Focus on Geology
Issue #36: Focus on Geology
SRK Structural Interpretation Assists Glencar’s Gold Discovery in Mali
In March 2005, Glencar Mining plc engaged Toby Davis (SRK Perth) to develop structural models for mineralisation for a number of gold prospects they had identified in their Komana Project in southwest Mali. This project included interpretation of regional geophysical datasets and mapping prospects in 1000 sq km of tenements. Glencar wanted to design their future drilling programs around field evidence based structural models for mineralisation. read full article…
Mapping and Sampling Massive Sulfide Deposits on the Seafloor
Paul Hodkiewicz and Phil Jankowski from SRK in Perth are working with Nautilus Minerals Inc. (NUS: TSX-V) as they explore the seafloor for massive sulfide gold-copper-zinc-silver deposits in the Southwestern Pacific. Nautilus now has applications and tenements in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Fiji that collectively cover an area the size of the United Kingdom. read full article…
Probabilistic Targeting for Mesothermal Gold Mineralisation
Over the last 12 months, Monarch Gold Mining Company has developed a large tenement portfolio in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia through mergers and acquisitions. For Monarch, SRK took on a geological review of the area and generated a series of ranked exploration targets. Monarch’s tenement package covers the approximately 100km strike length of the Ida Fault, which separates the Eastern Goldfields and Southern Cross provinces of the Yilgarn Craton. Historically, the area has abundant workings, now under care and maintenance. read full article…
The Role of Remobilisation in the Formation of Nickel Sulfide Orebodies
The current historically high price of nickel has generated much interest in nickel deposits throughout the world. Consequently, SRK geologists in Australia and Canada have received many requests for work from clients, such as BHP Billiton, Consolidated Minerals, Goldstream Mining, Jubilee Mines and LionOre. read full article…
3D Structural Mapping of Gold Continuity, Venezuela
Gold Fields Venezuela commissioned SRK Consulting to undertake a study to determine the structural controls of gold mineralisation at the Choco 10 deposit in Venezuela. Gold Fields acquired the project when they completed the takeover of Bolivar Gold Corp in early 2006. In February 2006, SRK determined that the VBK mineralisation was strongly controlled by distinct foliation domains. read full article…
SRK’s Involvement in the DRC
SRK is at work on one of the richest copper and cobalt producing areas in the world, the province of Katanga in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A significant share of the copper and cobalt is mined informally and exported illicitly from the African nation. SRK has been extensively involved in the task of delineating and evaluating the drilling of numerous copper and copper-cobalt deposits in the Katanga province. read full article…
SRK Structural Modeling of the Kumtor Gold Deposit
SRK has been developing and regularly updating a structural geological model for the Kumtor gold deposit in Kyrgyzstan, primarily to resolve geotechnical issues and aid pit design. The project, overseen by Principal Geotechnical Engineer, Neil Marshall, is being led by Dr Rob Seago, a structural geologist with 20 years experience in the oil, gas and mining industry. Rob has worked extensively in Indonesia, Pakistan, Middle East, Europe and the Far East. read full article…
3D Modeling of Structural Domains in Western Africa for Gold Fields 
SRK provided consulting services in structural geology for the Essakane gold deposit in Burkina Faso and for the Damang open pit cutback feasibility study in Ghana. Both projects involved reviews of drill core and mapping of surface exposures, as well as extensive 3D modeling with Leapfrog software. Essakane is a structurally complex gold deposit hosted in folded Paleoproterozoic sedimentary rocks in eastern Burkina Faso. read full article…
Importance of Kimberlite Pipe Geometry and Kimberlite Emplacement Model 
With rapid economic growth in China, the demand for iron ore is becoming increasingly strong. The exploration and development of Chinese domestic iron ore projects are gaining more attention, and SRK is assisting various clients with exploration design and management and with securing financing from the overseas market. read full article…
JORC and the Chinese Resource Classification System – An SRK View
SRK has been involved with exploration and mining projects in China since the 1990s, with a strong focus on providing Competent Person’s Reports for stock exchange listings in Hong Kong and London. In addition, much Due Diligence and Fatal Flaw analysis work on Chinese resource projects has been completed, for both western and Chinese companies. Through this work, SRK has found that there are fundamental philosophical and practical differences between the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) and Chinese resource classification systems. read full article…
Optimising Risk Assessment in Coal and Energy-rich Sedimentary Basins
Over the past few years SRK has developed 4D structural/basin models that enable explorers and operators in four of the major coal-bearing sedimentary basins of eastern Australia to manage their key geological risks more effectively. Initially releasing its structural framework study of the Sydney Basin and part of the Gunnedah Basin in January 2004, the team has continued to refine the Sydney Basin Study data in two updates, a major update in November 2005 and a minor update in September 2006.
read full article…
SRK Exploration Services – Optimistic Beginnings
SRK Exploration Services (SRKES) has experienced dynamic growth in business over the past 36 months. Since its inception in 2003 the SRKES team, led by Gareth O’Donovan, has grown to over 10 geologists and GIS specialists and a number of associates offering specialised services. The scope of deliverable services provided ranges from competent person’s reporting and auditing through to direct project management, drill program design and sampling protocol implementation. read full article…
Dar es Salaam Office
Reflecting the upsurge in mining and mineral exploration in eastern Africa, with Tanzania now being the third largest producer of gold on the continent, SRK opened an office in Dar es Salaam in April 2006. The Executive Director of SRK – Eastern Africa, Brent Barber, emphasizes that the goal is to develop an office, predominantly staffed by professionals from Eastern Africa, capable of meeting the demands for international experience in engineering and the scientific disciplines in the region. read full article…
Significance of Structural Architecture in Controlling Mineralisation
In October 2004, Sino Gold commissioned SRK to undertake a structural geology study of the Jianchaling Gold Mine in Central China. This study was intended to improve the understanding of the structural controls and continuity on the Carlin-like gold mineralisation within the operating mine, as well as to develop targets for the near mine exploration program. read full article…
Valuation of Exploration Properties
The May 2007 deadline is looming on the South African mining calendar. That is the date by which anybody who feels aggrieved by the loss of a mineral right under the “old order” must file a legal writ against the Government to retain it. This date has caused a flurry of requests for valuation of disputed mineral rights. Valuing an early stage mineral property is fraught with difficulty, since the desirability (and hence value) of the site is very much in the eye of the beholder. read full article…
3D Visualisation Techniques: New Advances and Applications
Recent advances in computational power have driven innovations in graphic design and three-dimensional modeling in mining and exploration. No longer is a geologist or engineer tied to two-dimensional sections and plans previously used to interpret the geology or mine plan for a deposit. However, where there are innovations, a competent geologist or engineer must be aware of the pitfalls. read full article…
Geometry and Emplacement
SRK was enlisted by De Beers (Canada) to conduct a structural investigation of its Snap Lake Diamond Project, located in the Canadian Arctic, 220 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife. The ore body at Snap Lake is a diamondiferous kimberlite dyke, which dips gently towards the east, under Snap Lake. read full article…
Building Geological Expertise for Clients in Chile
The ability to integrate different services has been the key to SRK Consulting’s successful and ongoing relationship with one of our key clients in Chile, a major underground copper mine operator. Over the last four years, SRK has worked alongside the client’s own staff, helping them maximise the usefulness of geological data, while providing a combination of exploration program assessment, deposit modeling, structural geology, and open pit geotechnical design. read full article…
Generating 4D Geological Maps from Regional Geophysics
Geological interpretation is still the basic skill underlying the mining and exploration industries. Historically, exploration activities have tended to be dominated by geochemical prospecting methods. But it is becoming more common to interpret results by applying a much broader geological understanding of the mineralisation processes than geochemistry alone allows. read full article…
Independent Technical Reports: Adding Value
Securities regulators worldwide have set in place formal guidelines regulating public companies and the technical information relating to mineral projects they must disclose for market-related reporting and financial investment. The mineral industry has developed guidelines to increase the relevance, accuracy and transparency of technical information that public companies disclose. read full article…
SRK’s New Office in Kolkata
Subrato Ghosh is managing SRK’s office in Kolkata, India. The new office, SRK’s first in India, is involved with a major study of Hindustan Copper’s existing mines and operations and with detailed exploration for POSCO prospects. The primary focus of the new office is developing a core team of geologists and mining engineers with the aim of providing services for the exploration industry in India and neighbouring countries, including Indonesia. read full article…
Optimising Field Investigations
Most ore deposits are formed within tectonically active areas, such as ancient basins and orogenic belts. It is no wonder then that the vast majority of mineral deposits are affected or controlled by structural features. From the perspective of mineral exploration and mining, the potential influence of both large and small scale structures on projects cannot be understated, with structures impacting most technical issues, including: grade control, resource estimation, targeting, rock mass engineering and hydrogeology. read full article…
3D Structural Geology Modeling, Peru
Designing or excavating an open pit mine requires a detailed understanding of major structures that have the potential to create large failures in pit walls. Evaluating large scale structures geometrically and kinematically enables an operator to mitigate the associated structural risk in developing an open pit.
Using accurate three-dimensional modeling, SRK combines detailed mapping and kinematic analysis of large scale structures in real time, taking into account mining induced stress fields and neotectonic seismic activity. read full article…
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