A joint project of the University of Western Australia (UWA) and Geosoft, supported by Barrick Gold, has created new CET grid analysis software which can help explorers improve their interpretations.

“The most relevant application to date has been on airborne gravity data in the Lake Victoria Goldfields to assist in mapping dislocations and gradient changes commonly associated with greenstone gold deposits,” said Matthew Hope, Barrick’s project geophysicist for Africa/Eurasia.
It is the identification and mapping of these features that makes the new CET grid analysis tool so useful to explorers. The modules are essentially automatic interpretation tools that provide a first pass lineament detection on gridded/image data.

The clever and sophisticated algorithms behind these tools were created by the Geophysics and Image Analysis Group of The University of Western Australia (UWA)’s Centre for Exploration Targeting (CET), part of the University’s School of Earth and Environment. The group is supported through a partnership between UWA, Curtin University of Technology and the mineral exploration industry. Since 2006, the team has been focusing on developing new techniques to enhance and automatically detect features of interest from geoscientific datasets.
While the UWA team are clearly the mathematical theorists behind the initiative, creation of the new modules was a joint effort with partners Barrick and Geosoft.

In the CET group at UWA, Associate Professor Eun-Jung Holden teamed up with Professor Mike Dentith and Dr Peter Kovesi to develop the methodology used for the software. In 2009 when the project hit its stride, Holden coordinated and led the team, assisted by research associate Shih Ching Fu, to develop the software.
Holden explained the outcome and the three basics of what the mathematical processes do:
“The algorithms provide methods to enhance local discontinuities within data by analysing local textures; to locate laterally continuous regions of discontinuity by finding texturally complex line features or finding data edges; and to vectorise the axes of resulting discontinuity regions,” she said.
Holden said the base algorithms are well-established methods in the computer vision community, some of which had been developed by team member Dr Peter Kovesi.
“These algorithms are combined and adapted for geophysical processing in CET grid analysis,” she said.
The software provides generic tools that are broadly applicable. Barrick’s Bourne believes the new software will find use in most exploration situations with potential field or other image analysis requirements.
“It is not a standalone tool but a supplement to traditional image outputs,” he said.
“The efficiency of the CET grid analysis tools is one of its major strengths. From a user perspective the code is relatively easy to understand and quick to run. Several iterations can be achieved in short periods of time on most potential field datasets.”
UWA’s Holden says the new processes have only become possible more recently.
“A main challenge in developing geophysical image processing tools is in dealing with the size and scale of the data while preserving a reasonable execution time,” she said.
“Often geophysical datasets are larger than datasets used in other fields, and clients do not have access to high powered hardware.”

How the new algorithms work their magic
The CET Grid Analysis software provides tools for grid texture analysis, lineament detection, edge detection, and thresholding to coax out trends from geophysics datasets and facilitates the following:
1. Texture analysis-based image enhancement: by highlighting local intensity variations, this method enhances regions of discontinuity within aeromagnetic/gravity datasets. Regions of magnetic/gravity discontinuity correspond with, and can reveal, lithological boundaries, faults and dykes critical to understanding an area’s geology.
2. Discontinuity structure detection: takes the texture analysis output and finds the skeletal structure of the regions of the magnetic/gravity discontinuity. The output is a set of a binary skeletal line segments that belong to each of the discontinuity regions, clearly showing the changes of orientations and offsets within the structures. This process emulates the traditional manual drawing of interpretive lines along the discontinuity region.
The algorithms will be useful in exploring for most kinds of mineral deposits, in particular gold and base metal mineralization.

Paula Wallace — created Jul 14, 2010

Australian Journal of Mining

Job offer – Technical Writer

Abitibi Geophysics has been providing geophysical services to the mineral exploration industry for over 25 years. Our expertise ranges from detecting precious and base metal deposits to exploring for diamonds and uranium. Val-d’Or-based Abitibi Geophysics mainly conducts surveys in Canada, but we also provide exploration services to the international market.

Val-d’Or is a young and dynamic bilingual community with a population of 30 000 people. Open on the world and known for its world wide mining an exploration expertise, it is located in the beautiful Abitibi region. Rich of 4 seasons it’s the perfect place for activities such as fishing, golf, cross country skiing, snowmobile and hockey including a major junior hockey team.

We are currently recruiting for a Technical Writer with a good knowledge of geology or geophysics. The Technical Writer will play a strategic role in our team and

Main functions:

- Gather information from clients and project geophysicists on the application of geophysical methods to create promotional/technical case-studies;
- Gather information from the product specialists to create advertising brochures explaining the advantages of our products and services;
- Design presentation figures, charts or graphs to improve the communication of technical messages;
- Gather information externally on developments, trends, and research in mining exploration geophysics
- Ensure the website is up to date and verify the quality of the information posted;
- Review documents pre-publications ensure a consistent coherent message in both official languages.

Humain Ressources
ABITIBI GÉOPHYSIQUE INC., 1746 CH. SULLIVAN, VAL-D’OR, QC, J9P 7H1
TÉL. : (819) 874-8800 202 FAX : (819) 874-8801
GDESFOSSES@AGEOPHYSICS.COM

Rodney Koch, P. Geo, Vice-President Exploration Canada for Titan and geophysicist with rich experience in Athabasca basin has announced the new drill program on the Border Block project which is located in the southwest area of the Athabasca Basin, near the Alberta border.

The planned program consists of approximately 1,500 metres of diamond drilling to test prospective targets identified by recently completed (Spring 2010) SQUID Time Domain ElectroMagnetic (TDEM) and D.C. Resistivity surveys. D.C. Resistivity is the geophysical technique of choice in the Athabasca Basin due to its ability to image hydrothermal alteration systems, which form resistivity “chimneys”, often associated with fault zones and unconformity-type uranium deposits. The project (76,354 hectares/188,675 acres) covers an area where historic exploration data identified favourable basement rocks capable of hosting uranium mineralization.

Kirrin Resources Inc. today announced the completion of a 1,076 line-kilometre magnetic-electromagnetic (EM) airborne survey of the Key Lake Southwest (‘Key Lake SW’) uranium property located on the southeastern margin of the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada. Fugro Airborne Surveys Corp. of Ottawa, Ontario (‘Fugro’) was contracted to complete the survey. In addition, a review of the technical disclosures following the January 10, 2010 announcements by Delta Uranium Inc. (‘Delta’) and Denison Mines Corp. (‘Denison’) of the expansion of their Phoenix Discovery, just 60 km from Key Lake SW, has revealed many geological similarities between Phoenix and Key Lake SW.

Kirrin’s airborne magnetic-EM survey at Key Lake SW utilised Fugro’s fixed-wing Tempest(R) Digital Time Domain Electromagnetic (DTDEM) system which provides maximum quantitative discrimination of relatively near surface (upper 200 to 300 m) conductivity variations. Kirrin has appointed Condor Consulting, Inc. of Lakewood, Colorado,  to undertake the processing and analysis of the airborne EM and magnetic data acquired by Kirrin. Condor anticipates submitting its report by July.

On January 10, 2010, Delta and Denison reported that high-grade uranium mineralization continues to be encountered on the Phoenix discovery on the Wheeler River Property located in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, and that the results of the fall 2009 drilling program have confirmed that the Phoenix discovery has the potential to host an economically significant, high-grade uranium deposit.

The Key Lake SW property is at the southwest end of the geologically favourable trend that hosts numerous uranium mines and important deposits, including the Phoenix and Millennium deposits, and the former Key Lake mine. Although the Key Lake SW property is believed to be somewhat southwest of the margin of the current Athabasca Basin, there is evidence (regolith encountered in some old drill holes) that indicates the Athabasca Supergroup-Wollaston Group basement unconformity was not far above the present ground surface within the property. Discovery of several ‘Ingress style’ uranium deposits, such as Phoenix (up to 117 m below unconformity), Millennium (up to 100 m below unconformity), Eagle Point (up to 450 m below the unconformity) and some other deposits within the Athabasca Basin, indicate that important uranium deposits can occur from several tens of metres up to a few hundred metres below the unconformity. Hence, there is potential for important basement-hosted uranium deposits to exist within the Key Lake SW property. Regional aeromagnetic data show the Phoenix discovery is associated with a fault which cross-cuts the P2 Rift Fault.

Important features at the Phoenix basement-hosted uranium discovery which are similar to the geological setting at the Key Lake SW property include the geological composition of the host basement rocks, the spatial association with the projected regional P2 fault, and the localization of the Phoenix uranium prospect on cross-cutting faults. Gracie (2009) has postulated that the Key Lake SW property is along the projected extension of both the P2 fault, which extends southerly from the McArthur River mine, and the Key Lake fault, which extends southwesterly from the former Key Lake mine.

The eastern margin of the Athabasca Basin is home to the most productive uranium mines in the world with roughly 25% of the world’s uranium production coming from this area. Kirrin’s target at Key Lake SW is basement-hosted unconformity-type uranium deposits, similar to Cameco’s basement-hosted Millennium deposit, located about 50 km to the northeast; the Phoenix discovery, located about 60 km northeast; and the former Key Lake mine, located about 35 km east-northeast.

MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. anounces that it has recommenced its 2010 exploration drilling program in the Ring of Fire, James Bay Lowlands.

The Company will be utilizing two drills for this phase of drilling and will focus on the results from its successful spring 2010 drilling program.

The spring 2010 drill program on its McNugget Property identified new volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) mineralization on four fold limbs.

Targeting Nickel and VMS on McNugget Property

“The McNugget Property has moderate to high potential for both Cu-Zn volcanogenic massive sulfide and Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposits.” – Dr. Tucker Barrie, P. Geo.
This phase of drilling will focus on five principal base metal occurrence areas: 1) Campbell (Cu-Zn, to northeast); 2) Campbell West (Cu-Zn, north central); the 3) Fold Nose (Cu-Zn, to northeast); 4) Southern (Cu-Zn and Ni-Cu, to south); and 5) Area 39 (Ni-Cu-PGE, to southeast. (Figures are available on MacDonald’s website at www.macdonaldmines.com). Initial drilling will be concentrated on the four VMS horizons identified through the previous drilling and geophysical investigations.

East Portion of McNugget Property on Same Stratigraphy as Noront’s Eagles Nest

Unlike Noront’s discovery, the EM conductors (2) in the vicinity of MN07-39 are greater than 300m in strike length (based on both VTEM and Crone PEM – surface and borehole) compared to the Eagles Nest 100-200m strike length.  Six DDH holes are targeted in this area to explain the EM anomalies during the current drill program.

Company Provides  Detailed Outline of  Voisey’s Bay-type Target on Hulbert-Salo Property

The Company has staked 14 mining claims covering an area of 3,140 hectares with magnetic and EM (VTEM survey) characteristics of an intact ultramafic-gabbroic intrusion.  Modelling of these data results in a spoon-shaped intrusion with multiple internal structures, similar in size and shape of the Voisey’s Bay complex which hosts numerous Ni-Cu deposits.

The VTEM/Mag conducted over the Property has identified an anomaly approximately 10.9 km long by greater than 3.3km wide at its widest.   Historical prospecting over the area identified both gabbroic and ultramafic rocks. An interpreted “feeder zone/dyke” exists to the west of the main intrusive.  The most prospective EM conductor - the primary nickel target – is located just above the throat of the feeder dyke, similar in position to the Ovoid at Voisey’s Bay. A 3D model of the magnetic data is available on our website.

“It is both unusual and highly prospective to find a system that appears to be so intact with EM anomalies identified in groups within the magnetic network/structures (cycles or influxes)”,  comments Quentin Yarie, P.Geo. Vice President of Exploration.   “The Voisey’s Bay mineralization has been explained in terms of a model calling for repeated influxes of magma and these characteristics are obvious in the Hulbert-Salo data.”

Current short term work plans include a Crone PEM ground survey over the most prospective Nickel targets (identified from the VTEM inversion).  Upon review of this data, a drill program will be defined.  Because the Hulbert-Salo property is in a  new area MacDonald will engage in consultation with both Webequie and Kasabonica First Nations and outline the proposed first phase of drilling.  This is in keeping with MacDonald Mines established protocols regarding exploration on historical lands used by First Nation communities.

The ground geophysical program has been used by MacDonald Mines on its McNugget Property resulting in significant success in identifying targets of interest for drilling.  Based on previous experience, the Company is confident that this process can be completed quickly and with minimal impact on the ground as it requires no line cutting (GPS positioning would be utilized).

MacDonald Mines in presenting this target of opportunity cautions that drilling will be required to confirm the sources of the EM conductors.

Royal Roads Corp.

The 2010 Long Range exploration program is focussed on two areas of activity, the first being the more advanced exploration on the Portage nickel discovery and the second being frontier airborne geophysics and follow-up prospecting over the newly acquired claims recently incorporated into the Long Range property. As of June 17th, 2010, the frontier airborne geophysical surveys over the newly acquired claims was completed with results anticipated to be available in August 2010.  Once received, data will be reviewed to select targets for immediate follow-up by ground prospecting. Areas surveyed by the 1,400 line kilometre Fugro HELITEM® airborne surveys include several properties underlain by unexplored gabbro bodies recently recognized to be prospective for magmatic nickel-copper sulphide deposits. Depending on results, it is hoped that the prospecting activities will help evaluate targets for further work including testing by diamond drilling.

The Long Range property, located 64 kilometres to the southwest of Buchans, covers 381,500 hectares (381.5 km²). The exploration philosophy at Long Range is centered around the potential for discovery of a magmatic nickel sulphide deposit broadly analogous to Vale Inco’s Voisey’s Bay mine in Labrador and Kennecott’s Eagle deposit currently being developed in northern Michigan

An airborne geophysical survey flown over the initial property in 2008 detected a number of anomalies in prospective gabbro. Follow up work ultimately resulted in the discovery of the Portage Nickel prospect and the Range Copper prospect highlighted below. Additional frontier exploration is ongoing to identify new prospects in this highly prospective and un-explored region of Newfoundland.

VMS Ventures Inc. reports that the first round of drilling at the Copper project has been completed and that no significant economic mineralization was intercepted in the 5 holes drilled. All geophysical targets were explained by the drill program which intersected thick sections of conductive graphite-rich sedimentary rock units. The area of the first drill program is roughly 2 km by 3 km, and is a small portion of the 35 km by 11 km Copper Project.

This first drill program focused on targets that occur on the northeast section of the property in a geological environment dominated by chemical and clastic sedimentary rocks. In the Snow Lake area these rocks host zinc-rich base metal massive sulphide-type deposits, but are not the typical volcanic host rocks to the copper-zinc deposits mined in the Flin Flon – Snow Lake camp.

Dr. Mark Fedikow, VP Exploration states: “Although the geophysical conductors identified in airborne surveys were explained, none of the targets were mineralized or significantly altered as would be expected in a volcanogenic base metal massive sulphide-type mineralizing system.”

One of the results of this initial drill program is that the Company has converted one of its Mineral Exploration Licenses within the project to claims covering untested geophysical anomalies located to the south of the recent drilling.  This will reduce the holding cost of the land and allow previous work expenditures to be applied as assessment credits to the new claims. The Copper project is one of the largest land positions held by the Company in the Flin Flon – Snow Lake greenstone belt and with the conversion of this MEL to claims the land size is reduced by approximately 12% of its total area.

UPCOMING EXPLORATION

This summer and fall VMS exploration programs will focus on areas underlain by volcanic rocks that occur beneath the younger Paleozoic dolomite cover. These volcanic rocks typically host the base metal deposits being targeted. Company geologists are reviewing historical drill hole data for evidence in drill hole geology to compliment geophysical and geochemical survey information used to detect buried mineralization.

The Company has several exploration programs planned. These include drilling, prospecting, geochemical survey sampling and ground truthing of prospective airborne geophysical targets.

Sails Lake

Airborne VTEM geophysical anomalies have been detected on the property. These anomalies are associated with known mineralization and host rocks typically associated with base metal massive sulphide-type deposits in the area. A number of these anomalies have coincident Mobile Metal Ion soil geochemical anomalies with them and as such will be the prime focus of drill testing in the upcoming program.

Plate modeling of airborne geophysical anomalies is complete and preliminary drill targets are defined. Historical results report both precious and base metal mineralization on the property. Precious metal results of surface gold samples in prospecting trenches report grab samples grading as high as 64.29 g/t Au and 14.52 g/t Au. Targets indicative of gold mineralization such as fault-shear zone, or fold structures, alteration and soil geochemical signatures are still being evaluated.

Base metal occurrences in surface and drill core samples of copper-zinc mineralization include an intercept of 0.55m grading 7.2% Zn, 0.12% Cu, 10.54 g/t Ag and 0.34 g/t Au in a drill hole adjacent to one of the conductors planned for drill testing this summer, and elevated zinc values in stringer sulphide mineralization elsewhere on the same  conductor.

Geologists are in the field through the first part of this summer, to re-examine the host rocks as to base and precious metal targets developed from the compilation of historical data. Several base metal targets are near final stages in their evaluation. The gold targets present a more difficult challenge as this type of mineralization does not readily show itself in geophysical surveys and the property has only limited rock exposure on which to prospect this type of mineralization. Geologists will be looking closely at the soil geochemical survey results and their association with known gold occurrences on the property to assist in locating gold mineralization buried under soil overburden.

Drilling at Sails Lake is expected in August, pending approval of permits.

The Sails Lake property is located approximately 10 km east of the past-producing Osborne Lake copper-zinc-gold-silver deposit and approximately 30 km east of the mining community of Snow Lake.

Morton Lake

A program consisting of ground truthing airborne geophysical targets and detailed mapping of mineralized trenches and favorable host rocks to base metal mineralization will be undertaken at the Morton Lake property. Mobile Metal Ion soil geochemical surveys will also be conducted over buried geophysical targets.

The property is underlain by felsic and mafic volcanic rocks that are similar in tectonic environment and chemistry to the host rocks for the past-producing Dickstone copper-zinc deposit.

The Company has recently added to its land position to the east and south of the original Morton Lake claims and now has a land position roughly 20 km in length covering mafic and felsic volcanic rocks similar to the rocks that host the Reed Lake Discovery Zone.

Leak Lake

Airborne VTEM anomalies have been identified on the property and subsequent Mobile Metal Ion geochemical surveys completed over these conductors. The results of the two surveys are being merged to evaluate the targets for possible drill testing.

Puella East

Airborne VTEM surveys have been completed and anomalous responses analyzed by Condor Geophysics of Denver, Colorado. The area is mostly covered by swamp and overburden which precludes detailed geologic mapping. The property was mapped in 2009 on a reconnaissance scale and geophysical anomalies placed into their geologic context, where possible. A winter Mobile Metal Ion survey will assess these conductors in terms of metal content in preparation for diamond drill testing.

Farwell Lake

Like the Puella East project, the Farwell Lake project area is overlain by wet organic overburden and post-volcanic dolomite cover. Airborne VTEM anomalies have been identified and Mobile Metal Ions surveys recently completed. Samples have been submitted for analysis and results will be integrated with geophysics and historic geologic observations from previous exploration programs. Drill targets will be assigned on the basis of these integrated datasets.

VMS Ventures Inc. is focused primarily on acquiring, exploring and developing copper-zinc-gold-silver massive sulphide deposits in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake VMS Belt of Manitoba. The Company’s VMS project property portfolio consists of the Reed Lake Project, Copper Project, McClarty Lake Project, Sails Lake Project, Puella Bay Project and Morton Lake Project. Outside of the Snow Lake camp, the Company holds massive sulphide prospective properties near the past producing Fox Lake and Ruttan copper-zinc mines, near the communities of Lynn Lake and Leaf Rapids in northern Manitoba. All VMS Ventures Inc. properties are located in the mining friendly province of Manitoba, Canada.

Creso Exploration Inc. announces the award of a 5000 meter drilling program on the Shining Tree properties that will start this week including deepening by a further 300 m the Minto Hole #2 (18.2 g/t Au over 65.7 meters from 49.3 m to 115 m and 4.61 g/t Au over 79.6 meters from 132.4 m to 212 m – see) in order to do more down-hole geophysics and better delineate the gold bearing zone. Concurrently, Creso will initiate a detailed helicopter survey at 30m line spacing that will focus primarily on the Minto, Matona, Tyranite and Duggan Zones to outline known gold mineralization areas.

Creso has signed two airborne geophysical contracts with Terraquest Ltd both of which will start in July. The helicopter survey which will include Single Sensor High Resolution Aero-magnetics, Radiometrics and XDS/VLF-EM systems is based on 1779 line kilometers to be flown at low altitude with a 30m line spacing. The fix-wing aircraft will survey the entire eastern half of the Shining Tree properties covering large areas of the Tyrrell, Knight and Milner Townships survey and will include High Resolution Aero-magnetics, Horizontal Gradiometer, Radiometrics and XDS/VLF-EM systems over 5853 line kilometers at a 100m line spacing.

The combination of these two surveys is particularly well adapted to the Shining Tree Area where contrasts in hydrothermal alteration, mineralized volcanic and intrusive rocks, and complex structural features are common. Radiometric surveys will aid in delineating potassium enriched alteration zones commonly associated with gold mineralization in the area.