Sponsors
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Research Providers
Professor Ross Large |
| Value : AUD $591,000.00 | Duration : 3 years |
| Commenced : 01 Feb 2010 | AMIRA : Dr Alan Goode |
| The project builds upon the results from the successful AMIRA project P923 and will undertake a series of short term site specific pilot studies nominated by the sponsor companies to focus on gold mineralogy and micro-geochemistry of pyrite utilising new technology advances. Four pilot study sites will be investigated and reported each year of the project. A group of three halo/vector study sites requiring more comprehensive research by the team will be selected on the basis of the pilot studies. This project is only now possible due to recent technology breakthroughs in the application of LA-ICPMS to rocks and ores. These include: • multi-element laser trace analysis to finger print different pyrite generations in a province and ore system, • 2D and 3D laser mapping of invisible gold and other trace elements throughout the paragenesis of ores and altered rocks, • laser Pb and S isotope analysis on various sulfide minerals in ores and host rocks, • a new technique for rapid very low level gold and PGE analysis on rocks, minerals, organic matter and matrix material, and • comprehensive analysis of gold mineralogy to determine the nature and siting of gold in ores and rocks; refractory gold, invisible gold, free gold, gold tellurides, gold-PGE minerals, gold-bearing organics etc. These technologies have been developed in the CODES Centre of Excellence Laboratories, and are now available for application in a comprehensive and integrated manner. The project framework will involve two integrated themes: Theme 1: Pilot studies – testing the application of the new laser technology to exploration case study sites provided by sponsors. Theme 2: Gold pyrite halos and vectors to ore - based on selected study sites from Theme 1. | |
