CRC LEME
Open File Report 89
ABSTRACT
Progress statement for the Kalgoorlie study area - Kurnalpi Prospect,
Western Australia
Lintern, M.J. and Gray, D.J.
Investigations from previous AMIRA Projects have indicated that
Au deposits may have geochemical expression throughout the regolith.
In Project 409, knowledge gained from these earlier projects, dominantly
in areas of erosional and relict landforms, is being extended to
determine whether previously developed methods can be applied or
adapted to depositional regimes. In the Kalgoorlie area, the work
program has been to investigate potential sample media in the transported
regolith above mineralization at a number of dominantly palaeochannel
environments. Specifically, the study has investigated the presence
of:
- Gold in surficial horizons;
- Sub-surface gold in transported overburden;
- Pathfinder elements in transported and relict regolith and bedrock.
This progress statement summarizes the recent investigations undertaken
at the Kurnalpi Au deposit (Mt Kersey Mining N.L.) located 70 km
NE of Kalgoorlie. The Kurnalpi site was chosen for further study
for several reasons including the moderate grades of Au mineralization
and the remoteness of the deposit from potential contributing upstream
sources.
The results indicate:
- Total, water-soluble and iodide soluble Au exhibit no anomalies
over mineralization;
- Gold is associated with Ca in the top metre of the soil profile;
- Arsenic may be a useful pathfinder element in lateritic material
at the palaeosurface.
More information needs to be gathered from the Kurnalpi area. Specifically,
there is a need:
- To analyse buried lateritic material for As as well as Au. Arsenic
appears to be associated with mineralization and has also been
found in high concentrations in the lateritic samples analysed
thus far;
- To obtain Mn and other element data for the two remaining auger
traverses to examine whether anomalous values occur over the palaeochannel
as with Traverse 2. If Mn and other associated element anomalies
are located over the palaeochannel for all 3 traverses then there
is a further need to test whether the anomalies can be enhanced
or decreased using selective extraction techniques that dissolve
Mn oxides.
Last updated: Friday, July 21, 2000 04:24 PM
|
