SEG - Society of Economic Geologists

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32 SEG NEWSLETTER No 90 • JULY 2012 SEG STUDENT CHAPTER NEWS WELCOME NEW SEG STUDENT CHAPTERS 2012 New Student Chapters Gangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG), China Indiana University, USA Munich Student Chapter, Germany Universidad Nacional de San Agustin, Peru Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil Vision for Geosciences in Bolivia at Universi dad Mayor de San Andres, Bolivia Reactivated Student Chapters University of Oregon/ Oregon State University, USA STUDENT CHAPTER ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Student Chapter Annual Reports are due September 30 th ! 2. Student Chapter Funding Support, Round II, Application deadline October 31st! ANNUAL REPORTS Student Chapter Annual Reports are due September 30, 2012; Annual Reports should be submitted to studentprograms@segweb.org along with an updated Student Chapter Membership Information Form! Both of these forms can be found at: www.segweb.org/StudentChapterGuidelines. Round II 2012 Student Chapter Funding Proposal Submission Deadline is October 31, 2012! The application can be found at: www.segweb.org/pdf/forms/Student-Chapter-Funding-Guidelines-Form.pdf. Please note that in order for your application to be accepted, your SEG Student Chapter: must be active must have submitted an Annual Report by the September 30, 2012 deadline must have submitted an updated Student Chapter Membership Information Form with the Annual Report must meet ALL other eligibility requirements as outlined in the Student Chapter Guidelines Beginning in 2012, Student Chapter Funds will be disbursed from the SEG Stewart R. Wallace Fund; proposals for funding should focus on field-based educational chapter activities. Well-constructed and thoughtful applications may be successful in receiving as much as US$1,500.00 (possibly more, for exceptional applications). The 2012 budget brings an increase in available funds for those student chapters submitting successful applications. We encourage all chapters to seriously consider the assessment criteria used by the Student Affairs Committee in planning your activities to ensure the best chance of receiving the highest level of funding. The assessment criteria are clearly stated on the Student Chapter Funding Form. Visit: www.segweb.org/StudentChapterGuidelines for more details. Contact studentprograms@segweb.org with any questions and to report chapter revisions and updates. Resource Geosciences Inc. Resource Geosciences de Mexico S.A. de C.V. Exploration Services Throughout the Americas Project Management; Technical, Logistical and Administrative Services NI 43-101 Technical Reports (for long term clients) TerraSpec Vis/NIR Spectrometer Mineral Analysis Dr. Matthew D. Gray, C.P.G. #10688 – President Calle 14 de Abril #68 Colonia San Benito Tel. +52 (662) 214 -2454 Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico 83200 Fax +52 (662) 214 -2455 resourcegeosciences.com mail@resourcegeosciences.com PAID ADVERTISEMENT PAID ADVERTISEMENT
JULY 2012 • No 90 SEG NEWSLETTER 33 Society of Economic Geologists Foundation Student-Dedicated Field Course • Iberian Pyrite Belt May 12–18, 2012 WILLIAM X. CHÁVEZ, JR. (SEG 1990 F) AND ERICH U. PETERSEN (SEG 1986 F) The Society of Economic Geologists Foundation held its ninth Student- Dedicated Field Course, with emphasis on the regional characteristics of volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) systems of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). Sixteen students, representing eight countries, as well as four professionals serving as mentors to the students, participated in the field course. The importance of these offerings to the SEG Foundation mission to provide opportunities for students to observe ore deposits features first-hand is reflected in the fact that more than 50 students applied for this course, as well a dozen professionals. Starting in Lisboa, we traveled along the strike of the IPB across Portugal and Spain, arriving in the Arecena area for our first visit: the mid-1990s discovery comprising the Las Cruces VMS system. Producing approximately 72 kt/yr of cathode copper, Las Cruces is one of the largest copper mines in Europe, and our discussions centered on the discovery history of the deposit, as well as the advantages of copper recovery using hydrometallurgical methods, one of the few mines in the IPB to do so. Aguas Teñidas, a polymetallic VMS system producing Cu, Zn, and Pb concentrates from massive and stockworkstyle ores, was our next visit, and provided the opportunity for participants to observe variations in VMS ore styles and metal contents. Ore production is from a series of underground orebodies, each having distinct metal contents and metal ratios; by means of these, we were introduced to the complexities of ore segregating and processing, and the necessity of producing highquality concentrates for competitive marketing. Review of core provided the opportunity to see sedimentary features that characterize the ore-host Devonian-age rock units of the Aguas Teñidas mine area. Traveling back to Portugal along the southern part of the belt, our following visit was to the largest metal-producing mine in western Europe, the polymetallic Neves Corvo mine operated by Lundin (SOMINCOR). Partici pants were split into two groups, with one group visiting the underground mine, while another toured the extensive concentrator operations; this division allowed students to see the de tailed mine-to-mill operations that process complex ores derived from more than 80 underground faces. We learned that infill drill hole spacings of 17.5 m were necessary to effectively understand ore grade and metal distributions, making Neves Corvo one of the most densely drilled orebodies in the world. The Aljustrel mine, representing the westernmost producing ore district in the IPB, is a polymetallic Cu-Zn VMS system that currently produces approximately 70kt/yr of copper concentrates; formerly emphasizing zinc production and potential, the Aljustrel mine now is the second largest producer of copper in the Portugal section of the belt. Out visit involved both underground and concentrator visits, reinforcing the need to understand both complex mine geology and ore metallurgical characteristics Field course participants listen to Joáo Matos of the Portuguese Geological Survey describe local stratigraphy near the westernmost known margin of the IPB in Portugal. Joáo is describing the local VMS environment on properties being explored by Paul Kuhn and the Avrupa Minerals- Participants listen to a geology presentation at the Aguas Teñidas polymetallic VMS mine, southwestern Spain. All IPB mines provided detailed discussions of regional and mine geology, emphasizing the stratigraphic occurrences of massive sulfides and regional structural considerations. in order to produce a market-competitive ore concentrate. Our final day was spent reviewing exploration characteristics of the IPB, with a visit to the Avrupa Minerals exploration programs near the westernmost known margin of the belt, in the Lousal-Grándola area. Paul Kuhn and the Avrupa Minerals exploration team discussed exploration ideas and concepts within this section of the belt and included a visit to an exploration drill rig testing the stratigraphic sequence known to host VMS bodies in the Lousal region. Following the exploration review, Joáo Matos of the Portugal Geological Survey conducted a visit to the Lousal Life Science Center at the former Lousal pyrite mine. The Portuguese government and Survey have converted the former mine area into an educational center, discussing the importance of mining, the environment, and regional sustainability issues. Joáo discussed the complexities of this portion of the IPB, and recent advances in understanding the tectonostratigraphic nature of the sedimentary sequences in this region, especially the ore-host horizons. Our traditional farewell dinner, back in Lisboa, allowed participants to review our visits to the IPB and to establish contacts for future discussions and continued professional-student interactions. These end-of-course dinners also provide the opportunity for the SEGF to present certificates to Antofagasta Minerals joint venture exploration team. to page 34 ... STUDENT NEWS
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