompanying this article, from surface to borehole seismic methods, as well as petrophysical data and seismic modeling of mineral deposits. At present, high-resolution 2D surveys mostly are performed in mining areas, but there is a general increasing trend in the use of 3D seismic methods, especially in mature mining camps.

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