EXPLORATION

TECHNIQUES
AND
TARGETING
Helen McFarlane & STRATGEIES
Steffen Hagemann
Centre for Exploration Targeting, School of Earth Sciences
The University of Western Australia
 Talk outline

Exploration techniques for MVT

exploration
• Regional-scale exploration
• Camp-scale exploration
• Ore body-scale exploration

Summary of San Vicente ore types

Characteristics and vectors for ore types
Targets at San Vicente
New and established exploration
techniques in
Mississippi-Valley Type Zn-Pb
(or sphalerite-rich) deposits
New and established exploration techniques
in MVT (or sphalerite-rich) deposits

Technique Scale Example

1. Regional - Seismic - Pucará Basin

2. Camp - Gravity/Magnetics - Lennard
Shelf
3. Ore body - DHMMR - Kempfield VMS
Geophysical properties of MVT deposits

Leach et al. (2010)

Regional seismic profiles:

Regional structural studies

 Linking with regional deformation
Key information

 Timing and total horizontal shortening

 Greater understanding of basement structures
 Greater understanding of original basin geometries

Eude et al. (2015)

Eude et al. (2015)

 Espurt et al. (2008) Tectonics

Seismic profiles and balanced cross-sections from south of the field area
display evidence of fold and thrust belt geometries at depth
Provides crucial information on depth to basement, thickness of
Pucará Group and location of basement structures
 Local scale seismic surveys
• Local scale seismic data
for
 subsurface
geometries of
stratigraphy
 high angle faults

• Depending on line
orientation, may reveal
geometry of basement
faults
 Potential controls
on deformation
within NW-striking Hall et al. (2015)
corridors
District scale airborne gravity and
magnetics:

Examples from Lennard Shelf

district
 Wagon Pass
Kim
Le be
n na Bl rley
oc
Fit rd k
zro
yT Sh
elf
0

18 Jurg ro
urr
aT
ce ug
Bro h
om Da
eP m
pi
lat er
fo rm
Tc
e
Cadjebut
Sa
mp
Admiral Bay
hir Wi
eM llar
ar
s aS
h ub Billiluna Shelf
Em -ba Balgo Tce
ba
y s in Gr
eg
Wa
McLarty or
lla
Embayment Ba y
Su
l
rb

Wa
wir
eT b-

lla
0
Em er
ra ba Be

l
20 ce si tty

Pla
ba Munro
ym n Tc

tf
Terrace

or
en e

m
t

An
ke
te
Cr

ll S
os
sla

he
nd

fl
Pl
at
fo
rm

Basin Margin
0

Fault 120

Kidson Sub-basin
Structural element
boundary
Pi
lba
Carbonate-hosted ra
Bl
Tab
leto
pS
oc he
base-metal deposit
lf
k

Ryan
0 100 0 0 0 Shelf 0
122 124 126 128

Kilometres

Courtesy of Simon Dorling

 Lennard Shelf

Goongewa / Kutarta

Fitzroy Pillara Block

Trough Emanuel Block
Oscar
Block
Pillara

Kapok Nullara Cycle

Present Day
Erosion Level
Pillara Cycle

Cadjebut
ult
Fa Fossil Downs
Devonian ut
jeb
ult

Basinal d
Ca
Fa

Clastics
lls

Proterozoic Basement
u lt

Hi
Fa

in
rg
cle

Vi
na
Pin

Devonian / Carboniferrous Devonian Fore-Reef Lower Dolomite Unit

Devonian Clastics
Devonian Reef Ordovician
10km
Devonian Platform
Devonian Basinal Shale + Carbonate Proterozoic

CDR 259

Courtesy of Simon Dorling

 5500mE 5700mE

T
FAUL
W
ES
1100mRL

ERN
TE
RN

E AS T
FA
UL
T

1000mRL 3%

1%
5%

900mRL

PILLARA
WESTERN & EASTERN FAULTS
0 100m

SECTION 11000mN
CDR228

Courtesy of Simon Dorling

Regional
gravity
survey Transfer
faults Pillara

Cadjebut
fault
system Cadjebut
Kapok

Basement fault Courtesy of Simon Dorling

 Normal/splay faults
Pillara oblique to Cadjebut
shear system
MVT
deposit

BUT…Processing and filtering of airborne gravity

surveys can be complex in areas of significant
topography
Courtesy of Simon Dorling
Geophysical surveys in rugged topography

Helicopter TEM
 Rapid data
acquisition of data
(Gravity, magnetics,
TEM)

Draped survey at low

altitude
 improves data
collection in area of
high topographic
Credit: SkyTEM
relief

To constrain the location and orientation of basement

structures
Crucial for understanding fluid pathways and conduits
 Local ore body scale

Downhole geophysical surveys

 Downhole geophysical surveys

Geophysical survey
collected using
downhole sensor

Active data
collection during
drilling program

Used to detect
geophysical signal
of ore bodies (e.g.
lateral extension)

USGS (2010)
 Downhole Magnetometric Resistivity (DHMMR)
Low frequency electrical
current passing between
two electrodes

Current is channelled
along conductive paths
(e.g. zone of
mineralization) relative to
less conductive host
rocks

Detected using
magnetometric resistivity
survey (surface and or
downhole)

Good for lower

conductivity ore (e.g.
sphalerite-rich with
galena)
Kempfield ore response
Kempfield polymetallic base metal VMS
deposit characterised by sphalerite rich ore

DHMMR survey confirmed

 powerful new geophysical technique for the
detection of lead/zinc mineralization at
Kempfield

To target ore
bodies,
sphalerite
lenses and
feeder zones

Argent Minerals (2014)

Application of downhole geophysics at San
Vicente

Mantos or mineralised breccias are

conductive relative to barren dolostones
and limestones

Potentially constraining the orientation of

mineralization and continuation of ore
bodies

Provides guidance for new targets within

the mine
 Summary

Multiple techniques available to improve

predictive capabilities during exploration
Techniques depend on the scale of exploration
program
Downhole geophysical techniques are best
option for rapid and cost-effective deployment
at San Vicente
 San Vicente
Targeting Strategies
 San Vicente
ore types, timing and locations
 San Vicente
vectors for mineralization
 San Vicente
target identification
Looking E

Map view

NB: #5 is recent extension of Ayala Inferior

Current
exploration
and drilling
Target #1

In footwall of DA
thrust fault in
Arcopunco DSV

Downdip of
known ore body
in the Alfonso
Dolomite

E-W section 8761265N

Targets #2 & 3

West of ore Mina Central

body in Alfonso
Dolomite
(similar to
Arcopunco?)

Down dip of DSV

ore bodies in
DSV
DSJ

E-W section 8760100N

Target #4

In Ayala Fault
Tj632
Predict similar
DA
style of
DSV
mineralization
to Tj 632 DSJ
in DSV

NW-SE section parallel to Ayala Fault

Target #6

In Ayala Fault DA

Predict similar
style of
mineralization DSV
DSJ
to Tj 632
in DSV
NW-SE section parallel to Usa
Targets #7

Possibly linking E-W

dextral shear zone

Drilling to SW of Usa Lvl 2230 DA

below Lvl 1930

Target #8
DSV
South of Usa
DSJ
Another NW-striking Usa
syn-sedimentary fault
- target above Lvl
1930
N-S section (458050E)
 Next steps

• Develop exploration targeting decision

matrix
• Conduct ranking
• Critically evaluate other factors (e.g.
engineering, logistics, environment)
• Execute