Update on the CMIC Footprints Project with a focus on the Uranium and Gold sites

Transcription

1 Update on the CMIC Footprints Project with a focus on the Uranium and Gold sites Kevin Ansdell Dept. Geological Sciences Univ. Saskatchewan from Cameco Corp kevin.ansdell@usask.ca Speaker: Kevin Ansdell (U. Saskatchewan) on behalf of Mohamed Gouiza (U. Saskatchewan) Kurt Kyser (Queen s U.) Dan Brisbin (Cameco) Bob Linnen, Stephane Perrouty (Western U) Gema Olivo (Queen s U.) and CMIC Exploration Footprint Project Team

2 Outline Reminder what is CMIC, and the Footprints Project? Activity and plans Cu, Au, U Kevin Ansdell Dept. Geological Sciences Univ. Saskatchewan from Cameco Corp kevin.ansdell@usask.ca Au and pyrite in Rio deposit vein

3 What is Canadian Mining Innovation Council? Canadian minerals research organization, created in 2007 Network of mining companies, service providers, universities, and government agencies Focusing on determining and providing the research needed by the Canadian minerals industry to remain competitive and sustainable, and to ensure excellence in research, innovation, and commercialization

4 CMIC: Exploration Innovation Initiative Critical questions How to explore at depth in mature mining camps How to explore under cover How to define the entire ore system How to apply new technologies and methods in the search Requirement Integrated matrix of geological, geochemical, mineralogical petrophysical and geophysical features (ORE-SYSTEM FOOTPRINT) to enable identification of, and navigation within ore-forming systems See Robert and Galley, CMIC Signature Event Feb 2013

5 Ore System Footprint Ore Body Erosion may disperse the footprint Glacial cover will attenuate or obscure the footprint Deformation and metamorphism may modify the footprint

6 Ore System Footprint Ore Body Develop multi-parameter models and data integration tools Enhance signal-to-noise ratio (detectability) and vector from distal margins to high-grade cores Train and mentor geoscientists

7 What has happened since last year? October 2012: NSERC-CRD proposal submitted (Integrated Multi-Parameter Footprints of Ore Systems) Jan 2013: NSERC Site visit, Vancouver Feb 2013: CMIC Signature Event, Toronto (Robert and Galley ppt) April 2013: NSERC-CRD proposal approved for 5 years May 2013: Formal announcement of the Footprints project by federal government (Minister of State for Science and Technology, and Minister of Natural Resources) Industry Cash $2.8M; In-kind $3.9M; NSERC $5.1M 28 mining, mining service, and software companies 42 researchers, 24 universities

8 Industry sponsors JCU (Canada)

9 Footprints Project team approach Directorate Michael Lesher/Mark Hannington CMIC Alan Galley/Francois Robert Bill Morris/Neil Banerjee/John McGaughey Colin Farquharson/Doug Oldenburg Richard Smith/Bernd Milkereit Michel Chouteau/Randy Enkin Keiko Hattori/Martin Ross Georges Beaudoin/Dan Layton-Matthews Steve Piercey/Sarah Gleeson Research Associates/Site geologists

10 Footprints Project team approach Bob Linnen/ Gema Olivo Kevin Ansdell/ Kurt Kyser Craig Hart/ Pete Hollings Embedded Research Associates U M. Gouiza Au S. Perrouty Cu TBD Data Integration - L. Feltrin Geophysics - R. Mir Petrophysics - N. El Goumi

11 Footprints Project locations McArthur-Millennium Highland Valley Canadian Malartic from MDD Spec. Pub 5, 2007

12 Copper Footprint: Highland Valley porphyry Cu Define the alteration, geochemical, mineralogical and petrophysical footprint Identify the distal alteration halo and its outermost detectable limit Characterise the geophysical signatures through refined analysis and modeling of existing and new geophysical surveys Map source: Alva Jimenez (2011)

13 Mike D Angelo MSc student Copper Footprint: The First Phase Research Associate has been hired and will start in January, 2014 One MSc student is working on the regional intrusions to determine the distal footprint Two PhDs will start next year working on the architecture of the system and alteration/mineral chemistry

14 Malartic deposit was relatively small and high grade Gold Footprint: Location Canadian Malartic will be (is) very large and high tonnage Should have a large footprint, but not yet obvious how it will be expressed

15 2013 : New data Ground IP and gravity surveys (Abitibi Géophysique) Pit outline pxrf data Samples

16 2013 field work at Malartic 205 drill core and field samples collected along a NS section Petrophysical data are almost already acquired (hyperspectral, density, electric properties, magnetic suceptibility and remanence) Whole rock geochemistry and mineralogy analysis are in progress 1483 pulp samples pxrf (90% already measured, Memorial Univ, S. Piercey, M. Crocker) Magnetic susceptibility and gamma-ray measurements in progress Over 2000 magnetic susceptibility data Outcrop scale geological and geophysical maps Gravity and IP surveys conducted by Abitibi Geophysique

17 Outcrop scale mapping at Malartic Geophysics IP γ-ray Mag. Susc. Geology Lithologies Structures Veins Alterations Mapping Grid

18 Gold site field workshop: October

19 Uranium Footprint Modified after Jefferson et al. (2007)

20 Uranium Footprint 10 km

21 Uranium Site and Public Domain Important relationship with the Saskatchewan Geological Survey Provision of regional context Small block within the Athabasca Basin 3D model (Bosman et al 2012) Geological Atlas of Saskatchewan

22 Uranium Site and Public Domain Important relationship with the Important relationship with the Saskatchewan Geological Survey Saskatchewan Geological Survey Provision of regional context Provision of regional context Small block within the Athabasca Small block within the Athabasca Basin 3D model (Bosman et al 2012) Basin 3D model (Bosman et al 2012)

23 McArthur-Millennium: Existing Data -- Little outcrop, so limited geological mapping 30 years of exploration data, including 696 diamond drill holes Lithogeochemical data for 40,767 drill core samples, some with only U and selected pathfinders, many with 55 elements Comprehensive airborne magnetic coverage, extensive airborne and ground EM, airborne gravity, selective ground resistivity and gravity EXTECH IV seismic survey (and associated work) and local seismic surveys in the vicinity of some deposits Total gamma, SWIR, borehole sonic, resistivity for many holes Lake sediment geochemistry, boulder sampling geochemistry and mineral spectroscopy (limited other surficial data)

24 Compilation and Geological Model Development Dr. Mohamed Gouiza Expertise in structural and tectonic development of sedimentary basins PDF Memorial PhD VU University, Amsterdam MSc 2007 Louis Pasteur Univ., Strasbourg Embedded Research Associate Start date May 15, 2013 Collaboration with Dr. Leo Feltrin (Western, and Embedded Research Associate with Mira Geoscience) Planned completion PDAC, March 2014

25 Compilation and Geological Model Development Looking towards the E, with all Cameco holes Looking towards the E, with all Cameco holes Sandstone/Basement Unconformity Sandstone/Basement Unconformity

26 Millennium Volume: Focus of lithogeochemical and alteration mineralogy analysis MSc projects (just started): Lithogeochemistry Geostatistical analysis of major and trace element data (6026 points) from over 50 drillholes and wedges, and 3D contouring of select element ratios and alteration indices within GOCAD model Shannon Guffey (Piercey/Kyser/Ansdell) Alteration Mineralogy Mode, character, and crystal chemistry of illite and chlorite from selected samples, and analysis of mineral spectroscopy data within GOCAD model Nick Joyce (Layton-Matthews/Kyser) The projects will be integrated as they are examining the same drillholes from the same volume

27 Surficial studies: Geophysics and geochemistry Overburden Stripping Remove affect on airborne and ground geophysical signature (less noise) Significant for exploration across Canada from Cameco Corp. and in Kyser and Cuney (2009) Surface geochemical Which media and techniques actually provide information on leakage to surface focus sampling on structures in geological model

28 Surficial studies: Geophysics and geochemistry Overburden Stripping Remove affect on airborne and ground geophysical signature (less noise) Mehrdad Darijani (PhD: Farquharson/ Ross) Surface geochemical Mary Devine (MSc: Hattori/Ross/Kyser) from Cameco Corp. and in Kyser and Cuney (2009) Integrated sampling for geochemistry and petrophysics

29 Industry sponsors: Service providers JCU (Canada) Significant in-kind support analyses, software, processing and acquisition, model development and integration, geological support and mentoring

30 Ultimate aim: What is the Integrated Footprint?

31 Contact information Directorate: Michael Lesher Mark Hannington Industry: Alan Galley Cameco: Dan Brisbin Uranium site: Kevin Ansdell Kurt Kyser Mohamed Gouiza Footprints project website: