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SEG 45 Final_qx4 - Society of Economic Geologists

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Celebrating a Century <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology 1905-2005<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> www.segweb.org<br />

OCTOBER 2005 NUMBER 63<br />

The Founders <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology<br />

Brian J. Skinner (<strong>SEG</strong> 1960 SF)<br />

Part 4<br />

These three brief biographies bring to<br />

a close the vignettes <strong>of</strong> the 12 men<br />

who played key roles in the founding<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology a century ago.<br />

These final three, Spurr, Lindgren,<br />

and Ransome, like their founding<br />

colleagues, were very interesting<br />

people—interesting because they<br />

were major forces in the development<br />

<strong>of</strong> economic geology as a field, and<br />

also because they led varied and<br />

interesting lives.<br />

Josiah Edward Spurr,<br />

1870–1950<br />

In a brief biography<br />

for F.L. Ransome, published<br />

in volume 30 <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Economic</strong> Geology,<br />

Waldemar Lindgren<br />

wrote that Spurr was<br />

the man who first suggested<br />

the need for a<br />

journal devoted to<br />

mineral deposits. The<br />

suggestion was made in November or<br />

December 1904. The first issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geology appeared in October 1905. When<br />

it was decided that the new journal would<br />

be most appropriately published by an<br />

incorporated company rather than a<br />

newly founded scientific society, Spurr<br />

was elected first President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geology Publishing Company.<br />

Born in Maine, educated at Harvard—<br />

where he was strongly influenced by<br />

NEWSLETTER<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essor N.S. Shaler—Spurr went to<br />

work for the Minnesota Geological<br />

Survey and made the first geological<br />

map <strong>of</strong> the Mesabi Range. In 1894 he<br />

was hired by the U.S.Geological Survey<br />

and worked with S.F. Emmons at<br />

Leadville, Colorado, then at Mercur in<br />

Utah, and Aspen, Colorado. His Aspen<br />

work is published in USGS Monograph<br />

31. Assigned to mapping in Alaska during<br />

the years <strong>of</strong> the Yukon gold rush,<br />

Spurr is honored by the naming <strong>of</strong> Mt.<br />

Spurr, an active volcano, after him.<br />

There is a story in the Spurr family that<br />

when Mt. Spurr, which is not far from<br />

Anchorage, erupted about a year after<br />

his death, a reporter asked his wife if<br />

she thought her husband was trying to<br />

contact her? To which she replied “Well,<br />

I knew that Edward had passed on to<br />

another world, but until today I had not<br />

realized which one.”<br />

Spurr left the U.S. Geological Survey<br />

in 1906 to work for the American<br />

Smelting and Refining Company, and<br />

then in 1908 he moved full time to consulting,<br />

in which role he was much<br />

acclaimed. He was less acclaimed for<br />

his theorizing on the nature <strong>of</strong> the oreforming<br />

medium. He dispensed with<br />

hydrothermal solutions and argued<br />

instead for ore-magmas, which he envisioned<br />

as highly concentrated and<br />

dense magmatic residues. His twovolume<br />

work detailing his ideas, Ore<br />

Magmas; a Series <strong>of</strong> Essays on Ore Deposition,<br />

was published in 1923 by the McGraw-<br />

Hill Company. Despite skepticism for<br />

his ideas about ore magmas, Spurr was<br />

admired as an outstanding field<br />

observer. In his examination <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Velardeña district, Durango, Mexico, he<br />

observed minerals formed by contact<br />

metamorphism that he could not identify,<br />

and thought might be new.<br />

Examination <strong>of</strong> the minerals by F.E.<br />

Wright <strong>of</strong> the Geophysical Laboratory<br />

showed that two were new; one,<br />

Ca5(SiO4)2(CO3), was named spurrite.<br />

Ever active and ever enquiring, in<br />

1937 Spurr became interested in the<br />

geology <strong>of</strong> the moon. Eventually, in the<br />

years 1944 to 1949, he<br />

to page<br />

published four books on 4 ...<br />

Josiah, better known as J. Edward Spurr,<br />

stands in the middle, flanked by Frank C.<br />

Schrader (left) and Harold B. Goodrich. The<br />

October 1896 image shows the three<br />

dressed in field gear.<br />

Photo Source: USGS Photo Library


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Use <strong>of</strong> this DVD<br />

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OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 3<br />

<strong>SEG</strong><br />

NEWSLETTER<br />

Nº 63—OCTOBER 2005<br />

EXECUTIVE EDITOR<br />

Brian G. Hoal<br />

NEWS EDITOR<br />

Alice Bouley<br />

PRODUCTION MANAGER<br />

Christine Horrigan<br />

<strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong>, Inc.<br />

7811 Shaffer Parkway<br />

Littleton, CO 80127 USA<br />

Tel. +1.720.981.7882<br />

Fax +1.720.981.7874<br />

Email: seg@segweb.org<br />

WEB PAGE:<br />

http://www.segweb.org<br />

Feature articles are<br />

peer reviewed before they<br />

are accepted for publication.<br />

Please submit material to the<br />

Executive Editor.<br />

Tel. +1.720.981.7882<br />

Fax +1.720.981.7874<br />

E-mail: director@segweb.org<br />

The <strong>SEG</strong> Newsletter is published quarterly in<br />

January, April, July and October by the <strong>Society</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong>, Littleton, Colorado,<br />

exclusively for members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong>.<br />

Opinions expressed herein are those <strong>of</strong> the writers<br />

and do not necessarily represent <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />

positions <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong>.<br />

When quoting material from the <strong>SEG</strong> Newsletter<br />

please credit both author and publication.<br />

©2005 The <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong>, Inc.<br />

Designed & Produced by Type Communications<br />

Westminster, Colorado<br />

Printed by Johnson Printing<br />

Boulder, Colorado<br />

— FOR CONTRIBUTORS —<br />

The <strong>SEG</strong> Newsletter is published for the benefit<br />

<strong>of</strong> the worldwide membership <strong>of</strong> the<br />

<strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong>. We invite<br />

news items and short articles on topics <strong>of</strong><br />

potential interest to the membership. If you<br />

have questions on submittal <strong>of</strong> material,<br />

please call the <strong>SEG</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice at +1.720.981.7882<br />

or send details by FAX to +1.720.981.7874; by<br />

email to <br />

Format: Manuscripts should be double-spaced;<br />

if possible, please submit paper copy AND a<br />

computer diskette in PC format, using WORD or<br />

WordPerfect. Illustrations will be accepted in<br />

digital format or in camera-ready form at publication<br />

scale. All contributions may be edited<br />

for clarity or brevity.<br />

Advertising: Paid advertising is solicited to<br />

help <strong>of</strong>fset publication and mailing costs; for<br />

rates, contact the Production Manager.<br />

Employment opportunities for economic geologists<br />

will be listed free <strong>of</strong> charge.<br />

DEADLINE FOR NEWSLETTER #64:<br />

November 30, 2005<br />

Contents<br />

FEATURE ARTICLE<br />

5 Exploring For Deposits Under Deep Cover Using Geochemistry<br />

NEWSLETTER COLUMNS<br />

1 The Founders <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology, Part 4<br />

6 From the Executive Editor<br />

7 Presidential Perspective: <strong>Economic</strong> Geology — Science or Pr<strong>of</strong>ession?<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> NEWS<br />

16 <strong>SEG</strong> Thayer Lindsley Lecture Tour – 2004<br />

17 Mentoring: Regina Baumgartner, Student Member: An Interview<br />

18 <strong>SEG</strong> Student Chapter News<br />

19 $130,000 Available for Student Research Grants in 2006<br />

20 <strong>SEG</strong> Forum on Gold Deposits: Part II<br />

28 <strong>SEG</strong> Student Chapter Conference<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

21–Africa · 23–Alaska · 29–Asia · 32–Australasia · 34–Europe ·<br />

37–South America · 40–Western Canada · 41–Western United States<br />

MEMBERSHIP<br />

43 <strong>SEG</strong> Membership: Candidates and New Fellows, Members and Student Members<br />

<strong>45</strong> Personal Notes & News<br />

46 2006 Dues Notice<br />

47 Explanation <strong>of</strong> Member Benefits for 2006<br />

ANNOUNCEMENTS<br />

2 <strong>Economic</strong> Geology Archive<br />

6 Corrections and Amplifications<br />

44 Northwest Mining 111th Annual Meeting<br />

44 VIII Congreso Argentino de Geología Económica<br />

44 Feria Internacional Minera 2005 – Medellín, Colombia<br />

25-28 <strong>SEG</strong> 2006 Conference: Wealth Creation in the Minerals Industry<br />

51 <strong>Economic</strong> Geology 100th Anniversary Volume (inside back cover)<br />

52 <strong>SEG</strong> Contact Information (back cover)<br />

PUBLICATIONS<br />

48-49 Publications Order Form<br />

CALENDAR<br />

50 Calendar<br />

ADVERTISERS—<br />

2 Actlabs, Ltd. (inside front cover)<br />

14 Anzman, Joseph R.<br />

24 Balbach Colorado, Inc.<br />

14 Big Sky Geophysics<br />

50 DeRuyter, Vernon<br />

22 Geocon, Inc.<br />

8 IMDEX Inc.<br />

50 Kuhn, Paul W.<br />

30 Laravie, Joseph A.<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> 2006 DUES RENEWAL<br />

AND MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS<br />

(See pages 46–47)<br />

38 Laurentian University<br />

33 LTL Petrographics<br />

22 Lufkin, John L., Ph.,D.<br />

24 McKelvey, G.E.<br />

33 Mining Activity Update<br />

2 PANalytical (inside front cover)<br />

36 Petrographic Consultants Intl.<br />

15 Phelps Dodge<br />

34 Recursos del Caribe S.A.<br />

36 Resource Geosciences de Mexico<br />

52 RockWare (back cover)<br />

34 Shea Clark Smith<br />

30 Sheahan-MDRU Literature Service<br />

30 Sinclair Knight Merz<br />

38 Spectral International, Inc.<br />

6 Yerington, NV Course<br />

15 Zonge Engineering & Research


4 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from the Cover<br />

the subject. In a memorial, published in<br />

the Proceedings <strong>of</strong> the GSA for 1968,<br />

Jack Green writes <strong>of</strong> Spurr’s original<br />

ideas about the moon. “…behind every<br />

sketch was 50 years <strong>of</strong> field training.<br />

Behind every analogue were decades <strong>of</strong><br />

mapping and observation.” Spurr’s<br />

work has been recognized by the naming<br />

<strong>of</strong> a lunar feature after him. At<br />

Lunar latitude 27.9 N and longitude 1.2<br />

W, adjacent to the landing site <strong>of</strong><br />

Apollo 15, is Spurr crater, 13 km in<br />

diameter and partially covered by lava.<br />

Spurr is credited with the suggestions<br />

that led to the founding <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong> in 1920, and was<br />

<strong>Society</strong> President in 1923. His Presidential<br />

Address on “The Origin <strong>of</strong><br />

Metallic Concentrations by Magmation”<br />

is published on pages 617 to 638 <strong>of</strong><br />

Volume 18 <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology.<br />

Frederick Leslie Ransome,<br />

1868–1935<br />

The first Secretary to<br />

the Board <strong>of</strong> the<br />

<strong>Economic</strong> Geology<br />

Publishing Company,<br />

and for 30 years, to the<br />

day <strong>of</strong> his death, an<br />

Associate Editor,<br />

Ransome was a<br />

devoted and hardworking<br />

member <strong>of</strong> the small group <strong>of</strong><br />

people who founded and nurtured<br />

<strong>Economic</strong> Geology to the stature it has<br />

attained.<br />

Born in England but brought to the<br />

United States in infancy, Ransome grew<br />

up in California, where his father was a<br />

concrete pioneer, building the first concrete<br />

building and first concrete bridge<br />

in America. When Ransome entered the<br />

University <strong>of</strong> California, Berkeley, there<br />

seemed little chance he would become a<br />

geologist. But in 1890, Andrew C.<br />

Lawson, fresh from his PhD at Johns<br />

Hopkins, arrived and fired Ransome’s<br />

ambitions. Ransome graduated in 1893<br />

and stayed on to complete a PhD in<br />

1896. During that time he and Charles<br />

Palache worked on a mineral they discovered<br />

in the glaucophane schists <strong>of</strong><br />

Marin County—it turned out to be new<br />

and they named it lawsonite.<br />

Ransome joined the U.S. Geological<br />

Survey in 1898 and was assigned to<br />

California, where he worked on the<br />

Mother Lode—the results appeared in<br />

The Founders <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology (Continued)<br />

1900 in USGS Atlas folio number 63.<br />

From there he moved to Arizona, where<br />

be studied Globe and Bisbee, published<br />

in Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Papers 12 and 21,<br />

respectively. In 1904 he began a collaborative<br />

study with Lindgren <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Cripple Creek district, the result <strong>of</strong><br />

which is one <strong>of</strong> the classics <strong>of</strong> American<br />

geology, Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Paper 54. When<br />

Ransome joined the Survey he worked<br />

under the supervision <strong>of</strong> S.F. Emmons;<br />

following Emmons death in 1911,<br />

Lindgren succeeded as chief <strong>of</strong> the metals<br />

division. Then, when Lindgren<br />

became Chief Geologist in 1912,<br />

Ransome became head <strong>of</strong> metals, a<br />

position he held until he left the Survey<br />

in 1923 and moved to the University <strong>of</strong><br />

Arizona in Tucson as pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> economic<br />

geology. Four years later he<br />

moved again when he was appointed to<br />

a similar position at California Institute<br />

<strong>of</strong> Technology in Pasadena, California.<br />

Ransome was President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong> in 1927. His<br />

Presidential address on “Directions <strong>of</strong><br />

Progress in <strong>Economic</strong> Geology” can be<br />

read in volume 23 <strong>of</strong> the journal, pages<br />

119 to 131.<br />

Waldemar Lindgren,<br />

1860–1939<br />

Lindgren is probably<br />

the most familiar<br />

name among the<br />

founders <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geology. It is familiar<br />

because <strong>of</strong> the breadth<br />

and depth <strong>of</strong> his writings<br />

and because <strong>of</strong><br />

his impact on the<br />

development <strong>of</strong> economic geology as a<br />

field <strong>of</strong> study and scientific investigation.<br />

Born in the southeast corner <strong>of</strong><br />

Sweden, near Kalmar, Lindgren was<br />

raised in a well-to-do and aristocratic<br />

family. Much attention was paid to his<br />

education and he developed a fluency<br />

in several modern languages—training<br />

that served him well in later life, even<br />

though his interests were more with science<br />

than languages. A brief working<br />

experience at the zinc mines at Ämmeberg<br />

at the end <strong>of</strong> high school convinced<br />

him that geology was his calling,<br />

and he entered the Bergakademie<br />

at Freiberg, Saxony, in 1878. A brief discussion<br />

<strong>of</strong> his training at this famous<br />

Photo Source: Library <strong>of</strong> Congress, Washington, DC<br />

old school was published in <strong>SEG</strong><br />

Newsletter number 43, October 2000,<br />

pages 30 to 32.<br />

After graduation as a mining engineer<br />

and surveyor and a further year<br />

spent studying chemistry and petrography,<br />

Lindgren sailed to United States<br />

and landed a job working under the<br />

direction <strong>of</strong> Raphael Pumpelly on the<br />

Northern Transcontinental Survey. On<br />

completion <strong>of</strong> the survey at the end <strong>of</strong><br />

1883, he worked as an assayer in<br />

Montana, then on smelter design at<br />

Anaconda. At the end <strong>of</strong> 1884, on the<br />

recommendation <strong>of</strong> Pumpelly, he joined<br />

the U.S. Geological Survey as a member<br />

<strong>of</strong> the staff <strong>of</strong> George F. Becker. He<br />

remained with the Survey for 31 years,<br />

rising to Chief Geologist in 1911.<br />

During his Survey years, Lindgren was<br />

author or co-author <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong><br />

classic papers and monographs. Among<br />

the classics is the first detailed study <strong>of</strong> a<br />

disseminated, or porphyry copper at<br />

Clifton-Morenci in Arizona, published<br />

in USGS Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Paper 43 in 1905,<br />

and in 1906, with F.L. Ransome, the<br />

Cripple Creek, Colorado Pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

Paper 54.<br />

Lindgren was appointed pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />

economic geology at the Massachusetts<br />

Institute <strong>of</strong> Technology in 1912, in<br />

which position he remained until his<br />

retirement in 1933. The work for which<br />

Lindgren is best known was published<br />

soon after he arrived at MIT, his classic<br />

text Mineral Deposits. The text ran<br />

through four editions, the last in 1933,<br />

and was the standard against which all<br />

other texts in economic geology were<br />

measured for the first half <strong>of</strong> the 20 th<br />

century. Lindgren’s thoughts and ideas<br />

continue to pervade the literature <strong>of</strong><br />

economic geology today.<br />

Lindgren was a founding member<br />

<strong>of</strong> both the <strong>Economic</strong> Geology<br />

Publishing Company and the <strong>Society</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong>. He was second<br />

President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong>, in 1922. His<br />

Presidential address on “Concentration<br />

and Circulation <strong>of</strong> the Elements from<br />

the Standpoint <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology”<br />

can be read in volume 18 <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geology, pages 419 to 442. The paper<br />

is an attempt to trace the geochemical<br />

cycling <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> chemical<br />

elements, and is a fascinating insight<br />

into the thoughts <strong>of</strong> a seminal<br />

scientist. 1


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 5<br />

Exploring For Deposits Under<br />

Deep Cover Using Geochemistry<br />

Eion M. Cameron †, Eion Cameron Geochemical Inc., Carp, Ontario K0A 1L0, Canada, Matthew I. Leybourne, Department<br />

<strong>of</strong> Geosciences, University <strong>of</strong> Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75083-0688, USA, and David L. Kelley (<strong>SEG</strong> 1990 F) Newmont<br />

Technical Facility, 10101 E. Dry Creek Rd., Englewood, Colorado 80112<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

In a recent article in the <strong>SEG</strong> Newsletter, Roy Woodall drew attention to the challenge<br />

<strong>of</strong> finding ore deposits under deep cover. He highlighted the importance <strong>of</strong><br />

structure: “…recognition <strong>of</strong> pathways for magma and fluid transport is highly relevant<br />

for effective ore search under deep cover. Structures not only focus the transport<br />

<strong>of</strong> ore metals and the ubiquitous carbon and sulfur, they also focus energy,<br />

which is the most critical and <strong>of</strong>ten forgotten essential component for the genesis<br />

<strong>of</strong> a major ore deposit” (Woodall, 2005).<br />

Over the period 1999 to 2002, the Canadian Mining Industry Research<br />

Organization (CAMIRO), supported by 26 companies, sponsored the project<br />

“Deep-Penetrating Geochemistry” to provide the mining industry with knowledge<br />

about processes that may form anomalies at surface over buried deposits, and to<br />

provide comparative data on methods used to detect these anomalies. The study<br />

areas were the porphyry belt <strong>of</strong> northern Chile, the Carlin belt <strong>of</strong> Nevada, and the<br />

Abitibi belt <strong>of</strong> Ontario. In Chile and Nevada, both seismically active regions, the<br />

work demonstrated the importance <strong>of</strong> structure and recent tectonism in the formation<br />

<strong>of</strong> anomalies, bearing out Woodall’s remarks. Here we discuss the influence <strong>of</strong><br />

structure on surface anomalies at the Mike gold-copper deposit, Nevada, and at<br />

the Spence copper deposit, Chile—work that is described in more detail by<br />

Cameron et al. (2004), and Cameron and Leybourne (2005).<br />

<strong>45</strong>18000N<br />

† Corresponding author: e-mail, eioncam@attglobal.net<br />

300 m<br />

Soap Creek Fault Zone<br />

563000E 564000E<br />

High-Grade Cu<br />

D-Day Fault<br />

A<br />

Hillside Fault<br />

WEST<br />

MIKE<br />

Lower-Grade Cu<br />

B<br />

Soil Sampling<br />

Line<br />

Roberts Mountain Thrust<br />

MAIN<br />

MIKE<br />

Good Hope<br />

Fault<br />

1a 1b<br />

Nebulous Fault Zone<br />

N-P Dog Fault<br />

C<br />

<strong>45</strong>18000N<br />

300 m<br />

Soil Sampling Line<br />

563000E<br />

28 o<br />

A<br />

MIKE DEPOSIT<br />

The Mike deposit, hosted by sedimentary<br />

rocks <strong>of</strong> Paleozoic age, was discovered<br />

by Newmont in 1989 while drilling<br />

on structural trends northwest from the<br />

previously discovered Tusc and Gold<br />

Quarry deposits into an area with a<br />

thick cover <strong>of</strong> Carlin Formation rocks.<br />

The first comprehensive account <strong>of</strong> the<br />

geology <strong>of</strong> the deposit was by Teal and<br />

Branham (1997). The Good Hope fault<br />

is the boundary between two portions <strong>of</strong><br />

the Mike deposit (Fig. 1a): the Main<br />

Mike, with a geological resource estimate<br />

<strong>of</strong> 43.2 Mt at 1.17 g/t Au and 76<br />

Mt at 0.22% Cu, and the West Mike,<br />

with an estimated 110 Mt at 0.86 Au<br />

and 74 Mt at 0.28% Cu (Teal and<br />

Branham, 1997). At Main Mike, copper<br />

mineralization consists<br />

<strong>of</strong> a subhorizontal<br />

to page<br />

supergene oxide and 9 ...<br />

B<br />

564000E<br />

FIGURE 1. The Mike deposit. (1a) Basement (Paleozoic) geology with solid lines showing faults and outlines <strong>of</strong> the copper zones. This is mainly<br />

derived from maps by Newmont Inc. with additional faults (D-Day, Hillside, Nebulous, and North-Pointing Dog) from Norby and Orobona<br />

(2002). (1b) Surface topography, with contours in 25 ft intervals. Based on the topographic features, three faults, A, B, and C, were interpreted<br />

by Cameron and Doherty (2001) to cut the Carlin Formation, which covers the deposit. These interpreted faults are also shown in Figure 1a,<br />

which shows that they lie close to and parallel with faults mapped in the basement by Norby and Orobona (2002): fault B with the Nebulous<br />

fault zone, fault C with the North-Pointing Dog fault. These pairs are interpreted to be the same faults, the <strong>of</strong>fsets between their positions at the<br />

surface and in the basement being due to a westerly dip. The topographic feature marking fault A may be the surface expression <strong>of</strong> the<br />

westerly dipping D-Day fault, or a down-faulted block between the D-Day and Hillside faults. Eastings and northings in meters.<br />

C


6 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR<br />

This is the final issue <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SEG</strong><br />

Newsletter that celebrates the centenary<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology, our preeminent<br />

publication. The <strong>Economic</strong> Geology One<br />

Hundredth Anniversary Volume incorporates<br />

1,146 pages that capture the state<br />

<strong>of</strong> our science from the collective perspectives<br />

<strong>of</strong> leaders in the field. Together with<br />

a comprehensive digital appendix, this<br />

publication promises to be an industry<br />

benchmark for years to come. The volume<br />

is set to roll <strong>of</strong>f the printing presses<br />

in October this year, precisely 100 years<br />

after publication <strong>of</strong> the very first issue <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Economic</strong> Geology. There are many people<br />

responsible for accomplishing this<br />

remarkable feat, the most visible being<br />

the editors, the authors, and the sponsors.<br />

All <strong>of</strong> these contributors will be<br />

prominently acknowledged in the publication<br />

itself. It is equally important that<br />

we recognize other key contributions—<br />

especially with respect to the timeliness<br />

<strong>of</strong> publication—made by Alice Bouley,<br />

managing editor at <strong>SEG</strong>, and Mabel<br />

Peterson, contract copyeditor. The entire<br />

CORRECTIONS AND AMPLIFICATIONS<br />

In the October 2004 <strong>SEG</strong> Foundation Contributions<br />

acknowledgments (p. 7), David A. Groves’ country affiliation<br />

should have been listed as USA.<br />

In the July 2005 <strong>Economic</strong> Geology Invited Commentary<br />

column (p. 41), the authors <strong>of</strong> the original paper are<br />

Andrew Kerr and Alison M. Leitch.<br />

In the July 2005 feature article by Dominic Channer et al.<br />

(p. 5, 13–22), acknowledgment was made <strong>of</strong> miscellaneous<br />

public domain information; the author plans to<br />

issue an addendum specifying sources. This will appear in<br />

a future issue.<br />

process also benefited enormously from<br />

the assistance and guidance provided by<br />

both Brian Skinner and John Thoms,<br />

respectively former and present chairs <strong>of</strong><br />

the Publications Board.<br />

Somewhat less predictable than the<br />

traditional printing process followed by<br />

the 100th Anniversary Volume has<br />

been the parallel production <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Hugo Dummett Memorial <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geology Archive, a DVD product that<br />

captures 792 issues <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology<br />

from the period 1905–2004. The technology<br />

employed merges two regular<br />

DVD-Rs into a single DVD-9, or doubledensity<br />

DVD that can accommodate the<br />

entire 7 to 8 gigabytes <strong>of</strong> information.<br />

At the time <strong>of</strong> writing, I have reviewed<br />

several prototypes and was suitably<br />

impressed by the speed and utility <strong>of</strong><br />

this research tool. The <strong>Society</strong> will demo<br />

the DVD at the GSA meeting in Salt<br />

Lake City and members may place<br />

orders for the product at that time. Over<br />

the past 18 months in carrying out the<br />

digital archiving <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology, I<br />

received tremendous<br />

assistance<br />

from Jean<br />

Thoms, formerly<br />

head <strong>of</strong><br />

Subscription<br />

Services. Jean<br />

recently retired<br />

from the <strong>SEG</strong>—<br />

not, we hope, as<br />

a result <strong>of</strong> her<br />

Herculean effort<br />

on this project.<br />

Major contributors<br />

to the DVD are prominently<br />

BRIAN G. HOAL<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> Executive Director<br />

and Editor<br />

acknowledged on the product but the<br />

instrumental participation <strong>of</strong> a few is,<br />

as for the 100th Anniversary Volume,<br />

not as noticeable. In particular, I wish<br />

to thank the President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SEG</strong><br />

Canada Foundation, Gerry Carlson, for<br />

his strong support and his role in raising<br />

the significant funds required to<br />

carry out this initiative.<br />

Happy Centenary, <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geology! 1<br />

ANATOMY OF A TILTED PORPHYRY Cu<br />

BATHOLITH AND ITS HYDROTHERMAL<br />

ALTERATION FEATURES, YERINGTON,<br />

NEVADA (U.S.A)<br />

Instructors: John Dilles, Oregon State University<br />

Dick Tosdal, MDRU<br />

Full course: April 8-15, 2006<br />

Field trip only: April 11-13, 2006<br />

The course revolves around an 8-day field trip and mapping<br />

exercise at Yerington, Nevada, where Jurassic porphyry<br />

Cu, related deposits, and volcanic and plutonic<br />

complex are exposed in cross section because <strong>of</strong> Tertiary<br />

extension. The course is an opportunity to enhance skills<br />

in detailed field geologic mapping techniques for recording<br />

age, structural, and igneous information as well as<br />

hydrothermal veining, mineralization, and alteration.<br />

Mapping exercises are in porphyry Cu and skarn deposits.<br />

A field trip through the Yerington Batholith, volcanic<br />

cover rocks, porphyry Cu, and related Na-Ca alteration<br />

and Fe oxide-Cu (Au) systems complete the course.<br />

There is an option to attend only the field trip.<br />

Contact John Dilles (dillesj@geo.oregonstate.edu) or Dick<br />

Tosdal (mdru@eos.ubc.ca) for details. Cost and registration<br />

information available at www.mdru.ubc.ca. Deadline<br />

for registration is March 8, 2006.<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 7<br />

PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE<br />

<strong>Economic</strong> Geology — Science or Pr<strong>of</strong>ession?<br />

Exactly 100 years ago, in the first issue<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology, Dr. Fredrick L.<br />

Ransome wrote in the journal’s first<br />

article, “<strong>Geologists</strong> as a class have<br />

looked upon the economic branch <strong>of</strong><br />

their science with rather languid interest<br />

or have even regarded it as occupying<br />

a somewhat lower plane where the<br />

pure light <strong>of</strong> science is slightly dimmed<br />

by the smoke <strong>of</strong> commercialism.”<br />

The tension Ransome noted between<br />

science and commercialism, between<br />

those who work in Surveys or academic<br />

laboratories and those who are<br />

employed by mines or mineral exploration<br />

companies is still with us. As<br />

Ransome noted, it is a healthy tension<br />

that enables our field to embrace the<br />

wide range <strong>of</strong> the natural sciences and<br />

their practical application.<br />

However, over the past several<br />

decades there appears to have been a<br />

branching within economic geology<br />

into an academic sector and an applied<br />

sector. While many <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SEG</strong>’s publications<br />

focus on the former, most <strong>of</strong> our<br />

members work in the latter. To address<br />

concerns <strong>of</strong> many <strong>of</strong> our industrial<br />

members, <strong>SEG</strong> is sponsoring the 2006<br />

meeting, Wealth Creation in the Minerals<br />

Industry. While this meeting will aid in<br />

remarrying the two sides <strong>of</strong> our <strong>Society</strong>,<br />

these tensions have pr<strong>of</strong>ound implications<br />

for the future <strong>of</strong> the pr<strong>of</strong>ession.<br />

I have been lucky enough to work in<br />

both industry and academia. There is<br />

no doubt that they are different worlds.<br />

Industry values discoveries and ways to<br />

produce more metal more cheaply.<br />

Science is critical in these endeavors,<br />

but rewards in industry are for practical<br />

applications. In academia, rewards are<br />

given for publications and presentations,<br />

and for successfully teaching and<br />

graduating students. To get published<br />

in the best journals (including <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geology) requires “high tech” science<br />

and application <strong>of</strong> analytical tools.<br />

Good field mapping is valued but is<br />

rarely published in Science or Nature.<br />

Garnering research funding from mining<br />

and exploration companies is<br />

acknowledged in academia, but since<br />

most companies refuse to pay full overhead<br />

rates required by academic institutions<br />

(at least in the United States and<br />

increasingly in other countries), its<br />

value for academic advancement is<br />

much lower than fully overheaded<br />

research funding from governmental<br />

organizations such as the U.S. National<br />

Science Foundation (NSF) or the<br />

European Science Foundation.<br />

The reward ladder in academia<br />

results in academic geologists focusing<br />

more and more on relatively narrow<br />

research questions using very sophisticated<br />

analytical capabilities. The results<br />

are scientifically fascinating and provide<br />

important guides to our thinking<br />

on the formation <strong>of</strong> ore deposits, but the<br />

research rarely leads directly to new discoveries<br />

or novel means <strong>of</strong> mineral production.<br />

Most young economic geologists<br />

throughout the world are trained at<br />

universities. The pr<strong>of</strong>essors doing the<br />

training are excellent scientists who do<br />

outstanding research, but increasingly<br />

they have less and less industrial experience.<br />

Many have not worked in a<br />

mine or been actively engaged at a<br />

managerial level in mineral exploration.<br />

As a consequence, many economic<br />

geology students graduate with a<br />

high level <strong>of</strong> scientific competence and<br />

the ability to think critically, but little<br />

practical experience or sense <strong>of</strong> community<br />

values for the industrial field they<br />

are entering.<br />

Current economic geology education<br />

has close parallels in what is happening<br />

in American business schools. Pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />

Bennis and O’Toole <strong>of</strong> the University <strong>of</strong><br />

Southern California, writing recently in<br />

the Harvard Business Review, stated,<br />

“During the past several decades, many<br />

leading B schools have quietly adopted<br />

an inappropriate—and ultimately selfdefeating—model<br />

<strong>of</strong> academic excellence.<br />

Instead <strong>of</strong> measuring themselves<br />

in terms <strong>of</strong> the competence <strong>of</strong> their<br />

graduates, or by how well their faculties<br />

understand important drivers <strong>of</strong> business<br />

performance, they measure themselves<br />

almost solely by the rigor <strong>of</strong> their<br />

scientific research. Some <strong>of</strong> the research<br />

produced is excellent, but because so little<br />

<strong>of</strong> it is grounded in actual business<br />

practices, the focus <strong>of</strong> graduate business<br />

education has become increasingly circumscribed—and<br />

less and less relevant<br />

to practitioners” (2005).<br />

The situation Bennis and O’Toole<br />

describe for American business schools<br />

mirrors what we have seen worldwide<br />

in economic geology<br />

over the past<br />

half century.<br />

<strong>Economic</strong> geology<br />

in the academic<br />

sphere has<br />

become scientifically<br />

rigorous.<br />

The results <strong>of</strong> the<br />

research provide important insights into<br />

mantle processes, magma differentiation<br />

and cooling, metal behavior in critical<br />

fluids, etc. While these insights can<br />

help clever exploration geologists determine<br />

new models for ore genesis, the<br />

research rarely has an immediate bottom<br />

line impact on business. More<br />

emphasis is needed to ensure that the<br />

science developed in academia can be<br />

applied industrially.<br />

Perhaps more importantly, academic<br />

research is not only conducted by pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />

but also by the students earning<br />

advanced (MS and PhD) degrees in economic<br />

geology. While some <strong>of</strong> these students<br />

will go on to become academics<br />

and follow in their mentors’ footsteps,<br />

most students are looking for employment<br />

in industry. Are what they are<br />

being taught and the research they are<br />

conducting really relevant for the business<br />

world they will enter? I think it is<br />

clear that in many cases, the answer is<br />

“no.”<br />

Company disillusionment with<br />

academia and the consequent difficulty<br />

in securing significant industrial financial<br />

support for academic programs<br />

may have much to do with the differing<br />

goals <strong>of</strong> academic and industry economic<br />

geologists. We all respond to<br />

rewards. For most academics this is<br />

gaining tenure through high quality<br />

scientific publications and successful<br />

governmental research grants. The<br />

tenure process generally does not place<br />

a high value on producing graduates<br />

who easily and successfully make the<br />

transition into industry.<br />

Most academic economic geologists,<br />

or even departments with a focus on<br />

economic geology research, do not have<br />

the background to be able to teach the<br />

practical basis <strong>of</strong> economic geology—<br />

which includes excellent geology and<br />

geochemistry but also the values and<br />

pitfalls <strong>of</strong> differing<br />

exploration geophysical<br />

MURRAY W. HITZMAN<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> President<br />

2005<br />

to page 8 ...


8 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 7<br />

Presidential Perspective (Continued)<br />

and geochemical techniques, the intricacies<br />

<strong>of</strong> ore reserve estimation, 3-D computer<br />

modeling skills, strategic exploration<br />

design, mineral economics, and<br />

increasingly the social and humanistic<br />

skills required <strong>of</strong> geologists to secure<br />

social license for their company’s operations.<br />

As Bennis and O’Toole (2005)<br />

state, business is “a human activity in<br />

which judgments are made with messy,<br />

incomplete, and incoherent data.”<br />

Applied economic geology involves such<br />

“messy” data both in the science, but<br />

also in our inevitable interactions with<br />

people as part <strong>of</strong> the exploration and<br />

mining business.<br />

Given the existing divergence in our<br />

field between the academic and the<br />

applied, what is to be done? The first step<br />

is to recognize the problem. Bennis and<br />

O’Toole (2005) wrote that “The distinction<br />

between a pr<strong>of</strong>ession and an academic<br />

discipline in crucial.” In the early<br />

20 th century, economic geology was<br />

taught at both universities and at<br />

schools <strong>of</strong> mines—the latter largely trade<br />

schools for the mining industry. Schools<br />

<strong>of</strong> mines have essentially disappeared<br />

from the academic world or metamorphosed<br />

into institutes <strong>of</strong> technology. We<br />

cannot go backward to the trade school<br />

paradigm, but it may be worth trying, as<br />

Bennis and O’Toole (2005) suggest, “to<br />

strike a new balance between scientific<br />

rigor and practical relevance.”<br />

Accomplishing this task will not be<br />

easy and it will require commitment<br />

from both the academic and industrial<br />

communities. For many schools, practical<br />

relevance will not be an option. Most<br />

academic administrations will not have<br />

the patience to undertake the re-organization<br />

<strong>of</strong> what is a very small and generally<br />

unpr<strong>of</strong>itable (academic institutions<br />

are businesses too!) part <strong>of</strong> their<br />

organization.<br />

Industry needs to identify the few<br />

schools that have an orientation that<br />

will allow practical research and teaching<br />

to flourish. Critically, industry will<br />

have to provide significant financial<br />

support to ensure that school administrations<br />

nurture and follow such a path.<br />

Without such support there will be no<br />

incentive for schools to reward academics<br />

for applied research and for<br />

teaching students the practicalities <strong>of</strong><br />

mineral exploration and production. If<br />

the funding from “pure” research bodies<br />

such as NSF exceeds the money available<br />

from industry for “applied”<br />

research, universities will obviously follow<br />

the larger pot <strong>of</strong> funding.<br />

There is urgency to this task. Very few<br />

schools worldwide retain the ability to<br />

undertake the sort <strong>of</strong> applied research<br />

and education required by industry.<br />

However, the mining industry does not<br />

employ large numbers <strong>of</strong> people.<br />

Probably five schools worldwide could<br />

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provide the industry with the critical<br />

personnel needed. Schools themselves<br />

will not undertake this selection process.<br />

Without significant financial incentives<br />

from industry, all schools will choose the<br />

scientific route as a practical business<br />

decision. Only a significant and stable<br />

source <strong>of</strong> industrial funding will encourage<br />

some schools to look to a pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

education in economic geology as<br />

a worthy goal and a sound business<br />

decision.<br />

<strong>Economic</strong> geology is both a pr<strong>of</strong>ession<br />

and a scientific discipline.<br />

Individuals in both spheres are critical<br />

to our continued success at producing<br />

the commodities that the world needs in<br />

ways that are socially acceptable.<br />

However, we are at a crossroads where<br />

the world’s educational infrastructure is<br />

about to totally embrace the scientific,<br />

rather than applied, paradigm for economic<br />

geology. Industry needs to step<br />

up to the plate to ensure that education<br />

can deliver both science and pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

training. With this step, industry<br />

can ensure that it gets the best and<br />

brightest to move mining confidently<br />

into the 21 st century.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

Bennis, W.G. and O’Toole, J., 2005, How business<br />

schools lost their way: Harvard<br />

Business Review, v. 83 (5), p. 96–104. 1<br />

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OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 9<br />

... from 5<br />

Exploring for Deposits Under Deep Cover Using Geochemistry (Continued)<br />

sulfide blanket up to 120 m thick that<br />

mainly underlies, but also overlaps,<br />

largely oxidized Au mineralization.<br />

Subsequent to supergene alteration, the<br />

deposit was covered by up to 240 m <strong>of</strong><br />

Eocene Carlin Formation comprised <strong>of</strong><br />

piedmont gravel, finer clastic sediments,<br />

waterlain tuff, and a basal conglomerate<br />

and regolith that contains mineralized<br />

(oxidized) clasts.<br />

The most probable mechanism for<br />

generating geochemical anomalies<br />

through 240 m <strong>of</strong> postmineral cover is<br />

by the movement <strong>of</strong> fluids or gases up<br />

faults in this cover. Dohrenwend and<br />

Moring (1991) carried out photo-geological<br />

interpretations <strong>of</strong> recent faulting in<br />

this region, and noted that faults could<br />

be identified by a number <strong>of</strong> criteria,<br />

the most relevant to the Mike area<br />

being “prominent alignments <strong>of</strong> linear<br />

drainageways, ridges and swales, active<br />

springs or spring deposits, and linear<br />

discontinuities <strong>of</strong> structure, rock type,<br />

and vegetation.” This faulting, which<br />

they assign to early to middle<br />

Pleistocene time (0.13 to 1.5 Ma), with a<br />

mean orientation <strong>of</strong> 028°, resulted in<br />

dissection <strong>of</strong> the surface. The topography<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Mike area (Fig. 1b) shows<br />

deeply incised dry stream beds with orientations<br />

close to 028°, which were<br />

interpreted by Cameron and Doherty<br />

(2001) to represent faults that cut the<br />

Carlin Formation. Interpreted fault A is<br />

marked by a stream and floodplain.<br />

Faults B and C are marked by steepsided<br />

valleys, which were dry during our<br />

visits. The east slope <strong>of</strong> the valley marking<br />

fault B is precipitous, which may<br />

indicate a fault scarp. Climate is semiarid,<br />

with sparse sagebrush vegetation.<br />

A soil sampling line was chosen that<br />

was normal to the strike <strong>of</strong> the interpreted<br />

faults cutting the Carlin Formation.<br />

Soils were collected from sites at 30<br />

m intervals; at each site, sub-samples<br />

were taken from a depth <strong>of</strong> 40 to 50 cm<br />

from five holes dug within a radius <strong>of</strong><br />

1.5 to 3.0 m. The five sub-samples were<br />

mixed to form a composite sample.<br />

Composite samples reduce sampling<br />

error, permitting less distinct anomalies<br />

to be identified. The soils were found to<br />

be immature with a weak B-horizon<br />

below 15 to 30 cm and a low organic<br />

content, except in alluvial soils around<br />

the stream that marks Channel A.<br />

Analyses <strong>of</strong> the soils after aqua regia<br />

extraction are shown in Figure 2. There<br />

are strong anomalies for Au and Cu on<br />

the steep west-facing (scarp) slope <strong>of</strong> the<br />

dry valley along fault B. There are no<br />

recognizable anomalies for these elements<br />

where the sampling line crosses<br />

fault A. A number <strong>of</strong> other elements<br />

show anomalies along the sampling<br />

line, the most prominent being Zn and<br />

Cd Aqua Regia, ppm<br />

Cu Aqua Regia, ppm<br />

Au Aqua Regia, ppb<br />

2.0<br />

1.6<br />

1.2<br />

0.8<br />

0.4<br />

0.0<br />

60<br />

40<br />

20<br />

0<br />

16<br />

12<br />

8<br />

4<br />

0<br />

Cadmium<br />

Copper<br />

Gold<br />

Fault'A'<br />

Cd. Cadmium shows a distinct anomaly<br />

along the scarp slope <strong>of</strong> fault B and a<br />

weaker anomaly where the line crosses<br />

fault A.<br />

During the period <strong>of</strong> 1999 to 2001,<br />

when our work on Mike<br />

was being carried out, to page 10 ...<br />

Fault 'B'<br />

0 500 1000 1500 m<br />

FIGURE 2. Plots <strong>of</strong> Au, Cu, and Cd by aqua regia extraction in soils from the line shown in<br />

Figure 1. Zero on the horizontal scale is at the northwest limit <strong>of</strong> the line. The strongest<br />

anomalies are found in the eastern (scarp) slope <strong>of</strong> the valley formed by fault B. This valley<br />

is the surface expression <strong>of</strong> the Nebulous fracture zone that dips west to the basement<br />

to form the bounding structure for secondary mineralization in the West Mike (Norby and<br />

Orobona, 2002)


10 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 9<br />

Exploring for Deposits Under Deep Cover Using Geochemistry (Continued)<br />

the strong anomalies for Zn and Cd<br />

were enigmatic. Why would these elements<br />

be strongly anomalous over an<br />

Au-Cu deposit? Further drilling by<br />

Newmont described by Norby and<br />

Orobona (2002) revealed the presence <strong>of</strong><br />

a deposit-wide blanket <strong>of</strong> sphalerite concentrated<br />

in the upper 60 m <strong>of</strong> the sulfide<br />

zone, approximately 500 m below<br />

surface. The secondary Zn blanket, containing<br />

1 to 4% Zn, contains submicrometer-sized<br />

framboids <strong>of</strong> sphalerite<br />

that have extremely low values for δ 34 S,<br />

down to –70‰, indicative <strong>of</strong> bacterial<br />

reduction <strong>of</strong> sulfate during supergene<br />

alteration (Bawden et al., 2003).<br />

Cadmium is a ubiquitous constituent <strong>of</strong><br />

sphalerite, with contents typically in the<br />

range 0.1 to 0.8% (Piatak et al., 2004).<br />

Newmont is currently measuring the Cd<br />

content <strong>of</strong> the sphalerite-rich zone.<br />

Preliminary results give average Cd/Zn<br />

ratios above that obtained from crustal<br />

abundance data for these elements.<br />

Norby and Orobona (2002) provide<br />

additional structural detail for the<br />

deposit. The interpreted post-Carlin<br />

Formation fault B, where the strongest<br />

geochemical anomalies are found at the<br />

surface, corresponds to the Nebulous<br />

fracture zone, which forms the boundary<br />

structure for the West Mike secondary<br />

mineralization, including the Zn-rich<br />

zone (John Norby, pers. commun., 2003).<br />

Its location in the basement was recognized<br />

by gravity contrast caused by <strong>of</strong>fsets<br />

along the basement unconformity.<br />

This fault has a westerly dip (Norby and<br />

Orobona, 2002), and thus the surface<br />

trace (fault B) shown by the topographic<br />

relief is east <strong>of</strong> the gravity expression in<br />

the basement (Figure 1a). Similarly, fault<br />

C is the surface expression <strong>of</strong> the westerly<br />

dipping North-Pointing Dog fault <strong>of</strong><br />

Norby and Orobona (2002). Fault A may<br />

be the surface topographic expression <strong>of</strong><br />

a westerly dipping D-Day fault or a<br />

down-faulted block between the<br />

D-Day and Hillside faults. North-northeast–striking<br />

faults, such as the<br />

Nebulous, locally control gold mineralization<br />

and also down-drop mineralization<br />

and the base <strong>of</strong> oxidation. There are<br />

landslides along the southwest projections<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Nebulous and D-Day faults<br />

(John Norby, pers. commun., 2003),<br />

which may reflect recent earthquakes.<br />

We interpret the anomalies at the<br />

surface intersection <strong>of</strong> the Nebulous<br />

fracture zone to be the result <strong>of</strong> mobilization<br />

<strong>of</strong> metals where the permeable<br />

fault zone cuts the ores, and pumping<br />

<strong>of</strong> the resulting metalliferous fluids up<br />

the fault. It is likely that it was the constituents<br />

<strong>of</strong> the sulfide zone that were<br />

the most amenable to oxidation and<br />

mobilization. In addition to Au, Cu, Cd,<br />

and Zn, other elements such as Ag, As,<br />

Ba, Hg, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, and V are<br />

anomalous along the surface intersection<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Nebulous fault. Major elements<br />

such as K and Na, which might<br />

indicate hydrothermal alteration, are<br />

not enhanced. Isotopic studies by<br />

Dublyansky et al. (2003) at the Yucca<br />

Mountain nuclear waste disposal site,<br />

also in Nevada, have shown that fluids<br />

<strong>of</strong> deep-seated origin have moved up<br />

several hundred meters along a permeable<br />

fault through a thick vadose zone.<br />

SPENCE DEPOSIT<br />

Spence is a supergene-enriched copper<br />

porphyry deposit located between<br />

Ant<strong>of</strong>agasta and Calama in the<br />

Atacama Desert <strong>of</strong> northern Chile.<br />

RioChilex discovered the deposit in<br />

1996 by reconnaissance drilling.<br />

Porphyry intrusion and hypogene mineralization<br />

took place during the<br />

Palaeocene. Following supergene<br />

enrichment, the deposit was covered by<br />

50 to 100 m <strong>of</strong> piedmont gravels <strong>of</strong><br />

Miocene age. The gravels are indurated<br />

and for the most part are poorly sorted<br />

with a fine grained matrix that makes<br />

them relatively impermeable, except<br />

where fractured or in better sorted layers,<br />

as near their base. Copper minerals<br />

are atacamite and brochantite within<br />

the oxide zone, and chalcocite and covellite<br />

in the enriched zone. The primary<br />

sulfides comprise chalcopyrite, bornite,<br />

molybdenite, tennantite, and pyrite.<br />

Reserves recoverable by open-pit mining<br />

are 79 Mt <strong>of</strong> oxide ore at 1.18% Cu<br />

and 231 Mt <strong>of</strong> sulfide ore at 1.13% Cu.<br />

The long axis <strong>of</strong> the deposit and the<br />

porphyry intrusions trend north-northeast,<br />

similar to the orientation <strong>of</strong> a<br />

prominent lineament that runs through<br />

the area. We carried out sampling <strong>of</strong><br />

soils and groundwaters within and<br />

around the deposit in 1999 and 2000;<br />

results are described by Cameron et al.<br />

(2004) and Cameron and Leybourne<br />

(2005).<br />

In this region, groundwater flows<br />

southwest. Over most <strong>of</strong> the deposit, the<br />

water table lies within the basal gravels,<br />

which act as an aquifer, but in the<br />

south <strong>of</strong> the deposit it lies below the<br />

unconformity. Contents <strong>of</strong> Cl in the<br />

groundwaters (Fig. 3) show two distinct<br />

types <strong>of</strong> groundwater: low-salinity water<br />

east <strong>of</strong> the long axis <strong>of</strong> the deposit, and<br />

saline water west and downstream from<br />

the axis. There is an order <strong>of</strong> magnitude<br />

difference in the Cl content <strong>of</strong> the two<br />

waters, which average 1,300 mg/L and<br />

11,600 mg/L, respectively. The maximum<br />

for the saline water is 21,200<br />

mg/L, compared to seawater with<br />

19,000 mg/L Cl. The saline water is distinguished<br />

by high contents <strong>of</strong> a number<br />

<strong>of</strong> elements, most notably As (Fig. 3)<br />

and Se, but also, B, Br, Ca, I, K, Li , Mg,<br />

Sr, and Rb (Cameron and Leybourne,<br />

2005).<br />

The two waters are also distinguished<br />

by differences in their isotopic composition.<br />

On a δ 2 H vs. δ 18 O plot (Fig. 4), the<br />

low-salinity waters plot near the global<br />

meteoric water line (GMWL), whereas<br />

the saline waters plot well to the right<br />

(Cameron and Leybourne, 2005). Formation<br />

waters recovered from deep sedimentary<br />

basins are different from meteoric<br />

waters, both in their higher salinity<br />

and the deviation in δ 2 H and δ 18 O values<br />

from the GMWL. The saline groundwaters<br />

from Spence plot within the field<br />

<strong>of</strong> formation waters indicating that the<br />

waters found on either side <strong>of</strong> the axis<br />

<strong>of</strong> the deposit are <strong>of</strong> different origins:<br />

those to the east are meteoric waters,<br />

those to the west are formation waters,<br />

with mixing <strong>of</strong> the two as they flow<br />

down-gradient towards the southwest.<br />

The Atacama Desert is hyper-arid;<br />

rainfall may occur only once every few<br />

years. Recharge for the groundwater<br />

that lies beneath the desert floor is in<br />

the Andes mountains and foothills ca.<br />

120 km to the east, and precipitation is<br />

significant only above altitudes <strong>of</strong> 3,000<br />

m (Spence lies at 1,700 m). The δ 18O<br />

composition <strong>of</strong> precipitation varies with<br />

the altitude <strong>of</strong> the land surface, becoming<br />

increasingly negative with greater<br />

altitude. In northern Chile, Aravena et<br />

al. (1999) found values <strong>of</strong> δ 18O in the<br />

range –5 to –7 ‰ at 2,500 m altitude,<br />

decreasing to –20 ‰ above 4,000 m.<br />

The least saline <strong>of</strong> the Spence groundwaters,<br />

which are interpreted to be <strong>of</strong><br />

meteoric origin, range in δ 18 O from –8<br />

to –11 ‰, consistent with derivation<br />

from precipitation at higher altitudes<br />

east <strong>of</strong> Spence.<br />

Over the deposit, Cu is enriched in<br />

both saline and meteoric waters (Fig. 5),


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 11<br />

7482000N<br />

7481000N<br />

7480000N<br />

473000E 474000E<br />

475000E 476000E 473000E 474000E<br />

475000E 476000E<br />

10500<br />

8500<br />

Cl mg/l<br />

15100<br />

21200 6900 900<br />

Groundwater<br />

Flow<br />

8600<br />

7100<br />

15000<br />

7000<br />

11200 00<br />

13500 350<br />

6600 660<br />

as a result <strong>of</strong> oxidation <strong>of</strong> the Cu minerals<br />

within the deposit, but high values<br />

do not persist downflow from the<br />

deposit. Copper dissolves in groundwaters<br />

as a cation Cu 2+, which is readily<br />

adsorbed on negatively charged Fe and<br />

Al oxyhydroxide colloids and coatings.<br />

17500<br />

200<br />

1700<br />

3900<br />

2400 24<br />

13600 00<br />

600 60<br />

n/a<br />

100<br />

100<br />

33200<br />

n/a<br />

200<br />

1000<br />

Approximate Limits<br />

<strong>of</strong> Mineralization<br />

By contrast, higher values for Mo, As,<br />

and Se persist in the downflow waters.<br />

The latter three elements dissolve as<br />

anions, which are not adsorbed by oxyhydroxide<br />

colloids. In order to determine<br />

which elements are most prone to<br />

be adsorbed on oxyhydroxide colloids<br />

50<br />

36<br />

As, ppb<br />

93<br />

73<br />

33 71<br />

29<br />


12 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 11<br />

7482000N<br />

7481000N<br />

7480000N<br />

7479000N<br />

13<br />

Exploring for Deposits Under Deep Cover Using Geochemistry (Continued)<br />

473000E 474000E<br />

475000E 24 476000E<br />

10<br />

Cu ppb<br />

Analyses <strong>of</strong> the soils showed that<br />

zones <strong>of</strong> high conductivity <strong>of</strong> soil-water<br />

slurries is due to the dissolution <strong>of</strong> NaCl<br />

(Na is shown in Fig. 6). Figure 6 also<br />

shows As and Se by Enzyme Leach, and<br />

Cu by Enzyme Leach, Mobile Metal Ions<br />

(MMI), and aqua regia. Enzyme Leach<br />

and MMI are proprietary leach methods<br />

designed to extract the weakly soluble<br />

fraction <strong>of</strong> metals, whereas aqua regia<br />

is a strong reagent that dissolves a<br />

much higher proportion <strong>of</strong> the total element<br />

in the soil. The active reagents in<br />

the Enzyme Leach solution are hydrogen<br />

peroxide and gluconic acid, the former<br />

solubilizing manganese oxides and<br />

their contained metals, with the gluconic<br />

acid stabilizing the metals in solution.<br />

In the soils from Spence, Enzyme<br />

Leach dissolves approximately the same<br />

amounts <strong>of</strong> elements as deionized<br />

water, but provides more reproducible<br />

analyses. The formulation <strong>of</strong> the MMI<br />

leach has not been revealed, but contains<br />

reagents that extract the most<br />

readily soluble fraction <strong>of</strong> elements,<br />

including those in carbonates.<br />

Sodium, As, and Se are all enriched<br />

in the soils lying above the fracture<br />

zone over the deposit and in the soils<br />

13<br />

Groundwater<br />

Flow<br />

14<br />

14<br />

19 191<br />

195<br />

1200 200<br />

121<br />

812<br />

10<br />

224<br />

88<br />

48<br />

25<br />

955<br />

1180<br />

4490<br />

53<br />

9<br />

41<br />

127 27<br />

12<br />

29<br />

Boundary between<br />

saline and non-saline<br />

waters<br />

Approximate Limits<br />

<strong>of</strong> Mineralization<br />

above the eastern fracture zone. Copper<br />

is enriched only in soils over the<br />

deposit. The anomaly/background contrast<br />

for Cu is much better for Enzyme<br />

Leach and MMI analyses than for aqua<br />

regia (Fig. 6). Much <strong>of</strong> the anomalous<br />

Cu in soils over the deposit is hosted by<br />

carbonate minerals. Analyses after<br />

extraction by ammonium acetate, a<br />

reagent that specifically dissolves carbonates,<br />

shows even higher values for<br />

Cu than MMI, but similar<br />

anomaly/background contrast<br />

(Cameron et al., 2004).<br />

We have interpreted these results to<br />

be caused by pumping <strong>of</strong> saline basement<br />

waters to the surface during earthquake<br />

activity (Cameron et al., 2002,<br />

2004). We interpret the data to indicate<br />

two faults in the basement, one directly<br />

along the axis <strong>of</strong> the deposit, and the<br />

other coincident with the eastern fracture<br />

zone. Saline water with high contents<br />

<strong>of</strong> As and Se were moved to the<br />

surface above the deposit and above the<br />

eastern fracture zone. Copper is only<br />

enriched in groundwaters within the<br />

deposit and these were entrained by the<br />

rising basement waters and taken to the<br />

surface. There is no increase in Cu in<br />

473000E 474000E<br />

475000E 476000E<br />

60 0<br />

15<br />

Mo, ppb<br />

24<br />

263<br />

105<br />

354<br />

<strong>45</strong><br />

2<br />

53<br />

66<br />

Soil Traverse<br />

63<br />

5<br />

18<br />

221<br />

222<br />

25<br />

33<br />

38<br />

soils above the eastern fracture zone.<br />

Drilling has shown the basement in this<br />

area to be barren. The above scenario is<br />

summarized in Figure 7. Saline water<br />

moves up from the basement along the<br />

axis <strong>of</strong> the deposit, where it mixes with<br />

meteoric water flowing in from the east.<br />

During earthquake activity, the basement<br />

water, plus mineralized water<br />

bathing the deposit, is forced to the surface.<br />

As noted by Woodall (2005), structures<br />

form pathways for magma, fluids,<br />

and energy. Thus, the interpreted fault<br />

zone along the axis <strong>of</strong> the deposit could<br />

have provided a pathway for porphyry<br />

magma, hypogene fluids, the fracturing<br />

<strong>of</strong> the mostly impermeable cover gravels<br />

during reactivation, and the movement<br />

<strong>of</strong> groundwaters to the surface.<br />

These points are unproven, but with<br />

mining <strong>of</strong> the deposit now commenced<br />

by BHP-Billiton, more definitive answers<br />

are expected.<br />

DISCUSSION AND<br />

CONCLUSIONS<br />

7<br />

40<br />

69<br />

Approximate Limits<br />

<strong>of</strong> Mineralization<br />

FIGURE 5. Plots <strong>of</strong> Cu and Mo (both in ppb) in groundwaters from in and around the Spence deposit. The line running roughly north-south<br />

near the axis <strong>of</strong> the deposit on the Cu plot separates low salinity meteoric waters to the east from saline deep formation waters to the<br />

west (Fig. 3). Within the deposit, higher values for Cu occur in both types <strong>of</strong> water, but are absent in the waters flowing away from the<br />

deposit to the southwest. By contrast, higher values <strong>of</strong> Mo are present in the downflow waters. The location <strong>of</strong> the soil sampling traverse is<br />

shown in the Mo plot. Eastings and northings in meters.<br />

The use <strong>of</strong> soil geochemistry in the<br />

search for buried deposits requires that<br />

32<br />

9<br />

54<br />

136<br />

9


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 13<br />

2000<br />

1600<br />

1200<br />

800<br />

400<br />

0<br />

500<br />

400<br />

300<br />

200<br />

100<br />

0<br />

6000<br />

4000<br />

2000<br />

As Enzyme Leach, ppb<br />

Se Enzyme Leach, ppb<br />

Na Deionized Water Leach, ppm<br />

0<br />

473500 474000 47<strong>45</strong>00 475000 475500 476000<br />

Spence<br />

Deposit<br />

elements be moved from depth to the<br />

surface, either in gaseous form or dissolved<br />

in water. In arid regions, advective<br />

transfer, as by barometric pumping<br />

<strong>of</strong> air containing gas through fractured<br />

rock or seismic pumping <strong>of</strong> mineralized<br />

groundwater through fractured rock,<br />

appears to be more effective than diffusive<br />

processes (Cameron et al., 2004).<br />

The diffusion <strong>of</strong> gas through air and<br />

rock is slower than advection, and diffusion<br />

<strong>of</strong> dissolved constituents in the<br />

water film that exists around grains in<br />

the vadose zone is ineffective because<br />

the rate that these films migrate downward<br />

is orders <strong>of</strong> magnitude faster than<br />

the upward rates <strong>of</strong> diffusion.<br />

Exploration methods based on diffusion<br />

(e.g., Hamilton, 1998; Smee, 2003) may<br />

have greater application in regions like<br />

the Canadian Shield, where recent<br />

seismicity is rare, where the climate is<br />

wetter, and where sediments <strong>of</strong> glacial<br />

Eastern Fracture<br />

Zone<br />

120000<br />

80000<br />

40000<br />

15000<br />

10000<br />

5000<br />

origin that are generally unfractured<br />

cover mineralized basement rocks.<br />

In this article we have described two<br />

examples from seismically active,<br />

hyper-arid and semi-arid regions <strong>of</strong><br />

advective transfer <strong>of</strong> elements by<br />

pumping <strong>of</strong> mineralized groundwater<br />

along faults. Surface flooding <strong>of</strong> a<br />

desert area, as envisaged at Spence,<br />

appears counterintuitive. Nevertheless,<br />

flooding after earthquakes has been<br />

widely reported. Sibson (1981)<br />

described changes in well water level,<br />

spring flow, and occasional dramatic<br />

effusions <strong>of</strong> groundwater immediately<br />

following moderate to large shallow<br />

earthquakes. Surface flows have been<br />

documented in Iran during earthquakes<br />

in 1903 and 1923 (Tchalenko,<br />

1973). Following the Hebgen Lake<br />

earthquake <strong>of</strong> Montana in 1959, three<br />

rivers increased in flow by ~50%, the<br />

increases continuing for several weeks<br />

0<br />

0<br />

0<br />

500<br />

400<br />

300<br />

200<br />

100<br />

Cu Aqua Regia, ppb<br />

Cu MMI, ppb<br />

Cu Enzyme Leach, ppb<br />

473500 474000 47<strong>45</strong>00 475000 475500 476000<br />

Spence<br />

Deposit<br />

Eastern Fracture<br />

Zone<br />

FIGURE 6. Analytical results for soils from an east-west traverse across the Spence deposit (for location see Fig. 5). Sodium concentrations<br />

were measured by deionized water leach, Se and As by Enzyme Leach, and Cu by Enzyme leach, MMI, and aqua regia. There are fracture<br />

zones in the gravels directly above the deposit and at 476000 m E. Eastings in meters.<br />

through dry weather (Muir-Wood,<br />

1994). After the Kern County,<br />

California, magnitude 7.5 earthquake<br />

<strong>of</strong> 1952 there were outpourings <strong>of</strong><br />

groundwater in the vicinity <strong>of</strong> faults,<br />

and increases in spring flow and well<br />

water level (Briggs and Troxell, 1955).<br />

Thus, the influence <strong>of</strong> structures related<br />

to the emplacement <strong>of</strong> an ore deposit<br />

does not necessarily cease after its primary<br />

formation. As Woodall (2005)<br />

implies, pathways for fluid and energy,<br />

which tend to move toward the surface,<br />

provide an opportunity to recognize<br />

deposits hidden below.<br />

Selective leach techniques have been<br />

widely applied in the search for buried<br />

deposits using soil geochemistry. These<br />

methods attempt to extract the most<br />

mobile fractions <strong>of</strong> the elements that<br />

are present in soils as<br />

water-soluble salts, or<br />

to page<br />

weakly adsorbed on soil 14 ...


14 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 13<br />

Exploring for Deposits Under Deep Cover Using Geochemistry (Continued)<br />

WEST Cu Soil<br />

Anomalies<br />

EAST<br />

Water Table<br />

Gravel<br />

Andesite<br />

Basement<br />

Saline<br />

Water<br />

minerals, or held within secondary<br />

minerals, such as carbonates or iron<br />

and manganese oxides. The objective is<br />

to maximize the anomaly/background<br />

contrast. For both Spence and other<br />

sites in Chile, and for Mike the response<br />

<strong>of</strong> five selective leaches: deionized<br />

water, Enzyme Leach, MMI, ammonium<br />

acetate, and hydroxylamine, plus<br />

one non-selective leach, aqua regia,<br />

were compared (Cameron et al., 2004).<br />

At the Chile sites selective leaches give<br />

better anomaly/background contrast<br />

than aqua regia. This is consistent with<br />

Fracture Zone<br />

Cu Deposit<br />

Porphyry<br />

Meteoric<br />

Water<br />

FIGURE 7. Conceptual model for groundwater flow and generation <strong>of</strong> soil anomalies over<br />

the Spence deposit. Saline formation waters from depth migrate up a fracture zone coincident<br />

with the deposit. In the deposit and gravel aquifer they mix with meteoric waters<br />

derived from precipitation in the Andes to the east. During earthquakes, saline waters are<br />

pumped to the surface entraining Cu from the deposit. Salts derived from the evaporation<br />

<strong>of</strong> water reaching the surface are largely preserved in the hyper-arid climate <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Atacama desert.<br />

the model that anomalous elements,<br />

such as Cu, have been transferred to<br />

the surface dissolved in water, and soil<br />

forming processes have yet to incorporate<br />

these in more resistant minerals<br />

that are dissolved by aqua regia. At<br />

Mike, the contrast shown by selective<br />

leaches and aqua regia are similar.<br />

Given the locus <strong>of</strong> the anomalies at<br />

Mike—on the interpreted scarp slope<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Nebulous fault zone—the soil<br />

anomalies may have been derived from<br />

mineralized fault rock, not directly<br />

from water.<br />

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<br />

At Mike, Robert Jackson <strong>of</strong> Newmont<br />

Inc. provided a great deal <strong>of</strong> help and<br />

advice. Our sampling there was carried<br />

out with Mary Doherty and Kevin Creel.<br />

John Norby kindly provided much additional<br />

information on the geology <strong>of</strong><br />

Mike. At Spence, Ollie Bonham and<br />

Jack Currie <strong>of</strong> RioChilex provided many<br />

courtesies. EMC and MIL were assisted<br />

in the field in Chile with enthusiasm<br />

and humour by Daniel Salinas and<br />

Alexi Ramirez. George Steele <strong>of</strong> Rio<br />

Tinto generously gave logistical support<br />

for the Chile work. We thank CAMIRO<br />

and 26 company sponsors for their support<br />

and encouragement throughout<br />

the project.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

Aravena, R., Suzuki, O, Pena, H., Pollastri,<br />

A., Fuenzalida, H. and Grilli, A., 1999,<br />

Isotopic composition and origin <strong>of</strong> the precipitation<br />

in northern Chile: Applied<br />

Geochemistry, v. 14, p. 411–422.<br />

Bawden, T.M., Einaudi, M.T., Bostick, B.C.,<br />

Meiborn, A., Wooden, J., Norby, J.W.,<br />

Orobono, M.J.T. and Chamberlain, C.P.,<br />

2003, Extreme 34 S depletions in ZnS at the<br />

Mike gold deposit, Carlin trend, Nevada:<br />

Evidence for bacteriogenic supergene sphalerite:<br />

Geology, v. 31, p. 913–916.<br />

Briggs, R.C. and Troxell, H.C., 1955, Effect <strong>of</strong><br />

Arvin-Tehachapi earthquake on spring and<br />

stream flow, in Oakeshott, G.B., ed.,<br />

Earthquakes in Kern County, California,<br />

during 1952. Part 1: California Department<br />

<strong>of</strong> Natural Resources, Division <strong>of</strong> Mines<br />

Bulletin, v. 171, p. 81–98.<br />

Cameron, E.M. and Doherty, M.E., 2001,<br />

Geochemical data from a soil traverse<br />

across the Mike gold-copper deposit, Carlin,<br />

Nevada: Canadian Mining Industry<br />

Research Organization (CAMIRO) Report,<br />

17 p.<br />

JOSEPH R. ANZMAN<br />

Exploration Geophysicist<br />

• consulting<br />

• interpretation<br />

• project management<br />

• geophysical surveys<br />

• domestic & foreign<br />

P.O. Box 370526 303-337-<strong>45</strong>59<br />

Denver, Colorado 80237 telephone/fax<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT PAID ADVERTISEMENT


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 15<br />

Cameron, E.M. and Leybourne, M.I., 2005,<br />

Relationship between groundwater geochemistry<br />

and soil geochemical anomalies<br />

at the Spence copper porphyry deposit,<br />

Chile: Geochemistry: Exploration,<br />

Environment, Analysis, v. 5, p. 135–1<strong>45</strong>.<br />

Cameron, E.M., Leybourne, M.I. and Kelley,<br />

D.L., 2002, Exploring for deeply covered<br />

mineral deposits: Formation <strong>of</strong> geochemical<br />

anomalies in northern Chile by earthquake-induced<br />

surface flooding <strong>of</strong> mineralized<br />

groundwaters: Geology, v. 30, p.<br />

1007–1010.<br />

Cameron E.M., Hamilton S.M., Leybourne<br />

M.I., Hall G.E.M. and McClenaghan B.E.,<br />

2004, Finding deeply buried deposits using<br />

geochemistry: Geochemistry: Exploration,<br />

Environment, Analysis, v. 4, p. 1–26.<br />

Dohrenwend, J.C. and Moring, B.C. 1991,<br />

Reconnaissance photogeological map <strong>of</strong><br />

young faults in the Winnemucca 1° by 2°<br />

quadrangle, Nevada: U.S. Geological<br />

Survey, Miscellaneous Field Studies Map<br />

MF-2175.<br />

Dublyansky, Y.V., Smirnov, S.Z. and<br />

Pashenko, S.E., 2003, Identification <strong>of</strong> the<br />

deep-seated component in paleo fluids circulating<br />

through a potential nuclear waste<br />

disposal site: Yucca Mountain, Nevada,<br />

USA: Journal <strong>of</strong> Geochemical Exploration,<br />

v. 78, p. 39–43.<br />

Hamilton, S.M., 1998, Electrochemical mass<br />

transport in overburden: a new model to<br />

account for the formation <strong>of</strong> selective leach<br />

geochemical anomalies in glacial terrain:<br />

Journal <strong>of</strong> Geochemical Exploration, v. 63,<br />

p. 155–172.<br />

Hoefs, J., 2004, Stable Isotope Geochemistry:<br />

Berlin, Springer, 244 p.<br />

Muir-Wood, R. 1994, Earthquakes, straincycling<br />

and the mobilization <strong>of</strong> fluids, in<br />

Parnell, J., ed., Ge<strong>of</strong>luids: Origin, migration<br />

and evolution <strong>of</strong> fluids in sedimentary<br />

Basins: Geological <strong>Society</strong> Special<br />

Publication, v. 78, p. 85–98.<br />

Norby, J.W. and Orobona, M.J.T., 2002,<br />

Geology and mineral systems <strong>of</strong> the Mike<br />

deposit, in Thompson, T.B., Teal, L., and<br />

Meeuwig, R.O, eds., Gold deposits <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Carlin Trend: Nevada Bureau <strong>of</strong> Mines and<br />

Geology, Bulletin 111, p. 143–167.<br />

Piatak, N.M., Seal, R.R., and Hammarstrom,<br />

J.M., 2004, Environmental significance <strong>of</strong><br />

cadmium and other trace-element concentrations<br />

in sphalerite from mineral<br />

deposits: Geological <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> America<br />

Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, no. 5, p. 27.<br />

Sibson, R.H., 1981, Fluid flow accompanying<br />

faulting: Field evidence and models, in<br />

Simpson, D.W. and Richards, P.G., eds.,<br />

Earthquake predication: An international<br />

review: American Geophysical Union,<br />

Maurice Ewing Series, v. 4, p. 593–603.<br />

Smee, B., 2003, Theory behind the use <strong>of</strong> soil<br />

pH measurements as an inexpensive guide<br />

to buried mineralization, with examples:<br />

Explore, no. 118, p. 1, 14–18.<br />

Taylor, H.P., 1974, The application <strong>of</strong> oxygen<br />

and hydrogen isotope studies to problems<br />

<strong>of</strong> hydrothermal alteration and ore<br />

deposition: <strong>Economic</strong> Geology, v. 69, p.<br />

843–883.<br />

Teal, L. and Branham, A., 1997, Geology <strong>of</strong><br />

the Mike gold-copper deposit, Eureka<br />

County, Nevada: <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong><br />

<strong>Geologists</strong> Guidebook Series, v. 28, p.<br />

257–276.<br />

Tchalenko, J.S., 1973, The Kashmar (Turshiz)<br />

1903 and Torbat-e Heidariyeh (South) 1923<br />

earthquakes in Central Khorassan (Iran):<br />

Annali di Ge<strong>of</strong>isica, v. 26, p. 29–40.<br />

Woodall, R., 2005, The challenge <strong>of</strong> discovering<br />

mineral deposits under cover: What<br />

can we learn from the past?: <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong> Newsletter, no. 60,<br />

p. 35–36. 1<br />

Geophysical Consulting, Survey Design,<br />

Data Interpretation<br />

Subsurface Structural Mapping<br />

Ground Water Delineation<br />

Minerals Exploration<br />

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<strong>SEG</strong> NEWS<br />

16 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> Thayer Lindsley Lecture Tour - 2004<br />

François Robert (<strong>SEG</strong> 1991 F)<br />

Barrick Gold Corporation<br />

Reflecting back on my Thayer Lindsley<br />

lecture tour after several months, I can<br />

<strong>of</strong>fer a clearer perspective on the high<br />

value <strong>of</strong> such lecture tours for <strong>SEG</strong> and<br />

for the institutions visited (especially students),<br />

as well as for the lecturer and his<br />

employer (Barrick Gold, in my case).<br />

Four presentations were <strong>of</strong>fered in the<br />

course <strong>of</strong> the year: Characteristics <strong>of</strong> lode<br />

gold deposits in greenstone belts; Giant<br />

gold deposits <strong>of</strong> the Abitibi greenstone<br />

belt; Controls and timing <strong>of</strong> gold-quartz<br />

veins in the Val d’Or district, Abitibi<br />

greenstone belt; Geology and setting <strong>of</strong><br />

gold deposits in the North Carlin trend,<br />

Nevada. Each lecture also emphasized<br />

the importance <strong>of</strong> understanding the<br />

regional geology in deciphering the controls<br />

on the location <strong>of</strong> deposit and the<br />

role <strong>of</strong> basic field geology in developing<br />

such understanding. The Carlin lecture<br />

was the most commonly requested one,<br />

followed by the review <strong>of</strong> characteristics<br />

<strong>of</strong> greenstone gold deposits. The lectures<br />

were tailored to the needs <strong>of</strong> the local<br />

institutions, and ranged from a halfhour<br />

talk, as part <strong>of</strong> a local symposium,<br />

to <strong>45</strong>-minute lectures, to two-hour seminars.<br />

Most institutions requested two presentations,<br />

in a few cases back-to-back<br />

with a 15 min break in between!<br />

Owing to my relocation <strong>of</strong> family<br />

from Perth to Montreal in the middle <strong>of</strong><br />

Organizers <strong>of</strong> the two Thayer Lindsley lectures presented at<br />

Laval University, Quebec City. From left to right: Benoît Dubé<br />

(local <strong>SEG</strong> sponsor); Georges Beaudoin (faculty sponsor); and<br />

executive members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SEG</strong>-student chapter at Laval: Martin<br />

Aucoin (Treasurer); Julie Bernard (Vice President); François<br />

Robert (Thayer Lindsley lecturer); Nancy Lafrance (President);<br />

Virgine Garnier (Vice President, external affairs).<br />

the year to become Barrick’s Chief<br />

Geologist – South America, the lecture<br />

tour consisted <strong>of</strong> an Australian leg in the<br />

first half <strong>of</strong> the year, and a North<br />

American leg in the fall. As a result, 24<br />

lectures were presented in 16 cities. In<br />

Australia, I visited Monash University<br />

(Melbourne), CODES-University <strong>of</strong><br />

Tasmania (Hobart), James Cook<br />

University (Townsville), and CGM-<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Western Australia (Perth). I<br />

also gave a presentation to a group <strong>of</strong><br />

Placer Dome geologists in Kalgoorlie.<br />

During the North American leg, I visited<br />

the following US institutions: South<br />

Dakota School <strong>of</strong> Mines (Rapid City),<br />

Montana Tech Institute (Butte), New<br />

Mexico Tech Institute (Socorro), and<br />

Colorado School <strong>of</strong> Mines (Golden). In<br />

Canada, I visited MDRU-University <strong>of</strong><br />

British Columbia and the Geological<br />

Survey <strong>of</strong> Canada (Vancouver),<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Saskatchewan (Saskatoon),<br />

Laurentian University and Sudbury<br />

Geological Discussion Group (Sudbury),<br />

Queen’s University (Kingston), Carleton<br />

University/University <strong>of</strong> Ottawa<br />

(Ottawa), McGill University (Montreal),<br />

and Laval University (Quebec City).<br />

Unfortunately, I was not able to accommodate<br />

additional requests from Europe<br />

and South America. I was very impressed<br />

with the level <strong>of</strong> interest in the presentations<br />

themselves,<br />

which attracted an<br />

average attendance<br />

<strong>of</strong> 20 to 30 geologists,<br />

and the level <strong>of</strong><br />

questions and discussions<br />

that followed,<br />

formally…and informally,<br />

around some<br />

drinks.<br />

At all institutions,<br />

as much as the<br />

schedule allowed, I<br />

also made a point to<br />

discuss geology and<br />

research with<br />

selected faculty<br />

members and graduate<br />

students. This<br />

was a way both to<br />

learn what is happening<br />

on the<br />

research front and to<br />

share the perspective<br />

<strong>of</strong> a large exploration<br />

company on<br />

university-based<br />

research. In several<br />

institutions, I<br />

also made<br />

informal presentations<br />

to<br />

graduate and<br />

undergraduate<br />

students during which I shared my<br />

views on the challenges and rewards <strong>of</strong><br />

working for a large exploration company,<br />

provided information about<br />

Barrick Gold, and answered questions<br />

(and there were generally many) regarding<br />

employment opportunities and<br />

careers in mineral exploration. In a few<br />

specific cases, I also interviewed undergraduate<br />

students with a view to identifying<br />

top candidates for vacation<br />

employment or even permanent positions<br />

within the company.<br />

What are the benefits <strong>of</strong> all this? For<br />

<strong>SEG</strong>, this is an excellent vehicle to expose<br />

its members, and especially student<br />

members, to the latest ideas in diverse<br />

fields <strong>of</strong> economic geology, conveyed by<br />

geologists with different backgrounds.<br />

This was clearly illustrated by the level <strong>of</strong><br />

discussions that followed most presentations.<br />

In my particular case, these lectures<br />

are also a good way for <strong>SEG</strong> to promote<br />

a closer link and closer<br />

communication between academia and<br />

industry. For the lecturer, the real benefits<br />

were new ideas and concepts about<br />

gold deposits and their exploration, as<br />

well as a clarification <strong>of</strong> some puzzling<br />

aspects <strong>of</strong> what I was lecturing about (!).<br />

And the networking aspect <strong>of</strong> such lecture<br />

tours is not to be overlooked. For<br />

Barrick, besides contributing to the visibility<br />

<strong>of</strong> the company, this lecture tour<br />

resulted in the hiring <strong>of</strong> top-quality new<br />

graduates for exploration and mine geology<br />

teams. This also resulted in the funding<br />

<strong>of</strong> a few new research projects that<br />

were initially discussed or identified during<br />

the tour.<br />

I must thank <strong>SEG</strong> for providing this<br />

unique opportunity, as well as logistical<br />

and financial assistance. Thanks also to<br />

all the students and faculty that organized<br />

my lectures and associated social<br />

events, and for hosting me so well.<br />

Thanks also to me employer for allowing<br />

me to invest the time in preparing and<br />

delivering these lectures. <strong>Final</strong>ly, I cannot<br />

close this note without saying that I<br />

felt rather distinguished at the beginning<br />

<strong>of</strong> this exciting assignment, but that I<br />

was fairly extinguished by the end! This<br />

was a very positive and stimulating<br />

experience on all fronts. 1


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 17<br />

MENTORING<br />

The Mentoring column is a regular feature <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SEG</strong> Newsletter, with contributions <strong>of</strong> up to 700 words. Personal anecdotes are sought<br />

from those who have mentored and/or who have been mentored by another. Those interested in contributing should contact Steve<br />

Garwin (Steve.Garwin@geoinformex.com) or Lucy Chapman (Lucy.Chapman@jcu.edu.au) regarding details <strong>of</strong> submittal.<br />

Regina Baumgartner, Student Member: An Interview<br />

by Steve Garwin (<strong>SEG</strong> 1996 F)<br />

Regina Baumgartner is a Ph.D. candidate at<br />

the University <strong>of</strong> Geneva in Switzerland,<br />

where she is working towards the completion<br />

<strong>of</strong> her thesis on the Metallogeny <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Cerro de Pasco district, Peru. Regina<br />

obtained her B.Sc. in geology and Grad.<br />

Dip. in geophysics from Lausanne,<br />

Switzerland. She completed her M.Sc. on<br />

the geochemistry and geochronology <strong>of</strong><br />

pegmatites in Brazil, while at the University<br />

<strong>of</strong> Geneva. She is fluent in French, English,<br />

Spanish, and German and in her spare time<br />

she enjoys sports. Regina was interviewed<br />

by Steve Garwin, co-editor <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SEG</strong><br />

Mentoring column, while at the Gordon<br />

Conference on Ore Deposits, held in New<br />

Hampshire during early August.<br />

Q: Regina, when did you know you<br />

wanted to be a geologist – was there a particular<br />

event that helped you make this<br />

decision?<br />

A: My father’s love <strong>of</strong> chemistry encouraged<br />

my enthusiasm in the sciences. My<br />

sister had a friend who was a geography<br />

student and he spent a lot <strong>of</strong> time in the<br />

field; as I have always loved outdoor<br />

sports, this interested me. In my final year<br />

at school, I visited the University <strong>of</strong><br />

Lausanne and attended a Sedimentology<br />

sedimentology class and made a new<br />

friend, who encouraged me to go into geology.<br />

These experiences coupled with my<br />

enjoyment <strong>of</strong> crystallography taught in a<br />

mathematics class during my senior year<br />

at high school encouraged me to pursue a<br />

university degree in geology.<br />

Q: Do you have a picture in mind for how<br />

your next ten years will develop?<br />

A: Ideally, I would prefer to work in a<br />

research role for a mining & and exploration<br />

company. I look forward to solving<br />

problems that involve both field and laboratory<br />

studies. I am particularly interested<br />

in field work in South America.<br />

Q: Is there a company that you would<br />

like to work for and why—what is it about<br />

this group that you like?<br />

A: Nothing specific at this point. I look<br />

forward to learning what it is like to work<br />

for a mining & and exploration company… ;<br />

see how the company works. I seek opportunities<br />

for mentoring in industry, which<br />

include instruction on the practical aspects<br />

<strong>of</strong> exploration, training programs, and site<br />

visits.<br />

Q: What would you like to see more <strong>of</strong> in<br />

the actions <strong>of</strong> companies today that would<br />

encourage you to join the industry?<br />

A: More industry visits to universities! This<br />

does not happen very <strong>of</strong>ten in Europe. It<br />

would be great if industry geoscientists<br />

would tell the graduating students why<br />

exploration is so interesting, what is<br />

expected <strong>of</strong> them and how to better prepare<br />

for a job in mining & and exploration.<br />

I would like to learn more about<br />

what sort <strong>of</strong> jobs are available in industry.<br />

Q: Have you had a vacation job? What<br />

did you learn from it? What did you like<br />

and what did you dislike?<br />

A: Yes, I had a summer job in Switzerland<br />

for one month in 1999. I mapped fractures<br />

and faults in an exploration tunnel<br />

through the Alps to help determine the viability<br />

<strong>of</strong> constructing a road through the<br />

mountain to access a ski resort. This work<br />

was for a geotechnical company. There<br />

were two <strong>of</strong> us (student employees), both<br />

females. We found it a little difficult at<br />

first, in that our supervisor was not consistent<br />

in his guidance and we had to become<br />

accustomed to a predominantly male environment.<br />

I enjoyed the mapping and compilation<br />

<strong>of</strong> data and the learning opportunity.<br />

I would like the chance to participate<br />

in a company or government internship<br />

program, but these are not common in<br />

Switzerland.<br />

Q: The <strong>SEG</strong> President wrote an article<br />

(Hitzman, January 2005) that outlined the<br />

skills <strong>of</strong> a modern geologist. He pointed out<br />

that pr<strong>of</strong>essionals today require a range <strong>of</strong><br />

skills to compete in the global market,<br />

beyond the core topics <strong>of</strong> a geoscience<br />

degree, including information technology,<br />

languages, social and environmental science,<br />

mineral economics; beyond an introductory<br />

level. Do you have a specific comment?<br />

Can you comment on how your<br />

degree prepares you for such an expectation?<br />

A: Generally, I agree. I understand the<br />

usefulness <strong>of</strong> speaking multiple languages,<br />

the ability to work in different cultures and<br />

interact amicably with local communities<br />

–— this makes the job more interesting<br />

(I love my field work in Peru)! I feel that I<br />

have the requisite language and computer<br />

skills to make a valuable contribution to<br />

the industry. In addition, I took courses on<br />

entrepreneurship while at university. I<br />

have had field experience through academic<br />

field programs, but these do not<br />

teach us how to be ready for industry.<br />

Q: Do you think there are extra challenges<br />

for females in the business?<br />

A: Oh yes… If a woman is single and<br />

ambitious, then there generally is not a<br />

problem. I feel that the challenge lies in<br />

striking a balance between working and<br />

raising a family. Women add an extra<br />

dimension to the team. Of course, it may<br />

be easier for an employer to not deal with<br />

some <strong>of</strong> these issues by hiring a guy—<br />

but this is only my perception and I do<br />

not intend to imply that there is discrimination<br />

in the industry. I have yet to work<br />

in industry, so it is difficult for me to know<br />

the situation.<br />

Q: Do you have a mentor? How did this<br />

relationship develop? How do you interact<br />

with your mentor?<br />

A: I am lucky to have several mentors in<br />

both academia and industry. I have<br />

gained knowledge and ideas by talking<br />

with others at meetings and field trips. I<br />

like to keep their advice and stories in my<br />

mind for potential application to my life<br />

and career. I keep in touch with some <strong>of</strong><br />

my mentors through email and in person,<br />

when we are able to meet up.<br />

Q: Do you have a request or question for<br />

members <strong>of</strong> industry?<br />

A: Yes, would it be possible for industry<br />

geoscientists to visit European universities<br />

more frequently to inform students what<br />

should be done in preparation for future<br />

employment? In addition, students would<br />

benefit from feed-back on the quality <strong>of</strong><br />

their work—because when one is adrift in<br />

the “sea <strong>of</strong> the Ph.D.” it is helpful to receive<br />

the opinions <strong>of</strong> those who are active in<br />

industry.<br />

Thank you Regina!<br />

If you would like to get in touch with<br />

Regina, or would like to contribute to this<br />

column via an interview, please contact<br />

Steve Garwin or Lucy Chapman. 1<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> NEWS


<strong>SEG</strong> NEWS<br />

18 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

Field Trip Report—Chile, May 2005<br />

The barren Atacama Desert <strong>of</strong> northern<br />

Chile was a contrast to the damp<br />

Vancouver spring for the participants <strong>of</strong><br />

the 2005 University <strong>of</strong> British Columbia<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> student chapter field trip. The trip,<br />

from April 27 to May 12, was arranged<br />

with the goal <strong>of</strong> touring world-class porphyry<br />

and epithermal deposits <strong>of</strong> northern<br />

Chile and to gain an appreciation<br />

for the geologic evolution <strong>of</strong> a continental<br />

magmatic arc.<br />

Seventeen individuals<br />

participated<br />

throughout the<br />

entire trip, including<br />

six industry members<br />

and 11 students<br />

and employees from<br />

the university. Two<br />

additional industry<br />

representatives and<br />

sevearl geology students<br />

from the<br />

Universidad<br />

The “Top End Geo-Explorer Tour”<br />

July 11–22, 2005<br />

Six members <strong>of</strong> the University <strong>of</strong><br />

Tasmania <strong>SEG</strong> student chapter took part<br />

in the chapter’s main field trip for 2005:<br />

the “Top End Geo-Explorer Tour” <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Northern Territory, Australia. The group<br />

had a distinctly international feel, with<br />

two Australians, and one each from the<br />

UK, Russia, Zambia, and Thailand.<br />

After gathering in Darwin, the group’s<br />

first stop was the enigmatic Browns polymetallic<br />

deposit in the Rum Jungle mineral<br />

field, located south <strong>of</strong> Darwin, near<br />

the Litchfield National Park. This was followed<br />

by a day at Tom’s Gully gold<br />

mine, a shear-hosted gold deposit east <strong>of</strong><br />

Darwin. The group spent the following<br />

day gaining an understanding <strong>of</strong> the<br />

regional geology <strong>of</strong> the Ranger uranium<br />

mine by visiting numerous key exposures<br />

in the Kakadu National Park, before<br />

spending the next day at Ranger itself.<br />

The historic Pine Creek region was visited<br />

en-route as the group travelled south to<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> STUDENT CHAPTER NEWS<br />

� THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLLUMBIA �<br />

Católica del Norte in Ant<strong>of</strong>agasta took<br />

part in some <strong>of</strong> the trip. The itinerary<br />

covered six ore deposit tours, including<br />

El Teniente, La Candelaria, El Guanaco,<br />

La Escondida, Spence, and El Peñón, as<br />

well as tours to the Concha y Toro winery<br />

outside Santiago and the world’s<br />

highest geothermal geyser field at El<br />

Tatio. And there were, <strong>of</strong> course, plenty<br />

<strong>of</strong> additional opportunities to to sample<br />

the Chilean culture and nightlife along<br />

the way.<br />

Thanks to Barrick Gold and Lumina<br />

Copper for providing financial support<br />

for the tour. Advice regarding logistics<br />

in Chile was provided by Bill Chavez,<br />

Dick Tosdal, and by staff and students<br />

at Universidad Católica del Norte in<br />

Ant<strong>of</strong>agasta—in particular, Benigno<br />

Godoy and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Thomas Bissig.<br />

The mine tours <strong>of</strong>fered by staff from<br />

CODELCO, Phelps Dodge, BHP Billiton,<br />

Mina Guanaco, and Meridian Gold<br />

were superb.<br />

Field trip participants pose in underground tour gear at Codelco’s El Teniente mine.<br />

� UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA �<br />

Katherine and the Nitmiluk (Katherine<br />

Gorge) National Park.<br />

A day’s drive south and east followed<br />

as the group travelled out to Cape Crawford<br />

to visit first the Merlin diamond field<br />

and then the giant HYC McArthur River<br />

Zn-Pb-Ag mine. Another day’s drive west<br />

and south, and the group arrived in the<br />

historic town <strong>of</strong> Tennant Creek and visited<br />

the Chariot Gold iron-oxide coppergold<br />

(IOCG) deposit. The last day <strong>of</strong> the<br />

trip involved a visit to the Devil’s<br />

Marbles enroute to Alice Springs.<br />

The trip was sponsored by the<br />

<strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong>,<br />

Inc, CODES Centre <strong>of</strong> Excellence,<br />

Anglo American Exploration Pty<br />

Ltd, Boyer Exploration & Resource<br />

Management Pty Ltd, CopperCo<br />

Ltd, Gravity Diamonds Ltd,<br />

Newcrest Mining Ltd, Oxiana Ltd,<br />

TasGold Ltd, and the Northern<br />

Territory Minerals Council (Inc).<br />

The organizing committee (Bryan<br />

Bowden, Rod Maier, Steven Lewis<br />

and Paul Cromie) would also like to<br />

thank Ian Scrimgeour, Phil Ferenczi, Rod<br />

Elvish, John Earthrowl, Simon<br />

Slesarewich, Scott Hall, Angela Gepp,<br />

Peter Tamaduk, Chris Sjoberg, Emily<br />

Logan, Tom Reddicliffe, Heath Gerritsen,<br />

Nick Spanswick, Ian Blucher, and Brad<br />

Parker.<br />

Bryan Bowden<br />

Leader – Top End Geo-Explorer Tour<br />

Hobart, Tasmania<br />

“Top-End” group members gather for a photo outside<br />

the Chariot Gold deposit at Tennant Creek.<br />

Look for more student news on the <strong>SEG</strong> website:


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 19<br />

$130,000 AVAILABLE FOR STUDENT RESEARCH GRANTS IN 2006<br />

More than US$130,000 will be available from the <strong>SEG</strong> Foundation and the <strong>SEG</strong> Canada Foundation for Student Grants<br />

in 2006. The grants are to provide support for graduate student research projects leading to Master’s or Doctoral degrees, and<br />

for exceptional BS Honors or “BS Titulo” projects. Individual grants will range up to $5,000, although larger amounts may<br />

be made for particularly meritorious projects. Students in mineral resource study programs throughout the world are eligible<br />

and encouraged to apply. Application forms may be down-loaded from the <strong>SEG</strong> website:<br />

<br />

and may be submitted for any one <strong>of</strong> the awards, but will be considered for all awards. Applications must be postmarked no<br />

later than February 1, 2006, and awards will be announced by April 30, 2006.<br />

Hugh E. McKinstry Fund. $80,000 will be available from this Fund to support “study, research and teaching<br />

<strong>of</strong> the science <strong>of</strong> economic geology, or for related projects”, including field or laboratory research by graduate<br />

students or geologists on study-leave from their employment.<br />

Hickok-Radford Fund. One or two grants ranging up to $10,000 will be awarded to support field-based<br />

research, as applied to exploration for metallic mineral deposits, for projects located in Alaska, northern<br />

Canada and other regions north <strong>of</strong> Latitude 60 North, or for projects at very high elevations elsewhere and<br />

extreme southern latitudes. Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time program <strong>of</strong> study at a degree-granting<br />

university or college. Consideration will be given to an applicant’s record <strong>of</strong> leadership and extracurricular<br />

activities, including athletics.<br />

Newmont Mining Corp. Grants. $15,000 will be available in 2005 to support research projects worldwide<br />

related to the geology, mineralization and metallogeny <strong>of</strong> gold deposits. Emphasis is placed on research with a<br />

strong field component, with funds available for directly related laboratory work. Several individual grants <strong>of</strong><br />

$3,000 to $5,000 each will be made.<br />

Hugo Dummett Mineral Discovery Fund. Up to $5,000 will be available to support applied economic geology<br />

research, including the development <strong>of</strong> new exploration technology and techniques, and the dissemination <strong>of</strong><br />

related results through publications, lectures, short courses, workshops, and conferences.<br />

Alberto Terrones L. Fund. $10,000 will be available to provide financial support to one or two qualifying students<br />

from Mexico, Peru and other Latin American countries to pursue graduate studies leading to an MS or<br />

PhD degree at universities in the U.S. or Canada. The grants may be used for tuition costs, university fees, to<br />

support thesis research, or for any other bonafide expense directly related to pursuing a graduate study program<br />

in applied economic geology or geological engineering while regularly enrolled as a graduate student at an<br />

MS or PhD degree-granting university.<br />

Timothy Nutt Memorial Fund. Grants from this fund will range up to $1,000 to provide financial support for<br />

geology students and young economic geologists located in Zimbabwe or in Southern Africa with ties to<br />

Zimbabwe. The fund may be used to support <strong>SEG</strong> student chapter activities, travel to meetings, field trips, and<br />

for research or study grants, technical lectures or any other activities approved by the <strong>SEG</strong> Regional Vice<br />

President for Africa.<br />

<strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong> Canada Foundation Fund. Grants from this fund will exceed C$12,500 to<br />

support research studies by Canadian or non-Canadian students on mineral deposits or districts in Canada;<br />

non-Canadian projects at Canadian Universities; non-Canadian students studying at Canadian universities, or<br />

Canadian students doing research at foreign universities.<br />

How to Apply: Awards are intended to fund specific expenses related to student research projects leading to the aforementioned<br />

degrees or courses <strong>of</strong> study. The awards are competitive are based primarily on project merit. Students in mineral resource<br />

study programs throughout the world are eligible and encouraged to apply. Applicants must describe what the project is, why<br />

the research is important and how it is to be done, and include an appropriate estimate <strong>of</strong> expenses that will be incurred.<br />

Applicants requesting financial support from the Alberto Terrones L. Fund for non-research expenses must include a statement<br />

describing the need and purposes <strong>of</strong> such request. For further information contact:<br />

Chairman<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> Student Research Grants<br />

7811 Shaffer Parkway, Littleton, CO 80127 USA<br />

Tel: +1.720.981.7204; Fax: +1.720.981.7874<br />

E-mail: seg@segweb.org<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> NEWS


<strong>SEG</strong> NEWS<br />

20 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

Editor’s note: Part I <strong>of</strong> the report on the gold forum, covering Carlin-type deposits, was written by Greg Arehart and appeared in the<br />

July Newsletter. This second part, on the Witwatersrand, was contributed by Laurence Robb.<br />

A large audience <strong>of</strong> several hundred<br />

attended the much-anticipated debate<br />

on the origin <strong>of</strong> the Witwatersrand gold<br />

and uranium deposits in South<br />

Africa…testimony to the fascination<br />

that this mother <strong>of</strong> all gold fields still<br />

holds for the economic geology community<br />

at large. Ironically, it was a<br />

hydrothermal quartz vein in the West<br />

Rand Group near Roodepoort from<br />

which the very first gold was extracted<br />

in the Wits Basin….this was by the<br />

Streuben brothers a few years prior to<br />

the discovery <strong>of</strong> conglomerate-hosted<br />

gold, on the Ridge <strong>of</strong> White Waters, by<br />

George Harrison and George Walker in<br />

1886.<br />

Right from the very beginnings <strong>of</strong><br />

mining, it was clear that an understanding<br />

<strong>of</strong> the occurrence <strong>of</strong> gold, and<br />

its origin, was no simple matter. As<br />

long ago as 1917, Robert Burns Young,<br />

in his book The Banket <strong>of</strong> South African<br />

Gold Fields, described the authigenic<br />

character <strong>of</strong> gold within what was<br />

clearly a fossilized, heavy mineral-bearing<br />

gravel placer. And so it is, still in<br />

the year 2005, that geologists continue<br />

to argue about the nature <strong>of</strong> the gold<br />

and its origin, either as detrital particles<br />

sourced from a hinterland that must<br />

itself have been fabulously rich in primary<br />

gold deposits, or hydrothermal<br />

precipitates from a fluid—it, too, either<br />

very voluminous or extraordinarily<br />

enriched in the precious metal.<br />

The Reno debate started <strong>of</strong>f with a<br />

talk by Hartwig Frimmel, who presented<br />

the case for the modified placer point <strong>of</strong><br />

view. This notion is based on the existence<br />

in the basin <strong>of</strong> flat, rounded and<br />

“peened” grains that are interpreted as<br />

detrital gold toroids. This gold was initially<br />

concentrated by hydrodynamic<br />

processes during sedimentation and<br />

then substantially dissolved and remobilized<br />

by later fluids flowing through<br />

the sediments. It was shown that there<br />

must have been at least 2 episodes <strong>of</strong><br />

fluid flow, resulting in the re-precipitation<br />

<strong>of</strong> gold and pyrite as authigenic<br />

particles within the conglomerates. The<br />

argument in favor <strong>of</strong> a purely<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> Forum on Gold Deposits: Part II<br />

May 14, 2005 • Reno, Nevada<br />

Laurence J. Robb (<strong>SEG</strong> 1985 F) Greg B. Arehart (<strong>SEG</strong> 1988 F)<br />

Report on the Witwatersrand Debate<br />

hydrothermal introduction <strong>of</strong> gold was<br />

presented by Neil Phillips, whose model<br />

invokes early circulation <strong>of</strong> diagenetic/meteoric<br />

fluids with hydrocarbon<br />

generation, followed by a pre-Platberg<br />

(the Platberg volcanics form part <strong>of</strong> the<br />

flood basaltic succession that immediately<br />

overlies the Witwatersrand sediments<br />

at 2709 Ma) introduction <strong>of</strong><br />

metamorphogenic fluid that sulfidized<br />

the “black sand” heavy mineral suite<br />

that had accumulated during sedimentation<br />

and also precipitated gold. The<br />

essential differences between the 2 viewpoints<br />

are that the modified placer<br />

model requires initial accumulation <strong>of</strong><br />

detrital gold grains, with later modification,<br />

whereas the hydrothermal model<br />

does not recognize the presence <strong>of</strong> allogenic<br />

gold and mineralization is essentially<br />

by precipitation from a fluid<br />

phase.<br />

What followed these two presentations<br />

was a combination <strong>of</strong> audience<br />

questions and comments, interspersed<br />

with brief presentations by each <strong>of</strong> five<br />

panel members, themselves experts on<br />

the Witwatersrand Basin. David Groves<br />

initiated the discussion by questioning<br />

the discrepancy between the very large<br />

scale alteration halos around putative<br />

fluid conduits and the mineralization<br />

that occurs at a more limited scale and<br />

is restricted to the thin conglomerate<br />

horizons. He also posed the question as<br />

to what exactly was the hydrothermal<br />

model, pointing out that its proponents<br />

did not seem to agree on the timing <strong>of</strong><br />

the principal ore fluid circulation event.<br />

John Chesley also spoke in favor <strong>of</strong> a<br />

detrital origin <strong>of</strong> gold by summarizing<br />

the recent Re-Os isotope dating and<br />

characterization <strong>of</strong> gold and pyrite in<br />

the basin. This data, although itself<br />

controversial—as pointed out by<br />

Jonathan Law—is interpreted to indicate<br />

an unusual mantle source for the<br />

gold and its introduction as detrital particles<br />

at a time that preceded the end <strong>of</strong><br />

sedimentation in the basin. Proponents<br />

<strong>of</strong> the hydrothermal view, such as Andy<br />

Barnicoat, re-emphasized the ubiquity<br />

<strong>of</strong> alteration assemblages and pointed<br />

to evidence showing that the latter are<br />

intimately associated with both gold<br />

and uraninite, <strong>of</strong>ten in fractures within<br />

the conglomerate packages. Vic Wall<br />

provided evidence for a fluid circulation<br />

and mineralizing event in post-<br />

Transvaal times (i.e., later than ca.<br />

2550 Ma) and drew interesting analogies<br />

between the Au-U-C-PGM association<br />

in the Witwatersrand and a similar<br />

association in Proterozoic unconformity-related<br />

uranium deposits.<br />

Audience participation was lively<br />

and the four hours allocated to the<br />

debate passed by in a flash. No vote<br />

was taken at the end <strong>of</strong> proceedings<br />

and it is difficult to say which way the<br />

body <strong>of</strong> opinion swayed. Is there more<br />

consensus now about the origin <strong>of</strong> this<br />

most enigmatic <strong>of</strong> deposits than there<br />

was in the past? The answer is probably<br />

yes, in that more is known about the<br />

processes involved and also because<br />

proponents <strong>of</strong> the two models do agree<br />

on a wide range <strong>of</strong> issues. A fundamental<br />

division, nevertheless, still remains—<br />

namely, that <strong>of</strong> whether a fertile hinterland<br />

existed from which pyrite, gold,<br />

and uraninite detritus was sourced. The<br />

morphology <strong>of</strong> grains is not sufficient,<br />

in the view <strong>of</strong> some, to provide a conclusive<br />

answer to this question.<br />

Hundreds <strong>of</strong> zircons have now been<br />

individually dated and provide<br />

unequivocal indications <strong>of</strong> the age and<br />

location <strong>of</strong> the source <strong>of</strong> clastic sediment<br />

in the depository. The eventual<br />

answers to the Witwatersrand debate<br />

may also have to come from well-constrained<br />

and more accurate ages <strong>of</strong> key<br />

minerals such as pyrite, uraninite, and<br />

gold. The writer for one is fervent in the<br />

hope that we will have such answers<br />

well before the last bucket <strong>of</strong> ore is<br />

extracted from this phenomenal set <strong>of</strong><br />

deposits. 1


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 21<br />

AFRICA<br />

Regional Correspondent:<br />

Judith Kinnaird (<strong>SEG</strong> 2002)<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> Regional Vice President Africa<br />

School <strong>of</strong> Geosciences<br />

University <strong>of</strong> the Witwatersrand, South Africa<br />

Tel: +27 11 7176583<br />

Fax +27 11 7176579<br />

Email: kinnairdj@geosciences.wits.ac.za<br />

With contributions from<br />

Dr. Stephen Frindt<br />

Geological Survey, Namibia<br />

COTE D’IVOIRE<br />

Cluff Gold bought the exploration data<br />

covering the Mt. Yaoure licence. This<br />

includes drill assay results from drilling<br />

completed around the Angovia mine,<br />

from the previous licence-holder<br />

Comincor. Internal company reports by<br />

Comincor indicate a resource <strong>of</strong> 90,000<br />

t at a grade <strong>of</strong> 3.7 g/t, based on drilling<br />

completed in 2002.<br />

GHANA<br />

Golden Star Resources announced that<br />

the plant at Wassa gold mine is now<br />

operating at its design capacity <strong>of</strong><br />

10,000 tpd. The standby powerhouse<br />

was recently upgraded to supply sufficient<br />

power while connections to the<br />

national grid are being completed.<br />

MADAGASCAR<br />

Rio Tinto announced the approval <strong>of</strong> a<br />

US$585M mineral sands operation and<br />

port. First production in the Fort<br />

Dauphin region is expected in late<br />

2008 and initial capacity will be<br />

750,000 tpa <strong>of</strong> ilmenite. The development<br />

is the largest project in<br />

Madagascar’s history and will be the<br />

catalyst for broader economic development<br />

in the region. With a grade <strong>of</strong><br />

60% titanium dioxide, the Madagascar<br />

orebody is the largest known undeveloped<br />

high-grade mine, according to Rio<br />

Tinto.<br />

MALI<br />

Randgold Resources, the Malian gold<br />

producer, approved a US$100M underground<br />

project at its open-cast Loulo<br />

mine.<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

NAMIBIA<br />

Navachab gold mine (AngoGold<br />

Ashanti Ltd) situated in central-western<br />

Namibia, was developed in the late<br />

1980s and was interpreted as a skarn<br />

deposit with a life <strong>of</strong> mine until 2003.<br />

However, with the discovery <strong>of</strong> the significance<br />

<strong>of</strong> associated sheeted auriferous<br />

quartz veins and the reinterpretation<br />

<strong>of</strong> the deposit as a mesothermal<br />

gold deposit, exploration located additional<br />

resources both in the hanging<br />

wall and the footwall. This increased<br />

life <strong>of</strong> mine to 2013 and, pending on<br />

the economic conditions, there is a<br />

chance <strong>of</strong> extending it even further.<br />

Namibia Stone Processing (NSP)<br />

plant, situated in the town <strong>of</strong> Omaruru,<br />

is one <strong>of</strong> the biggest dimension stone<br />

processing facilities in southern Africa.<br />

NSP is a black economic empowerment<br />

initiative, which was inaugurated by<br />

the Namibian President Hifikepunye<br />

Pohamba on July 20, 2005. The plant,<br />

built at a cost <strong>of</strong> N$50M, will process<br />

granite and marble tiles derived from<br />

local quarries as well as darker varieties<br />

<strong>of</strong> dimensions stone from Angola,<br />

Zimbabwe, and South Africa. The plant<br />

will employ between 70 and 100 people,<br />

with staff to be trained by Italian<br />

experts in stone processing, especially<br />

for marble tiles. The plant houses 2<br />

granite gangue saws, 2 granite block<br />

cutters, 2 marble block cutters and 1<br />

marble gangue saw. At full capacity the<br />

plant will produce some 3,000 m 2 <strong>of</strong><br />

polished tiles per machine per month.<br />

The market is currently aimed at local<br />

and SADC countries, in future the company<br />

plans to expand their market to<br />

include European, American and<br />

Middle and Far Eastern countries.<br />

Vancouver-based junior, Helio<br />

Resource Corp, through its 100%<br />

owned Namibian subsidiary BAFEX<br />

Exploration, is currently exploring for<br />

copper and gold in northern Namibia.<br />

Helio has just completed a first-pass RC<br />

and diamond drilling program on the<br />

Otjitombo project, where significant<br />

intersections including 39.82 m @<br />

1.03% Cu and 0.12 g/t Au, 32 m @<br />

0.97% Cu & 0.11 g/t Au and 22 m @<br />

1.06% Cu, and 0.26 g/t Au have been<br />

reported, with numerous assays still<br />

pending. Elsewhere Helio has entered<br />

into a significant option agreement<br />

with Teck Cominco whereby Teck can<br />

earn up to a 75% interest on delivery <strong>of</strong><br />

a feasibility study on the Vredelus gold<br />

prospect. Helio is also active exploring a<br />

number <strong>of</strong> IOCG prospects in the north<br />

<strong>of</strong> the country, two <strong>of</strong> these are in conjunction<br />

with fellow Vancouver Juniors<br />

Boulder Mining Corp and Yale<br />

Resources. Helio is also active in diamond<br />

exploration in Botswana, where<br />

it has optioned the Lokgwabe prospect<br />

to Indicator Minerals. Historic data at<br />

Lokgwabe indicates the presence <strong>of</strong> G10<br />

indicator garnets.<br />

Rössing, the large open-pit uranium<br />

mine producer, which is situated 65 km<br />

inland from the coastal town <strong>of</strong><br />

Swakopmund, started operations in<br />

1976. Rössing is one <strong>of</strong> the largest<br />

open-pit uranium mines in the world<br />

and with solid reserves will continue to<br />

serve the world nuclear energy industry<br />

throughout the world, especially in<br />

Central Europe, North America, and<br />

Southeast Asia. The mine currently<br />

produces about 7.7% <strong>of</strong> the world’s<br />

uranium. In 2004, the life-<strong>of</strong>-mine<br />

plan forecast closure in 2009. However,<br />

they aim to develop and expand their<br />

capacity to deliver value to shareholders<br />

and local stakeholders for the long<br />

term and they are working on plans to<br />

justify extending the mine life to 2017.<br />

On the operations side, production will<br />

be increased to 3,800 t <strong>of</strong> uranium<br />

oxide for 2005 to counteract the negative<br />

economic impacts <strong>of</strong> the “weak”<br />

US dollar, in which Rössing’s uranium<br />

is sold. The work <strong>of</strong> the Rössing<br />

Foundation in the mine’s neighboring<br />

town, Arandis, was expanded as the<br />

Rössing Foundation strives to ensure an<br />

economically independent and selfsustaining<br />

town.<br />

Avdale Namibia (Pty) Ltd is a<br />

wholly owned subsidiary <strong>of</strong> African<br />

Rainbow Minerals (ARM). Thirteen<br />

EPL’s were awarded during 1997, covering<br />

1,060,000 hectares over an area<br />

from Tsumeb in the north to<br />

Otjiwarongo in the south, Outjo in the<br />

west to Grootfontein in the east. This<br />

has now been reduced to four EPL’s covering<br />

308,000 hectares. Copper, zinc,<br />

and gold were initially the main exploration<br />

commodities in the northern<br />

Carbonate platform, northern rift-margin<br />

and Northern Zone <strong>of</strong> the Pan-<br />

African Damara orogen. The terrain is<br />

extensively covered<br />

by a thin calcrete<br />

to page 22 ...<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS


EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

22 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 21<br />

veneer (5–20 m thick). The main exploration<br />

methodology was the ground follow-up<br />

<strong>of</strong> targets generated from data<br />

compilation from various airborne<br />

magnetic surveys. Ground follow-up<br />

consisted <strong>of</strong> ground magnetic surveys,<br />

Gradient array IP surveys, “RAB”, RC,<br />

and core drilling. This resulted in the<br />

discovery <strong>of</strong> the Otjikoto gold deposit,<br />

which is a sheeted vein system hosted<br />

by albitized rocks. This deposit has<br />

many similarities to the deposit being<br />

mined at the Navachab Gold Mine. To<br />

date some 40% <strong>of</strong> the approximately<br />

US$9M spent on the project was<br />

expended on detailed work carried out<br />

at the Otjikoto deposit which was a<br />

greenfields discovery made by Avdale.<br />

In the next year the company plans to<br />

spend US$3-4M on exploration over its<br />

four EPL’s. Regional exploration will<br />

focus on the ground follow-up <strong>of</strong> targets<br />

generated from an airborne electromagnetic<br />

and magnetic (AEM) survey that<br />

was completed earlier the year using<br />

the Spectrum 2000 AEM System. This<br />

survey covered some 70 km <strong>of</strong> strike <strong>of</strong><br />

the target host package. This high-resolution<br />

survey was flown at a 200-m line<br />

spacing. Work at the Otjikoto will focus<br />

on extending the current resource base<br />

and the follow-up exploration targets in<br />

the immediate vicinity <strong>of</strong> the deposit.<br />

TANZANIA<br />

Barrick Gold has started production at<br />

the new Tuklawaka mine in Tanzania.<br />

Barrick and Falconbridge have<br />

finalized a joint venture agreement<br />

regarding the Kabanga nickel deposit.<br />

Falconbridge has acquired a 50% indirect<br />

interest for US$15M and will be the<br />

operator <strong>of</strong> the joint venture.<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

(303) 284-2646<br />

TUNISIA<br />

Albidon reports the discovery <strong>of</strong> gold<br />

mineralization at Kef El Agueb in northwest<br />

Tunisia on the Nefze project.<br />

Samples have defined a strike length <strong>of</strong><br />

at least 5 km. Rock sample values<br />

ranged up to 1g/t Au in preliminary<br />

sampling and soil values up to 0.5 g/t.<br />

Some soil samples also have up to 1.1%<br />

Cu.<br />

SOUTH AFRICA<br />

Aflease is proceeding with two shallow,<br />

low-risk, high-margin gold projects,<br />

Bonanza South and Modder East. At<br />

Bonanza South, the mine design was<br />

based on an annual production <strong>of</strong><br />

35,000 oz, but this may increase to<br />

50,000 oz within two years. Mining is<br />

planned to extend to a depth <strong>of</strong> 220 m<br />

to exploit two <strong>of</strong> the four gold-bearing<br />

reefs. It is planned to produce the first<br />

bar <strong>of</strong> gold in the near future. The<br />

Modder East project on the East Rand<br />

about 5 km north <strong>of</strong> Springs, is set to<br />

mine the Black Reef, which has grade<br />

<strong>of</strong> 5.3 g/t. In addition, they are developing<br />

the Dominion uranium project 25<br />

km southwest <strong>of</strong> Klerksdorp.<br />

Anglo Platinum’s big three platinum<br />

mines in the Bushveld Complex—<br />

Amandelbult, Rustenburg, and<br />

Union—showed lower production and<br />

higher costs for the half year to June<br />

compared with the corresponding<br />

period last year. But the chief executive<br />

<strong>of</strong> the world’s largest platinum producer,<br />

Ralph Havenstein, says<br />

turnarounds take time and they anticipate<br />

much improved figures for 2006.<br />

AfriOre reports drill assay results<br />

from holes ZF6 and MO3 on the<br />

Akanani platinum project on the<br />

Platreef in the northern limb <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Bushveld Complex. Significant intersections<br />

were reported from hole MO3.<br />

The widest at 23.86 m starts at 1319.97<br />

m down hole and averages 2.52 g/t Pt,<br />

3.18 g/t Pd, 0.16 g/t Rh, and 0.36 g/t<br />

Au, or collectively, 6.22 g/t 4E. Included<br />

within this intersection is a 5.1 m interval<br />

grading 12.72 g/t 4E. Hole ZF6 also<br />

returned significant results, including<br />

43.94 m, starting at 1019 m, averaging<br />

4.1 g/t 4E, including a 7.87 m intersection<br />

grading 6.17 g/t 4E. In addition to<br />

hole ZF9, which has achieved the first<br />

downdip intersection <strong>of</strong> the Platreef unit<br />

on the Akanani property, there are currently<br />

five other drill holes are in<br />

progress on the project area, as part <strong>of</strong><br />

the second phase <strong>of</strong> drilling. These comprise<br />

drill hole ZF8, which has intersected<br />

the upper contact <strong>of</strong> the Platreef<br />

unit at a down-the-hole depth <strong>of</strong> 889 m,<br />

and drill holes ZF10, ZF11, MO5 and<br />

MO6.<br />

Kumba Resources has introduced<br />

new jigging technology on the Sishen<br />

Exploration project which will have a<br />

plant capacity <strong>of</strong> 10 Mt/y. This will<br />

allow the iron-ore producer to process<br />

lower grade ore that is not amenable to<br />

the existing heavy minerals separation.<br />

The ore that is being currently mined<br />

has a cut<strong>of</strong>f grade <strong>of</strong> 60% Fe but the<br />

cut<strong>of</strong>f for the new jigging equipment<br />

will be 50%. The capacity to process the<br />

lower grade material will have a major<br />

impact on mining costs over the longer<br />

term and allow the company to keep<br />

the stripping ratio <strong>of</strong> about 1.9 over the<br />

life <strong>of</strong> mine.<br />

Lonmin plc, through its wholly<br />

owned subsidiary Lonmin Investments<br />

Canada Inc., completed a compulsory<br />

PROPERTY EVALUATIONS — PROJECT GENERATION<br />

GEOCON, INC.<br />

REGIONAL STUDIES — U.S. AND FOREIGN<br />

RICHARD L. NIELSEN, CONSULTANT<br />

Exploration and Mining Geology<br />

13741 Braun Drive<br />

Golden, CO 80401 Phone/FAX (303) 279-3118<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 23<br />

acquisition <strong>of</strong> all the remaining common<br />

shares <strong>of</strong> Southern Platinum<br />

Corp. and will be named Lonmin<br />

Investments Canada Inc, which will be<br />

a wholly owned subsidiary <strong>of</strong> Lonmin<br />

plc. Lonmin has made significant<br />

progress with mechanization and<br />

automation projects. These will allow<br />

them to mine at a cost below 120 USD<br />

per tonne. The ultra-low pr<strong>of</strong>ile (ULP)<br />

mining method will be used at the<br />

Karee mine, which will ramp up to<br />

37,000 tpm <strong>of</strong> Merensky ore production<br />

by end 2005 and ultimately to 70,000<br />

tpm by mid-2006. In the six months to<br />

March 2005, Lonmin produced 666.303<br />

oz <strong>of</strong> PGM at a cost <strong>of</strong> around<br />

US$400/oz.<br />

ZAMBIA<br />

Albidon has idenitifed a strong electrical<br />

conductor that appears to be contiguous<br />

with nickel sulfide mineralization<br />

in three areas around the Munali<br />

nickel project. The strike length is 900<br />

m and the estimated depth to the top <strong>of</strong><br />

the conductor is 300 to 400 m. Drilling<br />

<strong>of</strong> the target is scheduled to start soon.<br />

Equinox Minerals has mandated a<br />

group <strong>of</strong> lenders to provide a total <strong>of</strong><br />

US$305M in senior and subordinated<br />

project finance facilities for the development<br />

and construction <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Lumwana copper project located in the<br />

northwestern province <strong>of</strong> Zambia. In<br />

addition to the Lumwana senior project<br />

financing, Equinox has mandated<br />

European Investment Bank, which c<strong>of</strong>inanced<br />

the Lumwana bankable feasibility<br />

study to provide further project<br />

financing. Equinox will also be providing<br />

additional equity for the development<br />

and construction <strong>of</strong> the Lumwana<br />

project.<br />

ALASKA<br />

Regional Correspondent:<br />

Curtis J. Freeman (<strong>SEG</strong> 1996)<br />

Avalon Development Corp.<br />

P.O. Box 80268<br />

Fairbanks, AK 99708<br />

Tel: 907-<strong>45</strong>7-5159<br />

Fax 907-<strong>45</strong>5-8069<br />

Email: avalon@alaska.net<br />

Website: www.avalonalaska.com<br />

WESTERN ALASKA<br />

Teck Cominco’s Red Dog mine saw<br />

continued strong operating pr<strong>of</strong>its in<br />

the second quarter <strong>of</strong> 2005 as a result <strong>of</strong><br />

strong Zn and Pb prices which averaged<br />

$0.55 and $0.<strong>45</strong> per pound, respectively.<br />

Operating pr<strong>of</strong>it was US$9M versus<br />

an operating pr<strong>of</strong>it <strong>of</strong> $10M in the<br />

same period in 2004. For the quarter,<br />

the mine generated 134.4 tonnes (t) Zn<br />

and 23.7 t Pb in concentrate vs. 138.8<br />

and 25.6 t Zn and Pb, respectively, in<br />

the 2nd quarter <strong>of</strong> 2004.<br />

NovaGold Resources and partner<br />

Placer Dome announced initial drilling<br />

results from its Donlin Creek project.<br />

The 2005 program included a 27,000-m<br />

(88,000 ft) drill program with 84 infill,<br />

geotechnical, and condemnation core<br />

holes and 25 condemnation-geotechnical<br />

reverse circulation holes. Detailed<br />

engineering, environmental, and design<br />

studies continued. Highlights included<br />

hole DC05-1013, which intersected 5<br />

mineralized intervals totaling 160.6 m<br />

grading 6.24 gpt Au, DC05-1061, which<br />

intersected 12 mineralized intervals<br />

totaling 226.9 m grading 4.50 gpt Au<br />

and DC05-1062 which intersected 6<br />

mineralized intervals totaling 134.3 m<br />

grading 5.33 gpt Au. Highlighting the<br />

open-ended nature <strong>of</strong> the mineralization<br />

at the ACMA portion <strong>of</strong> the deposit<br />

were holes DC05-1061, which bottomed<br />

in 54.1 m grading 5.12 gpt Au and hole<br />

DC05-1062, which bottomed in 77.3 m<br />

grading 5.24 gpt Au.<br />

St Andrew Goldfields Ltd. announced<br />

additional results from its Nixon Fork<br />

Au project near McGrath. Underground<br />

drilling results from part <strong>of</strong> the 4,973 m<br />

<strong>of</strong> underground drilling completed to<br />

date included intervals ranging from<br />

0.9 m grading 9.6 gpt Au to 1.3 m grading<br />

78 gpt Au. Drilling has confirmed<br />

that the J5A target now extends from<br />

the 380- to the 200-m level <strong>of</strong> the mine,<br />

while the 2204 target extends from the<br />

390- to the 240-m level. Updated<br />

resources for the project were also<br />

released and include total measured<br />

resources <strong>of</strong> 23,400 t grading 36.8 gpt<br />

Au (27,700 oz), indicated resources <strong>of</strong><br />

68,000 t grading 33.2 gpt Au (72,600<br />

oz) and inferred resources <strong>of</strong> 35,000 t<br />

grading 27.7 gpt Au (31,200 oz). The<br />

company indicated that permitting and<br />

engineering work continue with anticipated<br />

start-up <strong>of</strong> operation in late 2005<br />

or early 2006.<br />

Alaska newcomer Metallica<br />

Resources Inc. announced that it had<br />

acquired an option from Full Metal<br />

Minerals to earn a 65% interest in the<br />

latter’s Aleutian Islands and Alaska<br />

Peninsula projects by expending $4.5M<br />

in exploration and making cash<br />

payments totaling $250,000 over five<br />

years. Metallica can earn additional<br />

interest by taking properties through<br />

feasibility. The 2005 program already<br />

in progress consists <strong>of</strong> reconnaissance<br />

geological, geochemical and geophysical<br />

surveys on the Pyramid, Zachary<br />

Bay, Kawisgag, San Diego Bay, Bee<br />

Creek, Weasel Mountain and Mallard<br />

Duck Bay porphyry prospects, as well as<br />

on a large epithermal vein system at<br />

the Apollo-Sitka, Shumagin and<br />

Centennial deposits. Welcome to<br />

Alaska, Metallica Resources!<br />

Alaska newcomer Fury Explorations<br />

Ltd. has acquired an option to earn a<br />

<strong>45</strong>% interest in Full Metal Minerals’<br />

Ganes Creek project near Ophir by<br />

incurring exploration expenditures<br />

totaling $3.5M over four years and<br />

making cash and share payments to<br />

Full Metal, totaling $200,000 and<br />

800,000 shares. Additional interest can<br />

be earned by taking the project through<br />

feasibility to production. The target<br />

being explored is the source for the cobble-sized<br />

quartz with sulfide boxwork<br />

and coarse Au which are common in<br />

the district. Welcome to Alaska, Fury<br />

Explorations!<br />

Alaska newcomer Tonogold<br />

Resources, Inc. initial results on the<br />

Nyac gold project in southwestern<br />

Alaska acquired under lease from<br />

Calista Corp. To date over 1,400 samples<br />

have been collected from the<br />

Wallace, Bonanza Ridge, and Bonanza<br />

Creek prospects and four adjacent or<br />

newly recognized areas. Of the 518 surface<br />

geochemical samples reported to<br />

date for the Bonanza Ridge prospect, 58<br />

soil grid samples ranged from 0.105 to<br />

2.86 ppm Au. Seven rock chip samples<br />

taken during grid sampling ranged<br />

from 0.121 to 15.1 ppm Au. One rock<br />

chip sample from the Wallace prospect<br />

reported 7.2 ppm Au. Additional results<br />

are pending. Welcome to Alaska,<br />

Tonogold!<br />

EASTERN INTERIOR<br />

Teck Cominco announced that construction<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Pogo gold mine in<br />

Alaska continues to progress on schedule<br />

except for underground development<br />

work. A construction work force <strong>of</strong><br />

over 400 is currently working on the<br />

site. On June 30 surface construction<br />

was 75% complete with underground<br />

preproduction work 30% complete.<br />

Underground productivity has been<br />

slowed by poor<br />

ground conditions in to page 24 ...<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS


EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

24 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 23<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

portions <strong>of</strong> the access drifts. It is anticipated<br />

that the overall project completion<br />

schedule will be met but that the<br />

initial ore feed to the mill will be<br />

trucked rather than conveyed from<br />

underground. Production start-up is<br />

expected in the 1st quarter <strong>of</strong> 2006 with<br />

a phased ramp-up to full production in<br />

the first half <strong>of</strong> 2006. The current estimate<br />

<strong>of</strong> total capital costs for the project<br />

is $321M.<br />

Select Resources Corporation<br />

announced that it has initiated the first<br />

phase <strong>of</strong> its 2005 exploration program<br />

on the Shorty Creek Cu-Au property<br />

near Livengood. The program will consist<br />

<strong>of</strong> an extensive soil sampling survey<br />

over two intrusive-related targets identified<br />

through integration <strong>of</strong> previous surface<br />

work on the property with satellite<br />

imagery, airborne geophysics, regional<br />

geochemistry, and geologic interpretation.<br />

A total <strong>of</strong> approximately 650 soil<br />

samples are expected to be collected<br />

over the two primary targets.<br />

ALASKA RANGE<br />

Alaska newcomer bcMetals<br />

Corporation announced that it had<br />

acquired an option to earn 100% <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Johnson project in the central Alaska<br />

Range. Terms <strong>of</strong> the agreement require<br />

bcMetals to pay $825,000 and incur<br />

$13.5M in exploration expenditures<br />

over five years or complete a Feasibility<br />

Study. Significant prospects include the<br />

Verona Pick prospect massive sulfides<br />

have been discovered with values ranging<br />

up to 21.8% Zn, 5.62% Pb, 32.3 gpt<br />

Ag and 4.97 gpt Au. At the Woody<br />

prospect massive sulfide samples have<br />

returned up to 5.7% Cu, 7.01% Zn,<br />

1.3% Pb, 96.9 gpt Ag, and 5.58 gpt Au.<br />

Copper, Ni, and PGE mineralization<br />

occurs in outcrops at the Emerick<br />

prospect which, has returned values up<br />

to 6.3% Ni, 2.2% Cu, 0.22% cobalt, 1.17<br />

gpt Pt, 2.28 gpt Pd, and at the Forbes<br />

prospect which has returned values up<br />

to 5.4% Ni, 4.13% Cu, 0.11% cobalt, 1.1<br />

gpt platinum, 1.0 gpt Pd. Welcome to<br />

Alaska, bcMetals Corporation!<br />

Nevada Star Resource Corp.<br />

announced commencement <strong>of</strong> exploration<br />

on its MAN Alaska Au project in<br />

the central Alaska Range. The program<br />

includes geologic mapping and geochemical<br />

sampling designed to advance<br />

one or more Au and Cu-Au prospects to<br />

the drill stage for 2006. Significant<br />

occurrences include the Specimen<br />

prospect with rock values up to 6.89 gpt<br />

Au, 15.8 gpt Ag and 15.8% Cu. At the<br />

Gezzi prospect, geochemical values<br />

range up to 3.09 gpt Au, 25.7 gpt Ag<br />

and 6.60% Cu. At Gezzi South, assays<br />

grade up to 2.49 gpt Au, 3.40 gpt Ag,<br />

and 0.50% Cu. At the Broxson Ridge<br />

prospect rock values range up to 5.81<br />

gpt Au, 86.7 gpt Ag, and 2.7% Cu. At<br />

White Marker rock values range up to<br />

3.69 gpt Au, 2.4 gpt Ag, and 0.30% Cu.<br />

Piper Capital Inc. announced the<br />

commencement <strong>of</strong> drilling at its Golden<br />

Zone prospect in the central Alaska<br />

Range. Phase 1 drilling consists <strong>of</strong><br />

approximately 9,000 ft <strong>of</strong> core drilling<br />

in 18 to 20 holes on the Golden Zone<br />

Breccia Pipe, veins, mineralized dikes,<br />

and replacements in the BLT and<br />

Mayflower prospects northeast <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Breccia Pipe and at the Long Creek<br />

prospect located approximately 1.5<br />

miles south <strong>of</strong> the Breccia Pipe. The<br />

company also announced that revised<br />

resource estimates for the Golden Zone<br />

Breccia Pipe have been completed and<br />

include measured and indicated<br />

resources <strong>of</strong> approximately 2,027,000<br />

G.E. McKelvey<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Geologist<br />

Mineral Exploration & Discovery<br />

P.O. Box 1599<br />

6<strong>45</strong>4 Ruin Hill Loop, Lot 57<br />

Pine, Arizona<br />

85544-1599<br />

tons grading 0.106 opt Au, 0.47 opt Ag<br />

and 0.12% Cu (utilizing a 0.05 opt Au<br />

cut<strong>of</strong>f). These resources contain approximately<br />

214,862 oz Au, 948,636 oz Ag<br />

and 24,000 pounds <strong>of</strong> Cu.<br />

NORTHERN ALASKA<br />

NovaGold Resources announced that it<br />

is mobilizing crews to the Ambler and<br />

Khotol projects in northwestern Alaska.<br />

Current plans are to drill over 4,000 m<br />

(13,000 ft) between the projects. At<br />

Ambler, up to 3,000 m <strong>of</strong> core drilling<br />

will be directed at expansion <strong>of</strong> existing<br />

massive sulfide resources. At the Khotol<br />

project, initial exploration has targeted<br />

a series <strong>of</strong> coincident multi-kilometer<br />

scale geophysical and soil geochemical<br />

anomalies in areas with only limited<br />

historic exploration work. The target is<br />

massive to disseminated precious metal<br />

rich poly-metallic replacement mineralization.<br />

SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA<br />

Coeur d’Alene Mines announced that<br />

it had received all <strong>of</strong> the remaining federal<br />

mine permits that it requires to<br />

build and operate its Kensington Au<br />

mine project near Juneau. Receipt <strong>of</strong><br />

these permits from the U.S. Army Corps<br />

<strong>of</strong> Engineers and the U.S.<br />

Environmental Protection Agency clears<br />

the way for start-up <strong>of</strong> project construction.<br />

The company indicated that initial<br />

construction activities would begin in<br />

July. Congratulations, Coeur d’Alene<br />

Mines!<br />

Kennecott (70.3%) and Hecla<br />

(29.7%) announced 2nd quarter 2005<br />

production from the Greens Creek<br />

mine on Admiralty<br />

Island. The cash cost to page 29<br />

per ounce <strong>of</strong> silver at<br />

...<br />

[928] 476-6550<br />

mobile: [602] 769-2480<br />

fax [928] 476-6572<br />

gempress@earthlink.net<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT PAID ADVERTISEMENT


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 25<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> 2006 CONFERENCE<br />

Wealth Creation in the Minerals Industry:<br />

Integrating Science, Business, and Education<br />

May 14 –16, 2006, Keystone, Colorado<br />

Conference website: http://www.seg2006.org<br />

Overview: Talks, Trips, Workshops,<br />

Posters, and Student Participation<br />

The oral program is now finalized for the<br />

<strong>Society</strong>’s stand-alone Conference in<br />

Keystone next May. Thirty-seven invited<br />

and volunteered talks will be presented<br />

over 3 days during 12 sessions integrating<br />

the themes <strong>of</strong> science, business, and education<br />

as key elements for wealth creation in<br />

the minerals industry. In addition, more<br />

than 40 abstracts have been accepted for<br />

the Poster Presentation. Six field trips and<br />

seven pre- or post-conference workshops<br />

will round out the technical program for<br />

<strong>SEG</strong>2006. A variety <strong>of</strong> exhibits and scheduled<br />

periods for informal interaction will<br />

ensure a wide range <strong>of</strong> discussion and contacts<br />

outside the technical program.<br />

In addition, the <strong>Society</strong>’s first <strong>SEG</strong><br />

Student Conference will also be held on 13<br />

May in conjunction with <strong>SEG</strong>2006, with the<br />

best posters from this gathering adding to<br />

those <strong>of</strong> the main conference.<br />

Day 1: The Business <strong>of</strong> Exploration<br />

This Conference is coming at a time <strong>of</strong> considerable<br />

challenge for the mining and<br />

exploration industry. Many <strong>of</strong> the issues<br />

which confront the industry today will be<br />

featured at Keystone. A broad-based<br />

resources boom is now underway, driven by<br />

global growth; minerals producers are<br />

reporting record earnings, yet exploration is<br />

not replacing reserves depleted by mining.<br />

This situation leads to numerous questions<br />

which are relevant to members <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>SEG</strong>. How can minerals companies make<br />

better use <strong>of</strong> exploration research as greenfields<br />

discoveries become more difficult to<br />

make? What strategies will producers<br />

employ to keep their resource pipelines<br />

filled in times <strong>of</strong> robust asset prices? Are we<br />

at the top <strong>of</strong> the market or is this the beginning<br />

<strong>of</strong> a much longer rally for resources?<br />

How do we replace the people lost during<br />

the last downswing in the industry, and<br />

how do we keep them in the industry when<br />

the next downward cycle arrives? It is crucial<br />

to answer these questions now in order<br />

for a sustained improvement in the relationships<br />

between explorers and exploration<br />

researchers.<br />

Public funding <strong>of</strong> minerals industry education<br />

and research has been on a long<br />

decline in traditional mining economies<br />

but major miners have only now started to<br />

realize that they need a more strategic<br />

approach to human resource planning.<br />

Booming prices and a renewed rush to<br />

explore for commodities such as uranium,<br />

molybdenum, and iron ore (among many<br />

others) have made explorers impatient<br />

again with the pace <strong>of</strong> community negotiations.<br />

How do we build social competency<br />

and avoid repeating the mistakes <strong>of</strong> the<br />

past? All <strong>of</strong> these questions and more are<br />

featured on Day 1.<br />

Day 2: Generating, Delivering,<br />

and Cooperating<br />

Day 2 will present three topics on the<br />

theme “Generating and Delivering<br />

Wealth.” The first <strong>of</strong> these explores the<br />

relationships between major companies<br />

and junior explorers and the value created<br />

when strategy and good practice allow the<br />

best attributes <strong>of</strong> each partner to be developed.<br />

The second theme, “Geometallurgy,”<br />

is an example <strong>of</strong> what miners are doing to<br />

utilize good science to improve operating<br />

efficiency and restore pr<strong>of</strong>itability. Boom<br />

times inevitably add inflationary pressures<br />

on labor costs and consumables and miners<br />

have <strong>of</strong>ten turned to technology to cope<br />

with these challenges. Geometallurgy, combining<br />

the disciplines <strong>of</strong> orebody geology,<br />

mineral processing, and mining, has<br />

allowed much better interaction on mine<br />

sites between pr<strong>of</strong>essions and better economic<br />

outcomes. In addition to a state <strong>of</strong><br />

the art presentation on geometallurgy, this<br />

session will also include presentations from<br />

operations staff <strong>of</strong> Carlin, Hibbing<br />

Taconite, and Grasberg.<br />

The importance <strong>of</strong> interdisciplinary<br />

cooperation and the productive interaction<br />

among industry, government, and<br />

academia continues into the final session<br />

on Day 2. This includes the Yandal story <strong>of</strong><br />

Western Australia, an excellent example <strong>of</strong><br />

a successful partnership between explorers<br />

and researchers. Placer Dome will also provide<br />

a comparison <strong>of</strong> the economic outcomes<br />

<strong>of</strong> different exploration strategies in<br />

Nevada.<br />

Day 3: Case Histories<br />

Day 3 will feature a selection <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the<br />

best wealth creation case histories from the<br />

industry’s most successful companies. What<br />

were the crucial factors <strong>of</strong> geology, human<br />

insight and business opportunity which<br />

drove these successes? These include the discoveries<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Ekati diamond and Oyu<br />

Tolgoi porphyry Cu-Au deposits, as well as<br />

a discussion <strong>of</strong> uranium exploration and<br />

discovery. There will also be a presentation<br />

<strong>of</strong> exploration<br />

strategies by<br />

Codelco, and a<br />

discussion <strong>of</strong> the<br />

use <strong>of</strong> royalties.<br />

JOHN A. S. DOW<br />

(<strong>SEG</strong> 1998 F)<br />

Chairman,<br />

2006 Organizing<br />

Committee<br />

A Venue for Communication<br />

As we contemplate the issues which we<br />

think will shape the near-term future <strong>of</strong> the<br />

discipline <strong>of</strong> economic geology, there is a<br />

growing need for industry and the economic<br />

geology research community to<br />

develop better working relationships. The<br />

recent Gordon Conference on Inorganic<br />

Geochemistry in New Hampshire featured a<br />

forum discussion on the ways in which<br />

exploration managers, government geologists,<br />

and exploration researchers could<br />

communicate better with each other and<br />

develop better working relationships. This<br />

forum was notable for the enthusiasm <strong>of</strong><br />

all parties to participate. Mining companies<br />

have a huge vested interest in ensuring<br />

the continued health <strong>of</strong> the academic<br />

and research community if they are to<br />

develop better orebody models and exploration<br />

techniques, as well as ensure the<br />

vitality <strong>of</strong> faculties that provide teaching<br />

and training in earth science. <strong>SEG</strong>2006 at<br />

Keystone next May promises to be a further<br />

opportunity to continue and develop that<br />

dialogue, formally in sessions, and informally<br />

during social periods.<br />

Industry Support for the Conference<br />

Sponsorship for <strong>SEG</strong>2006 is progressing<br />

well with a number <strong>of</strong> companies committing<br />

to support this Conference at the<br />

Premier Plus ($25,000) level. BHP Billiton<br />

and Newmont have also committed specific<br />

funds to support student participation<br />

from around the world at Keystone. This<br />

will ensure the attendance <strong>of</strong> a strong contingent<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>SEG</strong> student chapter members<br />

and student leaders.<br />

Registration in November<br />

This <strong>SEG</strong> Conference is shaping up to be an<br />

important event for the <strong>Society</strong>, its members,<br />

and, indeed, for all in the industry,<br />

both for the technical, business, and societal<br />

issues that it will address, and for the<br />

cross-disciplinary interaction that it will<br />

foster. On-line registration for <strong>SEG</strong>2006<br />

opens on November 1 and hard-copy registration<br />

forms will be mailed to <strong>SEG</strong> members<br />

in early January. Don’t miss out. Plan<br />

to register early and be there to discuss our<br />

future.


<strong>SEG</strong> 2006 Conference Organizing Committee<br />

John Dow, Chair<br />

Nate Brewer, Jeffrey Hedenquist, Murray Hitzman, Brian Hoal, Eric Nelson<br />

Borden Putnam, Laura Reed, John Thoms<br />

Wealth<br />

Creation<br />

in the Minerals Industry<br />

Integrating Science,<br />

Business, and Education<br />

www.seg2006.org<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> 2006<br />

CONFERENCE<br />

May 14-16, 2006<br />

Keystone, Colorado, USA<br />

Pre- and Post-Conference Workshop Titles<br />

Geochemistry in Mineral Resource Development<br />

Sampling, QA/QC and Exploratory Data Analysis<br />

The Role <strong>of</strong> Geophysics in Wealth Creation<br />

Resource & Reserve Estimation<br />

Managing Exploration Risk<br />

Sustainable Development & The Social License<br />

to Operate<br />

What Constitutes a Bankable Feasibility Study?<br />

Pre- and Post-Conference Field Trips<br />

Bingham, Utah – Carlin, Nevada<br />

Climax, Colorado<br />

Cripple Creek, Colorado<br />

Henderson, Colorado<br />

Lisbon Valley, Utah<br />

Western Slope, Colorado (wine tour)<br />

<strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong><br />

7811 Shaffer Parkway<br />

Littleton, Colorado 80127-3732 USA<br />

General conference queries:<br />

Tel: +1.720.981.7882<br />

Fax: +1.720.981.7874<br />

E-mail: seg2006@segweb.org<br />

Conference exhibit queries:<br />

Quality Business Services<br />

3110 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 307<br />

Denver, Colorado 80227-4810<br />

Tel: +1.303.914.0694<br />

Fax: +1.303.382.8064<br />

E-mail: dianna@qbs<strong>of</strong>fice.com


DAY 1 – Saturday, May 13, 2006<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> Student Chapter<br />

Conference<br />

All day program<br />

Welcoming Cocktails and Exhibits Open<br />

Student Mentoring Event<br />

DAY 2 – Sunday, May 14, 2006<br />

Wealth Creation – The<br />

Business <strong>of</strong> Exploration<br />

Pierre Lassonde, President, Newmont<br />

Mining Corporation<br />

"Exploration – The Life Blood <strong>of</strong> the Mining<br />

Industry"<br />

Charles “Chip” Goodyear, Chief Executive,<br />

BHP Billiton<br />

“The Role <strong>of</strong> Exploration in the Suite <strong>of</strong> Value-<br />

Enhancing Options”<br />

Ge<strong>of</strong>f Stanley, Senior Analyst, BMO<br />

Nesbitt Burns<br />

"Exploration – The Perspective <strong>of</strong> Wall Street"<br />

Phillip Crowson, Hon. Pr<strong>of</strong>., Centre for Energy,<br />

Mineral & Petroleum Law & Policy, University<br />

<strong>of</strong> Dundee<br />

“Metals and Minerals: The Past 25 Years”<br />

Richard Schodde, Mineral Economist<br />

Jon Hronsky, Manager-Strategy &<br />

Generative Services, both with Mineral<br />

Exploration Team, BHP Billiton Ltd.<br />

(both formerly from WMC Resources)<br />

"The Role <strong>of</strong> World-Class Deposits in Wealth<br />

Creation"<br />

Tom Albanese, Chief Executive, Copper and<br />

Exploration, Rio Tinto<br />

“The Exploration Philosophy <strong>of</strong> Rio Tinto –<br />

A Longer Term View <strong>of</strong> Value Creation”<br />

Ian Thompson and Susan Joyce, Principals,<br />

On Common Ground Consultants<br />

“Changing Industry Approaches to<br />

Sustainability”<br />

Jeremy Richards, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geology, University <strong>of</strong> Alberta<br />

“Sustainable Mining Development in Action:<br />

Rosia Montana, Romania and Nui Phao,<br />

Vietnam”<br />

Leigh Freeman, Downing Teal<br />

Paul Bartos, Colorado School <strong>of</strong> Mines<br />

Maeve Boland, Colorado School <strong>of</strong> Mines<br />

“Human Resource Strategies for the Minerals<br />

Industry – Careers, Competencies and<br />

Compensation”<br />

Richard Sillitoe, Consulting <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geologist<br />

John Thompson, Chief Geoscientist, Teck<br />

Cominco<br />

“Changes in Exploration Methods and<br />

Discovery Strategies”<br />

Michael Doggett, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Queen’s Univ.<br />

Richard Leveille, President, Phelps Dodge<br />

Exploration Corporation<br />

“Measuring Costs, Risks and Returns from<br />

Exploration – Improving the Success Rate”<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> 2006 Conference Program<br />

Mike Etheridge, Managing Director, Tectonex<br />

Geoconsultants Pty Ltd.<br />

“Management and Evaluation <strong>of</strong> Risk in<br />

Exploration Programs: Adding Value”<br />

Harry Parker, AMEC<br />

“Reserves, Resources and Reconciliation”<br />

DINNER PRESENTATION<br />

Guest Speaker: Randall Oliphant<br />

Chief Executive, Silver Bear Resources<br />

“Exploration: Is the Discovery Really Worth<br />

the Finding?”<br />

DAY 3 – Monday, May 15, 2006<br />

Wealth Creation –<br />

Generating and Delivering<br />

Wealth<br />

Norm Keevil, Chairman, Teck Cominco<br />

“Wealth Creation through Joint Ventures”<br />

William Mercer, Falconbridge<br />

Robert Schafer, Hunter Dickenson<br />

“Exploration Business Strategies and<br />

Relationships within the Major Mining<br />

Company and Junior Exploration Sectors”<br />

Rob McEwen, Chairman, Goldcorp, Inc.<br />

“Challenge and Prosper: The What, Why and<br />

How the Goldcorp Challenge Worked”<br />

Karin Hoal, Colorado School <strong>of</strong> Mines<br />

Terry McNulty, T.P. McNulty & Associates<br />

Roland Schmidt, Hazen Research<br />

“New Initiatives in GeoMetallurgy”<br />

Mark Johnson, Senior Vice President and<br />

COO, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.<br />

“Grasberg: Process Metallurgical Feedback<br />

into Exploration and Mining”<br />

Andre Douchane, President and CEO, North<br />

American Palladium<br />

“Timing is Everything – Almost: The<br />

Optimization <strong>of</strong> Lac des Iles”<br />

Leroy Schutz, Director, Minesite Exploration,<br />

Newmont Mining Corporation<br />

“Value Creation in Near-Mine Development<br />

Programs at Newmont’s Nevada Gold<br />

Operations”<br />

Michael Orobona, Senior Geologist, Hibbing<br />

Taconite Company<br />

“Exploring the Data – Adding Value with Non-<br />

Traditional Geologic Initiatives on Minnesota’s<br />

Mesabi Range”<br />

Scott Long, Chief Geochemist, AMEC<br />

“Bones <strong>of</strong> Contention – Current Controversies<br />

in Assay Quality Control Practices”<br />

Ge<strong>of</strong>f Handley, Executive VP, Strategic<br />

Development, Placer Dome<br />

“Turquoise Ridge and Cortez Hills –<br />

A Contrast in <strong>Economic</strong> Outcomes”<br />

G. Neil Phillips, Former Head <strong>of</strong> CSIRO<br />

Exploration and Mining<br />

“Discovery <strong>of</strong> the Yandal Gold Province:<br />

Integration <strong>of</strong> Empirical and Predictive<br />

Geoscience with Intense Exploration Activity”<br />

Paul Bartos, Colorado School <strong>of</strong> Mines<br />

“Creating Wealth by Innovation: SX-EW and the<br />

Technology Cycle”<br />

Roger Scoon, Former Director, Exploration<br />

Manager, Platexco, Inc.<br />

“The Merensky and UG2 Reefs at<br />

Winaarshoek: Geologic Overview and Review<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Exploration and Feasibility Programs<br />

<strong>of</strong> Platexco”<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> AWARDS DINNNER<br />

Guest Speaker: Donald Coxe<br />

Global Portfolio Strategist, BMO Financial Group<br />

“Hard Rock Rocks”<br />

DAY 4 – Tuesday, May 16, 2006<br />

Wealth Creation –<br />

Case Histories<br />

Barton J. Suchomel, Principal, Western<br />

Mining Services LLC<br />

“Wealth Creation through Sustained,<br />

Successful Mineral Exploration: The WMC<br />

Experience”<br />

Stephen P. Quin, Executive VP, Miramar Mining<br />

“The Vagaries <strong>of</strong> Wealth Creation through<br />

Acquisition & Exploration: Hope Bay”<br />

Francisco Camus & Sergio L. Rivera, Codelco<br />

“Wealth Creation through Exploration:<br />

The Codelco Experience 1990-2005”<br />

Colin Macdonald, VP Exploration, Cameco<br />

“Uranium Market Fundamentals and<br />

Exploration Success: Cameco’s Strategy”<br />

Robert A. Gannicott, Chairman and CEO,<br />

Aber Diamond Corporation<br />

“Aber Diamond Corporation: Exploration<br />

Success to Holistic Diamond Company”<br />

Guido del Castillo, Chief Executive, Aruntani<br />

SAC<br />

“History <strong>of</strong> Exploration and Development <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Aruntani District”<br />

Steve Aaker, Group Executive, Newmont<br />

Capital<br />

“Creating Value with Royalties”<br />

Ross Beaty, CEO, Lumina Copper<br />

“A Classic Case History <strong>of</strong> Wealth Creation by<br />

a Junior Resource Company, Measured by the<br />

Metric <strong>of</strong> Share Price Growth”<br />

Oliver Warin, VP Exploration, BHP Billiton<br />

(retired)<br />

“The Discovery <strong>of</strong> the Ekati Diamond Deposit”<br />

Doug Kirwin, Executive VP Exploration,<br />

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.<br />

“The Discovery <strong>of</strong> Oyu Tolgoi Cu-Au Deposit”<br />

R. Edward Flood, Deputy Chairman and<br />

Director, Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.<br />

“A Case History: Value Creation at the Oyu<br />

Tolgoi Porphyry Copper-Gold Deposits, South<br />

Gobi, Mongolia”<br />

Stephen Enders, Newmont Mining Corporation<br />

Stephen Kesler, University <strong>of</strong> Michigan<br />

John Thompson, Teck Cominco<br />

“Conference Wrap-up”


28 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

Academics, Wealth Creation<br />

and <strong>SEG</strong><br />

Steve Kesler (<strong>SEG</strong> 1976 F)<br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Geological Sciences,<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Michigan<br />

The upcoming <strong>SEG</strong> stand-alone meeting on Wealth<br />

Creation in the Minerals Industry (May 14–16, 2006,<br />

Keystone, Colorado) is a rare opportunity for ore<br />

deposit academics to prove that the word “economic”<br />

belongs in <strong>SEG</strong>. <strong>SEG</strong>, through both its name and its<br />

membership, is one <strong>of</strong> the few scientific societies that<br />

recognizes the important influence that economic<br />

activity has on teaching and research. Despite this<br />

obvious connection, most <strong>SEG</strong> technical programs<br />

deal with research advances and relegate discussion<br />

about economics and business to the halls. As a<br />

result, many <strong>of</strong> us who do not deal with economic<br />

issues on a day-to-day basis lose touch with the realities<br />

that control what goes on in our science and that<br />

support our activities.<br />

This time, the stage is being reversed and economic<br />

considerations are moving to the front. The value <strong>of</strong><br />

this move should be obvious to academics. We will<br />

get guidance for our own activities by hearing more<br />

about the problems and commodities that are likely<br />

to be <strong>of</strong> greatest interest to industry in the future. We<br />

will also have a chance to influence thinking on<br />

these issues through questions and discussion, while<br />

dealing with even more immediate topics <strong>of</strong> interest<br />

to us, such as student employment and research<br />

funding. <strong>Final</strong>ly, we might incorporate more <strong>of</strong> these<br />

issues into our teaching.<br />

I expect this conference to produce a stronger <strong>SEG</strong><br />

and a cadre <strong>of</strong> academic members with a better<br />

appreciation for our middle name. It might even<br />

lead to ore deposit courses that do as much to prepare<br />

geologists for business and management as<br />

they do to prepare them for exploration and<br />

research. If we can grow along this path, we might<br />

help train the next generation <strong>of</strong> economic geologists<br />

to be better prepared for the real-world mineral<br />

resource challenges that will face them and society.<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> STUDENT CHAPTER<br />

CONFERENCE: MAY 13, 2006<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> is pleased to announce major corporate sponsorship for<br />

students to attend the <strong>SEG</strong> Student Chapter Conference on<br />

May 13, 2006. This conference is an integral part <strong>of</strong> the May<br />

14-16, 2006 <strong>SEG</strong> meeting on “Wealth Creation in the<br />

Minerals Industry” in Keystone, Colorado, USA – students<br />

must register for this meeting as a prerequisite for attending<br />

the Student Chapter Conference. The <strong>Society</strong> will sponsor the<br />

attendance by representatives from more than 40 <strong>SEG</strong> student<br />

chapters worldwide as well as selected students from countries<br />

that do not yet have student chapter representation. Other<br />

students will also be eligible for financial assistance and discounts.<br />

The conference will include poster presentations by<br />

students and breakout sessions where students prepare several<br />

white papers focusing on how the <strong>SEG</strong> can better serve students<br />

worldwide.<br />

Students will be chosen by the Student Conference Selection<br />

Committee on the basis <strong>of</strong> 1,000-word abstracts on their<br />

research (submitted to Students2006@segweb.org) and willingness<br />

to present a poster at the main Keystone meeting<br />

(May 14–16). Please note that abstracts need not be directly<br />

related to the theme “Wealth Creation in the Minerals<br />

Industry” but must be submitted not later than the revised<br />

deadline <strong>of</strong> November 30, 2005. Successful applicants will<br />

be required to provide digital copies <strong>of</strong> their posters by<br />

March 1, 2006. We are planning on several avenues <strong>of</strong><br />

financial assistance for students – up to $2,000 in travel<br />

grants, a 75% discount in registration fees, and a significant<br />

subsidy for hotel accommodation.<br />

Requirements: Students who wish to be considered for<br />

support to attend the conference should meet the following<br />

requirements:<br />

• be registered full-time at an accredited university or college<br />

• preferably belong to an <strong>SEG</strong> Student Chapter, or be based in<br />

a country that is not represented by an <strong>SEG</strong> Student<br />

Chapter – see list <strong>of</strong> current student chapters at www.<br />

segweb.org/StudentChapters.htm<br />

• be an <strong>SEG</strong> student member, or have applied for <strong>SEG</strong> student<br />

membership<br />

• be able to understand and speak English<br />

This conference represents an unparalleled<br />

career opportunity for students.<br />

We expect high attendance at Keystone,<br />

so start planning now!


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 29<br />

... from 24<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

Greens Creek for the quarter was $0.87,<br />

a twenty-cent per ounce increase compared<br />

to the 2nd quarter <strong>of</strong> 2004. The<br />

average grade <strong>of</strong> ore mined during the<br />

quarter was 17.74 oz Ag per ton, up<br />

nearly 1.5 opt over the same period in<br />

2004. During the second quarter the<br />

mine produced 2,556,989 oz Ag, 20,013<br />

oz Au, 6,148 tons Pb and 18,086 tons<br />

Zn. Total production costs for the quarter<br />

were $3.54/oz Ag produced, unchanged<br />

over the year previous figures.<br />

Quaterra Resources announced that<br />

drilling had begun at its Duke Island<br />

Cu-Ni-PGE project near Ketchikan. At<br />

least six 500- to 1,000-ft-deep holes will<br />

be drilled on the Marquis, Potato Patch<br />

and Raven targets identified by recently<br />

completed gravity, magnetic and electromagnetic<br />

surveys. Geological and<br />

geophysical data suggest these<br />

prospects lie within a mineralized system<br />

that extends for over 14.5 km along<br />

strike and up to 3.8 km across strike<br />

with the ultimate dimensions <strong>of</strong> the<br />

mineralized system remaining open to<br />

expansion.<br />

Freegold Ventures and joint venture<br />

partner Pacific North West Capital<br />

announced that 10,000 ft or diamond<br />

core drilling had been completed at its<br />

Union Bay PGE project near Ketchikan.<br />

The program tested a number <strong>of</strong> magnetic<br />

targets but did not identify significant<br />

Pt mineralization. Funding partner<br />

Lonmin Plc. has elected to terminate its<br />

interest in the project.<br />

ASIA<br />

Regional Correspondent:<br />

Craig A. Feebrey (<strong>SEG</strong> 1996 F)<br />

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National<br />

Corporation (JOGMEC)<br />

Calle Evaristo Lillo 112, Piso 9<br />

Las Condes, Santiago, Chile<br />

E-mail: feebrey@terra.cl<br />

CHINA<br />

China Diamond Corp., in partnership<br />

with Shandong Physical Exploration<br />

Institute (SPEI), has identified four<br />

anomalous zones on their Huixian Au-<br />

Cu Project in Shandong province as<br />

part <strong>of</strong> their first phase <strong>of</strong> exploration<br />

which includes ground geophysics, geological<br />

mapping, and more than 8,000<br />

soil samples. The anomalies are all<br />

located around the past-producing<br />

Huixian mine.<br />

Dynasty Gold Corp. (80%) in partnership<br />

with Xinjiang Non-Ferrous<br />

Metals Co. Ltd. (20%) has reported an<br />

inferred resource <strong>of</strong> 16.9 Mt @ 1.68 g/t<br />

Au for the Qi-2 deposit on the Hatu<br />

property located in the Tian Shan belt<br />

<strong>of</strong> NW China. Qi-2 is located 7 km west<br />

<strong>of</strong> the operating Qi-1 gold mine.<br />

Golden China Resources has been<br />

actively drilling its Nibao gold project,<br />

located in Guizhou province. Drilling<br />

has focused on Nibao East and Nibao<br />

South with 5,302 m <strong>of</strong> 15,000 m completed<br />

to date. At Nibao East, fence<br />

drilling has confirmed continuous gold<br />

mineralization along a strike length <strong>of</strong><br />

at least 500 m. Significant intersections<br />

to date include hole NBDDH047, 30 m<br />

@ 1.75 g/t Au from 50 m; hole<br />

NBDDH132, 15 m @ 2.55 g/t Au from<br />

87 m; hole NBDDH133, 58 m @ 1.88 g/t<br />

Au from 100 m; and hole NBDDH134,<br />

34 m @ 2.05 g/t Au from 67 m. At<br />

Nibao South, about 2.5 km SW <strong>of</strong> Nibao<br />

East, drilling to date has outlined a gold<br />

zone with a strike length <strong>of</strong> at least 1.2<br />

km. Significant intersections to date<br />

include hole NBDDH131, 7.96 m @ 1.76<br />

g/t Au from 64 m; hole NBDDH151,<br />

14.96 m @ 4.06 g/t Au from 88 m; hole<br />

NBDDH164, 12 m @ 12.87 g/t Au from<br />

2 m; hole NBDDH170, 11.88 m @ 4.68<br />

g/t Au from 33 m; and hole<br />

NBDDH172, 14 m @ 2.<strong>45</strong> g/t Au from<br />

30 m.<br />

Continental Minerals (60%) and<br />

China NetTV Holdings (40%) completed<br />

the first seven holes <strong>of</strong> a 10,000m<br />

program on their Xietongmen porphyry<br />

Cu-Au project, located 240 km<br />

southwest <strong>of</strong> Lhasa, Tibet. The holes are<br />

being drilled to test previous results.<br />

Better intersections include hole 5004,<br />

141.5 m @ 0.7% Cu and 0.77 g/t Au<br />

from 46.5 m; hole 5006, 102.9 m @<br />

0.71% Cu and 0.99 g/t Au from 18.7 m;<br />

and hole 5003, 24.1 m @ 0.92% Cu and<br />

2.47 g/t Au from 99.1 m.<br />

Orchid Capital has entered into an<br />

agreement with the China Tibet<br />

Institute <strong>of</strong> Geology Survey (CTIGS)<br />

with rights to an 80% interest in the Qu<br />

Long and Jia Ma copper projects in<br />

Tibet. Orchid Capital will fund exploration<br />

and a full feasibility study to<br />

earn its right. The porphyry-Cu Qu<br />

Long project is located 60 km east <strong>of</strong><br />

Lhasa, whereas the Jia Ma Cu-skarn<br />

project is located 6 km north <strong>of</strong> Qu<br />

Long.<br />

Pacific Minerals has completed a private<br />

placement <strong>of</strong> US$3M with Ivanhoe<br />

Mines, who now owns16.5% <strong>of</strong> the former’s<br />

share capital. Part <strong>of</strong> the funds<br />

will be used to explore the JBS platinum<br />

group metals deposit in Yunnan and<br />

the 217 gold project in Inner Mongolia.<br />

Ivanhoe Mines has also signed a jointventure<br />

agreement with Inner<br />

Mongolia Huayu Geology and<br />

Minerals Exploration Co. Ltd to<br />

explore and mine in Inner Mongolia.<br />

Ivanhoe has the right to earn an 80%<br />

interest in exploration and mining<br />

licenses covering a 400-km2 area.<br />

Silk Road Resources Ltd. has completed<br />

six DD holes totaling 1,319.4 m<br />

on its Sangqu prospect, Gansu Province.<br />

The program tested gold mineralization<br />

associated with quartz-carbonate-sulfide<br />

vein stockworks and hydrothermal breccias<br />

hosted in Triassic sediments. Better<br />

results included hole SAN-05-2, 21 m @<br />

1.32 g/t Au from 40 m; hole SAN-05-5,:<br />

31 m @ 0.73 g/t Au from 120 m; and<br />

hole SAN-05-6, 10 m @ 0.97 g/t Au from<br />

64 m. Three drill holes are planned on<br />

the Diloutang prospect.<br />

Southwestern Resources Corp. has<br />

completed a preliminary resource<br />

assessment on the Boka Gold Project<br />

located in Yunnan Province. The<br />

reported indicated and inferred mineral<br />

resources for Boka-1 and Boka-7 targets<br />

are10.4 Mt @ 2,88 g/t Au and <strong>of</strong> <strong>45</strong>.8 Mt<br />

@ 2.75 g/t Au, respectively. Nine drill<br />

rigs are currently on site conducting<br />

infill and step-out drilling at Boka 1<br />

and will commence step-out drilling at<br />

Boka 7, along with drill testing <strong>of</strong> other<br />

targets. A prefeasibility study is contemplated<br />

for the near future.<br />

Tianshan Goldfields Limited has<br />

been exploring its Gold Mountain project,<br />

northwest China. To date, a total <strong>of</strong><br />

14,897 m in 86 holes have been drilled,<br />

including 9,122 m at Yelmand (56<br />

holes), 4,385 m at Jinxi (16 holes),<br />

1,192 m at Mayituobi (13 holes) and<br />

196 m at Kezele (1 hole). Better intersections<br />

at Yelmand include hole<br />

YEL010, 14 m @ 1.51 g/t Au from 23 m;<br />

hole YEL020, 46 m @ 1.35g/t Au from<br />

28 m; hole YEL021, 29 m @ 1.08g/t Au<br />

from 11 m; hole YEL022, 31 m @ 1.01g/t<br />

Au from 13 m; and in hole YEL026, 50<br />

m @ 1.11g/t Au from 21 m. At Jinxi,<br />

better intersections include hole JX-025,<br />

32 m @ 2.65g/t Au from 32 m, and 70<br />

m @ 1.68g/t Au from<br />

80 m; hole JX-027, 50 to page 30 ...<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS


EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

30 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 29<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

m @ 3.13g/t Au from 78 m; hole JX-029,<br />

41 m @ at 2.<strong>45</strong>g/t Au from 100 m; and<br />

in hole JX-031, 21 m @ 2.28g/t Au from<br />

107 m, and 42 m @ 2.21g/t Au from<br />

143 m.<br />

MONGOLIA<br />

Asia Gold and BHP Billiton have<br />

entered into an option agreement<br />

whereby BHP can earn up to a 70%<br />

interest in the West Falcon Gobi project,<br />

located in southern Mongolia. The<br />

3,629-km 2 area lies within Asia Gold’s<br />

West Gobi Cu-Au project.<br />

Bayfield Ventures and BHP Billiton<br />

have entered into an option agreement<br />

whereby BHP Billiton can potentially<br />

earn up to a 75% interest in three southern<br />

Mongolia properties held by Bayfield.<br />

East Asia Minerals (75%) has<br />

announced the results <strong>of</strong> its first six DD<br />

holes completed on the Khok Adar Cu-<br />

Ag-Zn project, located in western<br />

Mongolia. Better intersections include<br />

hole KA-04-01, 89.1 m @ 2.08% Cu and<br />

12.6 g/t Ag from surface; hole KA-04-02,<br />

56.6 m @ 1.35% Cu and 16.1 g/t Ag<br />

from 2.4 m. Additionally, hole KA-04-04<br />

For more information, please contact:<br />

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intersected a zinc-rich zone with 23 m @<br />

1.6% Cu, 38.4 g/t Ag, and 2.32% Zn<br />

from 67.4 m, and 38.4 m @ 8 g/t Ag<br />

and 3.2% Zn from 164.8 m. An<br />

$800,000 follow-up program is planned.<br />

Entree Gold (Ivanhoe Mines, 16.5%)<br />

has entered into an agreement with Rio<br />

Tinto, whereby Kennecott Exploration<br />

(subsidiary <strong>of</strong> Rio Tinto), will complete<br />

a private placement to initially acquire<br />

a 9.9% interest in Entrée Gold. Entrée<br />

Gold will use the proceeds to fund<br />

exploration on its Mongolian projects,<br />

including a drill program at Ulziit Uul.<br />

Erdene Gold and Erdenet Mining<br />

have formed a strategic alliance in<br />

which the companies will jointly fund<br />

programs to explore and develop Cu-<br />

Mo properties held by Erdene, located<br />

immediately west <strong>of</strong> Erdenet’s Erdenet-<br />

Oovo Cu-Mo mine.<br />

Magnum d’Or Resources has entered<br />

into a joint venture with Placer Dome,<br />

whereby Placer can earn up to an 80%<br />

interest in Magnum’s Khul Morit porphyry<br />

Cu project in southeast Mongolia.<br />

An initial 60% interest can be obtained<br />

by spending $1M on exploration over<br />

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interest by completing a bankable feasibility<br />

study.<br />

Ivanhoe Mines announced that it<br />

has intersected on its Oyu Tolgoi project,<br />

with the following results: 608 m @<br />

3.24% Cu and 0.82 g/t Au (3.77% Cu<br />

equiv), including 546 m @ 3.46% Cu<br />

and 0.90 g/t gold (4.05% Cu equiv). The<br />

hole also included an intersection <strong>of</strong><br />

322 m grading 4.59% copper and 1.07<br />

g/t gold. Ivanhoe currently has 9 deephole-capacity<br />

rigs drilling on the Oyu<br />

Tolgoi project and the Ivanhoe-Entrée<br />

Gold joint-venture property.<br />

Ivanhoe Mines reported has reported<br />

a new resource estimate on the Oyu<br />

Tolgoi Cu-Au Project. Incorporating<br />

results <strong>of</strong> drilling to April 2005, Oyu<br />

Tolgoi is now estimated to contain<br />

measured and indicated resources <strong>of</strong><br />

1,150 Mt @ 1.3 % Cu and 0.47 g/t Au,<br />

and an inferred resources <strong>of</strong> 1,160 Mt @<br />

1.02% Cu and 0.23 g/mt Au (COG =<br />

0.6% Cu equiv). The resources are contained<br />

within a 6.1-km-long series <strong>of</strong><br />

porphyry Cu-Au deposits.<br />

Ivanhoe Mines has also entered into<br />

a strategic alliance with Mitsui & Co to<br />

develop copper-gold and coal deposits<br />

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OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 31<br />

in Mongolia’s south Gobi region. Under<br />

the terms <strong>of</strong> the agreement, Mitsui will<br />

acquire an equity interest and participate<br />

in Ivanhoe’s South Gobi Power<br />

Development Corp. Mitsui & Co has<br />

also agreed to participate in the exploration,<br />

development, and financing <strong>of</strong><br />

Ivanhoe’s Oyu Tolgoi Cu-Au project<br />

and several <strong>of</strong> Ivanhoe’s coal properties<br />

in the region.<br />

Ivanhoe Mines and BHP Billiton<br />

have entered into an agreement to<br />

explore Ivanhoe’s non-core assets in the<br />

southern Gobi region <strong>of</strong> Mongolia. BHP<br />

Billiton can earn up to 50% by funding<br />

$8M on exploration, including a minimum<br />

30,000 line-km FALCON survey.<br />

Fortress Minerals has reached an<br />

agreement with Phelps Dodge that provides<br />

Phelps Dodge the option to earn a<br />

70% interest in Fortress’s Cu-Au-Ag-Mo<br />

properties in Mongolia. Phelps Dodge<br />

will take private placements valued at<br />

$3M over the next two years, providing<br />

Fortress with funds for exploration.<br />

Fortress will initially drill both the Teltiin<br />

Gol Cu-Au and Oyuut Uul Au targets.<br />

QGX announced an independent<br />

resource estimate for the Central Valley<br />

zone on its Golden Hills Cu-Au-Ag project<br />

in western Mongolia. Measured and<br />

indicated sulfide and oxide resources<br />

total 13.26 Mt @1.32% Cu, 0.96 g/t Au,<br />

and 4.6 g/t Ag, with an inferred<br />

resource <strong>of</strong> 11.95 Mt @ 1.18% Cu, 1.36<br />

g/t Au, and 6.44 g/t Ag.<br />

PHILIPPINES<br />

A revised feasibility study has been<br />

completed by Climax Mining for their<br />

Dinkidi Cu-Au project and approval <strong>of</strong><br />

the study received by the Philippines<br />

Environment and Natural Resources,<br />

effectively opening the way for development<br />

<strong>of</strong> the deposit. The Dinkidi porphyry<br />

deposit (Climax Mining Ltd.,<br />

92%, local interest, 8%) is located 200<br />

km north <strong>of</strong> Manila. A US$81M capital<br />

expenditure is envisaged with an<br />

annual average metal production <strong>of</strong><br />

approximately 94,000 oz gold and<br />

10,000 tonnes <strong>of</strong> copper in concentrate.<br />

The revised feasibility study indicates a<br />

minimum 15-year operation including<br />

a 12-month construction period commencing<br />

at the end <strong>of</strong> 2005. Production<br />

is planned to begin in 2007.<br />

Indophil Resources (37.5%) has successfully<br />

raised funds to conduct a prefeasibility<br />

study to be completed by late<br />

2006 on the Tampakan copper-gold<br />

project (Xstrata, 62.5%), located on<br />

Mindanao Island. The Tampakan<br />

indicated and inferred resource is<br />

approximately 900 Mt @ 0.7% Cu and<br />

0.3 g/t Au (COG = 0.4% Cu).<br />

It has been reported that the<br />

Jinchuan Group, Shanghai Baoshan<br />

Iron and Steel Group, and the China<br />

Development Bank signed an agreement<br />

with Philnico Mining and<br />

Industrial to develop the Nonoc Island<br />

nickel project, located in the Surigao del<br />

Norte region. Under the terms <strong>of</strong> the<br />

agreement, the Chinese companies will<br />

invest $950M to refurbish the processing<br />

facility and restart the nickel mining<br />

operations.<br />

Mindoro Resources Ltd. reports that<br />

high gold recoveries were obtained in<br />

column leach tests from their epithermal<br />

Archangel Au-Ag prospect. Mindoro is<br />

carrying out more detailed evaluations<br />

aimed at establishing the open-pit,<br />

heap-leach potential <strong>of</strong> the prospect.<br />

The Rapu Rapu mine, located on the<br />

eastern edge <strong>of</strong> Rapu Rapu island, celebrated<br />

(Lafayette Mining Ltd, 74%, LG<br />

Group International, 13%, Korean<br />

Resources Corp., 13%) becoming the<br />

first foreign-funded mine to be commissioned<br />

in the Philippines in the last 30<br />

years with its first gold pour. The commissioning<br />

<strong>of</strong> a base metals plant that<br />

will produce copper and zinc concentrates<br />

is also planned for the last quarter<br />

<strong>of</strong> 2005. Lafayette also recently<br />

approved an exploration budget to systematically<br />

evaluate the Hixbar and<br />

Linao areas with a ground-based EM<br />

program and drilling.<br />

Rusina Mining (80%) has reported<br />

drill results from its Acoje Pt-Pd-Ni-Cu<br />

project (Kinloch Resources, 20%),<br />

located in Zambales province. Best<br />

intersections include 28 m @ 3.00 g/t<br />

(Pd, Pt, Au), and 0.65% Ni, including 8<br />

m @ 4.88 g/t (Pd, Pt, Au) and 0.87% Ni,<br />

and 24 m @ 1.75 g/t (Pd, Pt, Au) and<br />

0.49% Ni, including 12 m @ 2.53g/t (Pd,<br />

Pt, Au) and 0.58% Ni.<br />

INDONESIA<br />

Oropa Ltd. has intersected gold mineralization<br />

outside the current Sihayo 1<br />

North Resource envelope. Drill hole<br />

SHDD060 intersected 8 m @ 2.66 g/t Au<br />

from surface, while drill hole SHDD062<br />

intersected 31 m @ 2.38g/t Au from 1m.<br />

Southern Arc Minerals Inc. has completed<br />

drilling 9 scout holes at the low<br />

sulfidation epithermal Lemonga<br />

prospect located on Sumbawa Island,<br />

covering 31,204 ha.<br />

Five gold-bearing quartz veins (Amy,<br />

Betty, Cici, Dessy, Evi) have been<br />

identified within the alteration zone.<br />

Highlights <strong>of</strong> drill hole intervals from<br />

the Amy vein include hole LDG-01,<br />

16.05 m @ 5.3 g/t Au and 51 g/t Ag;<br />

and hole LDG-03, 15.40 m @ 6.67 g/t<br />

Au and 36 g/t Ag.<br />

Austindo Resources Corp. NL has<br />

announced it has entered into a 3-year<br />

strategic alliance with PT Minorco<br />

Services Indonesia, a subsidiary <strong>of</strong><br />

Anglo American, to jointly explore for<br />

porphyry Cu-Au deposits in the<br />

provinces <strong>of</strong> Papua and West Irian Jaya.<br />

Anglo has agreed to solely fund exploration<br />

expenditure and has an initial<br />

80% interest in projects. In the event<br />

that a resource <strong>of</strong> less than 1 Mt <strong>of</strong> contained<br />

Cu equiv or 1 Moz Au is identified,<br />

Anglo may elect that the project<br />

either revert to Austindo on an 80/20<br />

basis (with Austindo holding 80%) or<br />

that 100% be transferred to Austindo<br />

with Anglo retaining a 2% NSR.<br />

Meanwhile, Austindo has purchased for<br />

A$2.5M gold processing plant for their<br />

Cibaliung epithermal Au project<br />

(Austindo, 83.76%, ANAKA TAMBANG,<br />

16.24%) located in west Java, which is<br />

scheduled to start production in early<br />

2006. The Cibaliung deposit has a<br />

reported minable reserves and resources<br />

<strong>of</strong> 1.388 Mt @ 9.5 g/t Au and 80 g/t Ag.<br />

LAOS<br />

Pan Australian Resources has<br />

announced the results from drilling on<br />

their Phu Kham copper-gold project<br />

(Pan Australian Resources, 80%,<br />

Newmont Mining, 20%). Better results<br />

are from hole GDD099, with 34 m @<br />

4.6% Cu and 0.7 g/t Au from 294 m.<br />

The recent drilling now extends known<br />

mineralization at Phu Kham along a<br />

1.3-km strike length, remaining open<br />

along strike and at depth. Initial production<br />

<strong>of</strong> 52,000 oz/yr <strong>of</strong> gold and<br />

57,600 tpa <strong>of</strong> copper at Phu Kham is<br />

scheduled for the second half <strong>of</strong> 2005.<br />

THAILAND<br />

Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd. reported<br />

that the combined Chatree North and<br />

Chatree mining lease now contain over<br />

3 Moz Au and 22.75 Moz Ag in<br />

resources and over 1.5 Moz Au and 12.7<br />

Moz Ag in reserves. For year ended June<br />

2005, Chatree mine produced 126,550<br />

oz Au and 353,275 oz Ag.<br />

Asian Mineral<br />

Resources’ wholly<br />

VIETNAM<br />

to page 32 ...<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS


EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

32 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 31<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

owned subsidiary, AMR Nickel, has<br />

entered into an agreement with Mineral<br />

Development Company (Mideco) to<br />

acquire its 20% interest in the Ban Phuc<br />

nickel project, located west <strong>of</strong> Hanoi.<br />

AMR has agreed to make a cash payment<br />

<strong>of</strong> $2.5M to acquire its interest.<br />

Upon completion <strong>of</strong> the transaction,<br />

AMR will hold a 90% interest in the project,<br />

with the Mechanical Engineering<br />

Company <strong>of</strong> Son La province holding<br />

the remaining 10%.<br />

The Olympus Pacific Minerals Inc.<br />

ongoing exploration programs on the<br />

Phuoc Son and Bong Mieu Gold<br />

Properties have delineated a total <strong>of</strong><br />

five deposits. On the Phuoc Son gold<br />

property, 11 exploration and in-fill holes<br />

totaling 1,918 m have been drilled.<br />

Better intersections from step-out drilling<br />

in the Dak Sa-2 (Bai Go) deposit area<br />

include hole 132, 2.51 m @ 134.72 g/t<br />

Au; hole 41, 0.23 m @ 26.3 g/t Au; and<br />

hole 68, 3.2 m @ 3.49 g/t Au. Results<br />

from the in-fill drilling on the Dak Sa-1<br />

(Bai Dat) deposit include hole 121, 5.2<br />

m @ 8.85 g/t Au; hole 122, 8 m @ 11.13<br />

g/t Au; hole 126, 3.05 m @ 39.28 g/t Au;<br />

and hole 127, 4.7 m @ 23.97 g/t Au.<br />

AUSTRALASIA<br />

Regional Correspondent:<br />

Brent McInnes (<strong>SEG</strong> 1999)<br />

CSIRO Exploration and Mining<br />

With contributions from<br />

James Beeston – Queensland<br />

Queensland Department <strong>of</strong><br />

Natural Resources & Mines<br />

Tony Christie (<strong>SEG</strong> 1992) – New Zealand<br />

NZ Institute <strong>of</strong> Geological & Nuclear Sciences<br />

Sue Daly – South Australia<br />

PIRSA<br />

Ge<strong>of</strong>f Green (<strong>SEG</strong> 2000) – Tasmania<br />

Mineral Resources Tasmania<br />

Jonathan Law (<strong>SEG</strong> 1993 F) – Victoria<br />

CSIRO Minerals<br />

Tim McConachy (<strong>SEG</strong> 1987 F) –<br />

New South Wales<br />

CSIRO Exploration & Mining<br />

Russell Meares (<strong>SEG</strong> 1996) –<br />

New South Wales<br />

Malachite Resources<br />

AUSTRALIA<br />

Geoscience Australia has released a<br />

report indicating that Australia has the<br />

world’s largest economic demonstrated<br />

resources (EDR) <strong>of</strong> Zn, Pb, Ni, mineral<br />

sands (rutile and zircon), Ta and<br />

uranium. Australia is one <strong>of</strong> the top six<br />

producing countries for commodities<br />

such as bauxite, black coal, brown coal,<br />

Cu, Au, iron ore, ilmenite, Li, Mn, Nb,<br />

Ag and industrial diamond.<br />

Mineral exploration spending in the<br />

second half <strong>of</strong> 2004 rose to $AUD512M,<br />

a 33% increase relative to the equivalent<br />

period in 2003. While Au remained<br />

the predominant target in 2004, its<br />

share <strong>of</strong> total spending fell below 50%<br />

to $414M, whereas base metal exploration<br />

increased its share <strong>of</strong> spending to<br />

$207.4M, an increase <strong>of</strong> 22.5%.<br />

Nationally 39% <strong>of</strong> exploration spending<br />

was directed at the search for new<br />

deposits. Tasmania had the highest proportion<br />

<strong>of</strong> exploration in this category<br />

<strong>of</strong> any jurisdiction with 54.7% <strong>of</strong> its<br />

spending, whereas the Northern<br />

Territory had the lowest at 31.3%. Full<br />

report details can be found at .<br />

SOUTH AUSTRALIA<br />

A significant grass roots discovery has<br />

been reported by unlisted explorer RMG<br />

Services at the Carrapateena prospect,<br />

100 km southeast <strong>of</strong> Olympic Dam. The<br />

second <strong>of</strong> two exploration drill holes<br />

intersected 178.2 m @ 1.83% Cu, 0.64<br />

g/t Au, 0.21% Ce and 0.13% La over a<br />

vertical interval from 476 to 654.2 m.<br />

The mineralized zone has similarities<br />

with the Olympic Dam-Prominent<br />

Hill–style <strong>of</strong> Fe oxide-Cu-Au (IOCG)<br />

mineralization. The upper altered zone<br />

consists <strong>of</strong> bornite-rich breccias, bornite<br />

stringers and some chalcocite (~476–549<br />

m), a central zone <strong>of</strong> more gneissic and<br />

granitic material, and a lower zone <strong>of</strong><br />

dominant chalcopyrite (607-654.2m).<br />

No significant U values were reported,<br />

but Ag was slightly anomalous.<br />

RMG’s drilling was 50% funded by<br />

the South Australian government’s<br />

Plan For Accelerated Exploration<br />

(PACE), part <strong>of</strong> a five-year $22.5M initiative<br />

to encourage mineral exploration<br />

in South Australia.<br />

TASMANIA<br />

Zinifex Ltd announced an intersection<br />

<strong>of</strong> 8.7 m @ 5.8% Zn contained an Ag<br />

grade <strong>of</strong> 605 g/t in the Rosebery mine.<br />

These grades correlate with those in a<br />

nearby hole and suggest that a new lens<br />

<strong>of</strong> ore has been discovered. Another hole<br />

intersected 5 m <strong>of</strong> high grade ore containing<br />

15% Zn. The company has also<br />

intersected 23.8 m <strong>of</strong> alteration in a hole<br />

in the Boco area, 9 km north <strong>of</strong><br />

Rosebery, including 3.1 m <strong>of</strong> mineralization<br />

and 1 m <strong>of</strong> high grade Pb and Zn.<br />

Zinifex and Resource Investments<br />

and Finance Limited (RFI) have<br />

announced a joint venture on RFI’s tenements<br />

in the Hellyer area under which<br />

each will invest $1M into exploration<br />

over the next two years. RFI will conduct<br />

the exploration and Zinifex will<br />

have the right to select three areas on<br />

which to fund and conduct a full feasibility<br />

study in return for 70% <strong>of</strong> any<br />

resources discovered.<br />

Allegiance Mining has announced a<br />

14 m intersection <strong>of</strong> 2.5% Ni in a hole<br />

250 m west <strong>of</strong> the resource envelope and<br />

150 m west <strong>of</strong> a previous intersection <strong>of</strong><br />

12 m <strong>of</strong> 1.6% Ni at the Avebury Ni<br />

deposit. This extends the strike length <strong>of</strong><br />

the deposit to more than 1,000 m.<br />

Lefroy Resources has extended the<br />

strike length <strong>of</strong> mineralization in the<br />

Lefroy goldfield, northeast Tasmania.<br />

Drilling at the Pinafore Reef intersected<br />

17 m <strong>of</strong> 4.49 g/t Au. A hole at the<br />

Native Youth Reef returned 1 m intersections<br />

<strong>of</strong> 23.88, 13.62 and 7.94 g/t Au.<br />

The second <strong>of</strong> these was part <strong>of</strong> a 10-m<br />

intersection at 2.41 g/t.<br />

Copper Mines <strong>of</strong> Tasmania is<br />

drilling a deep hole into a pyrophyllite<br />

anomaly identified in an airborne<br />

hyperspectral survey commissioned by<br />

Mineral Resources Tasmania and conducted<br />

by CSIRO and HyVista<br />

Corporation in the Mount Lyell area.<br />

The survey was funded by the<br />

Australian Government under the<br />

Western Tasmanian Minerals Program.<br />

Some Cu mineralization has been intersected<br />

high in the hole, but the target<br />

depth has yet to be reached.<br />

GTN Resources Limited is continuing<br />

its drilling program on the King Island<br />

scheelite deposit. GTN expects to complete<br />

a full feasibility study by the end<br />

<strong>of</strong> 2005 and production is scheduled to<br />

commence in early 2006.<br />

NEW SOUTH WALES<br />

In the Lachlan fold belt Cu-Au region,<br />

Newcrest announced that the<br />

Ridgeway Deeps project will proceed<br />

based on increasing the depth <strong>of</strong> mining<br />

at the Ridgeway Au-Cu deposit at<br />

their Cadia mining complex near<br />

Orange by a further 300 m. The extension<br />

will add production <strong>of</strong> 1.3 M oz Au


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 33<br />

and 163 Kt Cu to the Ridgeway operation,<br />

extending mine life by six years.<br />

The Ridgeway mine reported cash costs<br />

for the 2004-2005 financial year <strong>of</strong> only<br />

$39/oz, compared with $109/oz for the<br />

previous quarter.<br />

At the Copper Hill prospect, Golden<br />

Cross reported drill intersections <strong>of</strong> 217<br />

m @ 0.72% Cu and 1.17 g/t Au (close to<br />

an old hole <strong>of</strong> comparable grade) and<br />

128 m @ 0.32% Cu, 0.19 g/t Au, 35 ppm<br />

Mo. Further drilling will focus on poorly<br />

drilled portions down to 200m depth.<br />

Rio Tinto has proposed to extend<br />

their block caving mining operations at<br />

Northparkes until 2017 via the development<br />

<strong>of</strong> the E48 deposit which has<br />

reserves <strong>of</strong> 22.6 Mt at 1.15% Cu and<br />

0.46 g/t Au.<br />

Alkane Exploration’s strong land<br />

position in the Orange-Cadia district<br />

has attracted the attention <strong>of</strong><br />

Newmont, which has signed a joint<br />

venture to earn up to an initial 51% in<br />

the Alkane tenements by funding $5M<br />

in exploration expenditure over a fiveyear<br />

period, with the right to earn an<br />

additional 24% interest. Previous work<br />

by Alkane in the area returned 19 m @<br />

0.2% Cu and 1.23 g/t Au. Alkane also<br />

plans to have a bankable feasibility<br />

study for its 600,000 oz Wyoming Au<br />

deposit ready by the end 2005. The<br />

company is undertaking studies to better<br />

understand the geometry <strong>of</strong> the<br />

underground ore shoots to determine<br />

an optimal mine plan. Alkane has also<br />

progressed its nearby Galwadgere Cu-<br />

Au project to a small open cut resource<br />

<strong>of</strong> 2 Mt @ 1% Cu, and continues marketing<br />

studies on its complex Dubbo<br />

zirconia-tantalum-niobium project.<br />

In the New England fold belt (NEFB),<br />

drilling programs by Straits Resources<br />

at a number <strong>of</strong> vein systems at the<br />

mothballed Hillgrove Au-Sb mine have<br />

shown continued success. The company<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT<br />

◆ News Summaries<br />

◆ Deposit Statistics<br />

◆ Research Information<br />

100 Lemming Dr. Reno, Nevada 89523<br />

phone: 775 3<strong>45</strong>-2343 fax 775 3<strong>45</strong>-1317<br />

http://www.activityupdate.com info@activityupdate.com<br />

has recently announced a resource <strong>of</strong><br />

3.9 Mt at 5.1 g/t Au and 1.95% Sb<br />

(1.2Moz Au equiv), and is looking at<br />

the possibility <strong>of</strong> re-opening the mine.<br />

Historical production at Hillgrove<br />

totaled 720 Koz Au and 50 Kt Sb.<br />

Drake Resources has commenced<br />

exploration to evaluate the potential <strong>of</strong><br />

the Drake low-sulfidation epithermal<br />

field, where resources currently stand at<br />

146 Koz Au and 4.6 Moz Ag with base<br />

metal credits.<br />

Triako Resources’ high-grade Hera<br />

Au deposit (1.49 Mt @ 9.4g/t Au, 0.5%<br />

Cu, 4.4% Pb, 4.3% Zn and 24g/t Ag) has<br />

attracted the interest <strong>of</strong> CBH Resources,<br />

which purchased a 6.5% stake in Triako<br />

for $2.5M. Hera is located about150 km<br />

from CBH’s Endeavour Zn-Pb-Ag operation<br />

near Cobar.<br />

VICTORIA<br />

Recent attention has focused on the<br />

Fosterville region in Victoria with the<br />

successful commissioning <strong>of</strong><br />

Perseverance Corporation’s bacterial<br />

oxidation treatment plant. Production<br />

at the Fosterville mine for 2005-2006 is<br />

estimated to reach 135,000 oz <strong>of</strong> Au<br />

and development is scheduled to commence<br />

early in 2006 to access the<br />

810,000 oz underground reserve. In the<br />

same region, Gold Fields have reported<br />

a new greenfields discovery based on<br />

four exploration holes. No details have<br />

been released.<br />

Austar Resources have reported<br />

encouraging results from the 1.5 Moz<br />

historical Walhalla goldfield. Recent<br />

drilling at the Lomond Reef discovery<br />

has extended the strike length <strong>of</strong> known<br />

mineralization to 800 m and to a depth<br />

<strong>of</strong> 300 m with an average thickness <strong>of</strong><br />

6.5 m. Austar plans to commence a<br />

scoping study in late 2005.<br />

ORE AND THIN SECTION<br />

PETROGRAPHY<br />

QUEENSLAND<br />

The Department <strong>of</strong> Natural Resources<br />

and Mines kicked <strong>of</strong>f its Smart<br />

Exploration initiative at the Structure,<br />

Tectonics and Ore Mineralisation<br />

Processes (STOMP) Conference in<br />

Townsville by announcing the completion<br />

<strong>of</strong> a major airborne airborne magnetic<br />

and radiometric survey over the<br />

Mount Rawdon Corridor in southeast<br />

Queensland.<br />

NEW ZEALAND<br />

Newmont’s decline at Favona in the<br />

Waihi district, Coromandel region, North<br />

Island, was over 500 m long and over 70<br />

m below the surface in August. Exploration<br />

drilling continued in a number <strong>of</strong><br />

nearby areas including Waihi East,<br />

Union Hill and under the Martha open<br />

pit. Exploration continues to find highgrade<br />

veins under the Martha pit with<br />

one intercept reported as 7 m true width<br />

at 22 g/t Au and 100 g/t Ag.<br />

Glass Earth completed their Taupo<br />

Volcanic Zone airborne geophysical surveys<br />

(40,000 line km <strong>of</strong> aeromagnetic/<br />

radiometrics and 6,000 line km <strong>of</strong> airborne<br />

gravity) and are processing the<br />

data to identify drill prospects.<br />

In the South Island, OceanaGold continued<br />

development work on the Globe-<br />

Progress mine near Reefton and increased<br />

resources to 604,000 oz Au<br />

through pit design optimization.<br />

Similarly, a redesign <strong>of</strong> the plan for<br />

underground mining from 2007 on the<br />

Frasers downdip extension <strong>of</strong> the Macraes<br />

open pit mine in Otago, involved<br />

decreased tonnage but increased grade to<br />

3.05 g/t Au. CanAlaska Ventures<br />

recently completed a program <strong>of</strong> RC<br />

drilling on the Rise and Shine shear zone<br />

with joint venture<br />

to page<br />

partner OceanaGold. 34 ...<br />

LTL Petrographics<br />

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Carson City, Nevada 89704 LTLPetrographics@yahoo.com<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS


EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

34 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 33<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

Seafield Resources, a De Beers subsidiary,<br />

in joint venture with Placer<br />

Solutions, has commenced exploring<br />

for placer Au on the seabed <strong>of</strong>fshore the<br />

west coast <strong>of</strong> the South Island from<br />

Karamea to Jackson Bay. Geophysical<br />

surveys and sampling are planned to<br />

evaluate a model <strong>of</strong> placer formation<br />

during glacial periods when sea levels<br />

were much lower than at present.<br />

Reviews <strong>of</strong> these and other exploration<br />

and mining activities will be presented<br />

at the New Zealand Minerals<br />

Conference in November: .<br />

EUROPE<br />

Regional Correspondent:<br />

Mac Canby (<strong>SEG</strong> 2003)<br />

Phelps Dodge Exploration Corp.<br />

Cobham, Surrey KT11 3HY<br />

Tel: +44 1932 868 108<br />

Fax +44 1483 479 930<br />

E-mail: mcanby@phelpsd.com<br />

Contributions from<br />

Pasi Eilu (<strong>SEG</strong> 2002) – Finland<br />

Geological Survey <strong>of</strong> Finland<br />

Bosse Gustavson – Sweden<br />

Cecilia Szentesy (<strong>SEG</strong> 2004) – Romania<br />

S.C. Rosia Montana Gold Corporation S.A.<br />

Dundee reported some spectacular<br />

intercepts at its Chelopech high-sulfidation<br />

Cu-Au deposit in Bulgaria, while<br />

also, in Bulgaria, Euromax reports<br />

interesting trench results at Rakitovo.<br />

Uranium once again appears as a target<br />

<strong>of</strong> interest in Fennoscandia, and<br />

new diamond pipes emerge in Finland.<br />

European Nickel made real progress<br />

toward Ni production in Turkey and<br />

posted a significant increase in their<br />

resource at Caldag. The first South East<br />

European Exploration Conference<br />

MINERALS EXPLORATION &<br />

ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY<br />

Advanced survey, analytical and interpretational methods<br />

for exploration through exotic overburden.<br />

Plant Soil Gas Rock Standards<br />

Specialty Sample Preparation<br />

P.O. Box 18325, Reno, Nevada 89511<br />

Tel: 775-849-2235 Fax: 775-849-2335<br />

SheaClarkSmith@compuserve.com<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT<br />

and Field Trip in S<strong>of</strong>ia, Bulgaria, from<br />

May 7 to 10 was superbly attended by<br />

both juniors and majors. Our thanks to<br />

the excellent efforts <strong>of</strong> organizers<br />

Menzies, Dimitrov, Davena,<br />

Strashimirov and Bogdanov. Readers<br />

will note improvements in our Swedish<br />

contributions thanks to new correspondent<br />

Bosse Gustavson.<br />

BULGARIA<br />

Dundee Precious Metals posted<br />

notable intercepts at the “Block 149”<br />

ore shoot located at the north margin <strong>of</strong><br />

the Chelopech high-sulfidation Cu-Au<br />

deposit, where holes <strong>of</strong>fsetting isolated<br />

historic intercepts cut up to 12 m <strong>of</strong><br />

5.2% Cu and 30.8g Au contain visible<br />

gold in addition to the typical Cu-As-Fe<br />

assemblage.<br />

Euromax reports encouraging trench<br />

results from the Srebrna (Rakitovo)<br />

Au-Ag-(Pb) quartz stockwork zone in a<br />

Cretaceous granite porphyry stock,<br />

including 26 m <strong>of</strong> 3.68 g Au and 144 g<br />

Ag within a 1,500-m segment tested by<br />

4 trenches; the zone has been traced<br />

with geophysics by the Bulgarian state<br />

for an additional 3 km south. At<br />

Srebren South coincident with the IP<br />

anomaly is a poorly exposed zone <strong>of</strong><br />

quartz stockwork 600 × 150 m in<br />

quartz-muscovite-carbonate altered<br />

granite porphyry, with up to 30 m <strong>of</strong><br />

2.60 g Au, 25 g Ag in limited rock chip<br />

sampling.<br />

TURKEY<br />

Anatolian Minerals completed 165<br />

holes/28,418 m in 2005 at the intrusion-centered,<br />

sediment-hosted Copler<br />

Au (44 Mt <strong>of</strong> 2.9 g/t Au) in infill and<br />

condemnation drilling; intervals<br />

Recursos<br />

included up to 117 m <strong>of</strong> 4.8 g Au.<br />

Eurasian Minerals, in strategic<br />

alliance with Barrick, announced mineralized<br />

intercepts in all eight holes<br />

from a 965-m diamond core program,<br />

including up to 30.4 m <strong>of</strong> 3.8 g Au, at<br />

its Sisorta high-sulfidation Au target,<br />

northern Turkey; a second 3,000-m drill<br />

phase was started.<br />

Anatolian/Rio Tinto alliance<br />

announced results from further drilling<br />

<strong>of</strong> 18 RVC holes/2,543 m at Kizilviran<br />

Cu-Au porphyry in eastern Turkey,<br />

including an intersection <strong>of</strong> 43 m <strong>of</strong><br />

1.2% Cu, 0.18 g Au, and 0.01% Mo in<br />

the Main Ridge zone, which now<br />

extends up to 500 × 1,500 m. Low-grade<br />

(0.2–0.5% Cu) hypogene mineralization<br />

underlies an enrichment blanket 8- to<br />

80-m thick, averaging 0.7 to 1.1% Cu.<br />

Anatolian’s drill holes at its Ikiztepe<br />

Cu-Mo prospect in European Turkey<br />

returned up to 206 m <strong>of</strong> 0.29% Cu with<br />

~0.01% Mo in mixed skarn and intrusion-hosted<br />

mineralization.<br />

Ariana Resources emerged as an<br />

ambitious new junior in Turkey, purchasing<br />

Newmont’s Sindirgi Au-Ag<br />

low-sulfidation epithermal vein<br />

prospect in western Turkey, as well as<br />

discovering its own Kinik Au by following<br />

ASTER and GIS targets; preliminary<br />

chip sampling returned up to 10 m <strong>of</strong><br />

3.21 g Au within a wider mineralized<br />

zone.<br />

European Nickel (ENickel) reached<br />

several key milestones at its Caldag Ni<br />

laterite deposit by increasing the<br />

resource by 30% from approximately 38<br />

Mt 1.14% Ni and .05% Co to <strong>45</strong> Mt<br />

1.3% Ni, and 0.07% Co, demonstrating<br />

heap leach recoveries which now<br />

exceed 50%, and getting a further vote<br />

<strong>of</strong> confidence as BHP Billiton increased<br />

its stake via exercise <strong>of</strong> stock purchase.<br />

del<br />

Caribe,<br />

S.<br />

A.<br />

Contract<br />

Mineral<br />

Exploration<br />

in<br />

Central<br />

America<br />

and<br />

the<br />

Caribbean<br />

Basin<br />

Tel:<br />

Carl<br />

E.<br />

Nelson,<br />

President<br />

303-939-9517<br />

• www.<br />

CBMap.<br />

net<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 35<br />

ROMANIA<br />

European Goldfields Limited completed<br />

in-house prefeasibility study on<br />

its 80%-owned Certej project; measured<br />

and indicated resources total 31.4 Mt at<br />

2.1 g gold and 11 g silver for a total <strong>of</strong><br />

2.2 Moz Au and 11 Moz Ag. Pit optimization<br />

shows 22.6 Mt grading 2.0 g<br />

gold and 11.7 g silver with an average<br />

strip ratio <strong>of</strong> 2:1, with a projected 2.5 Mt<br />

per annum over approximately nine<br />

years. European seeks additional<br />

peripheral higher-grade mineralization<br />

at its nearby Cainel license where surface<br />

and underground sampling shows<br />

1 to 14 m <strong>of</strong> 1–5.6 g Au in north-south<br />

veins and breccias.<br />

Carpathian Gold Inc. (CG)<br />

announced metallurgical results from<br />

SGS-Lakefield Research from two samples<br />

from Baiut Au in Baia Mare (0.341<br />

Mt <strong>of</strong> 4.75 g Au) which returned 95.3%<br />

and 93.0% Au recovery utilizing biooxidation<br />

and cyanide leaching; CG<br />

will consider similar recovery tests on<br />

ore previously considered refractory<br />

from Baia Sprie. Recoveries by State<br />

Mining Company REMIN, via conventional<br />

sulfide floatation, showed results<br />

<strong>of</strong> 95.5% and 97.4%.<br />

CG’s programs on Oravita Cu-Au,<br />

southwest Romania, defined drill targets<br />

along the 3.5-km-long “Talva Trend”<br />

Cu-Au soil anomaly, including a 1,500m<br />

length at Talva Mica, where 26 <strong>of</strong> 52<br />

grab samples showed from 0.4% to 4.2%<br />

Cu and 0.11 to 4.41g Au. Mineralization<br />

is hosted by interbedded hornfels and<br />

calc-silicate skarn, and altered quartzdiorite<br />

porphyry and hornfels. The<br />

underground historic Talva Mica zone is<br />

50 to 70 m wide, 300 m in length and<br />

open along strike; previous intersections<br />

include 12 m <strong>of</strong> 2.76% Cu to 10 m <strong>of</strong><br />

5.10% Cu and 2 m <strong>of</strong> 7.87% Cu, 0.20%<br />

Mo. None <strong>of</strong> the underground samples<br />

were assayed for Au.<br />

At CG’s Carbunari-Stinapari<br />

prospect, 25 km south <strong>of</strong> Oravita,<br />

trenching and mapping define a 3.5km-long<br />

belt <strong>of</strong> jasperoid containing 1<br />

to 15.1 g Au and an associated gold-insoil<br />

anomaly within limestone and calcareous<br />

siliciclastic sediments; a 2,000to<br />

3,000-m drilling is planned to test for<br />

Carlin-style Au mineralization.<br />

Gabriel Resources Ltd received terms<br />

<strong>of</strong> reference for the Rosia Montana EIA;<br />

the EIA is now being compiled to meet<br />

the terms <strong>of</strong> reference and is planned to<br />

be submitted in early 2006.<br />

At Bucium/Rodu-Frasin, a February<br />

2005 resource estimate at 0.6 g Au<br />

cut<strong>of</strong>f contains indicated resources <strong>of</strong><br />

7.95 Mt at 1.91 g Au and 5g Ag, and an<br />

inferred resource <strong>of</strong> 9.29 Mt <strong>of</strong> 1.70 g Au<br />

and 5 g Ag at Frasin, and an inferred<br />

resource <strong>of</strong> 26.08 Mt at 0.97 g Au and 2<br />

g Ag at Rodu, totaling 1 Moz Au at<br />

Frasin area and 813,000 oz Au at Rodu.<br />

New exploration licenses were<br />

granted in Apuseni Mountains to<br />

Valhalla Resources and Carpathian<br />

Gold.<br />

SERBIA-MONTENEGRO<br />

Eurasian Minerals announced an Aupolymetallic<br />

intercept from Brestovac<br />

target, south <strong>of</strong> the historic Bor district,<br />

where their 296.8-m core hole followed<br />

up on results from 1970-era drilling. An<br />

interval <strong>of</strong> 22.40 m <strong>of</strong> 4.51g Au<br />

included 2.95 m <strong>of</strong> 25.83 g Au; two<br />

lower intervals each contained 7 to 8 m<br />

<strong>of</strong> 0.4–0.5 g Au. Cu-Zn mineralization<br />

was intersected as well, notably 4.30 m<br />

<strong>of</strong> 2.07% Zn, 0.11% Cu and 0.40 g Au.<br />

A range <strong>of</strong> companies participated in<br />

the Serbian government’s tenders on<br />

Cu-Au exploration targets in the West<br />

Timok district, covering the western<br />

margin <strong>of</strong> the prolific Timok Magmatic<br />

Complex which hosts Bor.<br />

MACEDONIA<br />

Sirius Exploration Plc completed AIM<br />

listing based on its agreement with<br />

Phelps Dodge on the Kadiica and<br />

Osogovo porphyry Cu-Mo targets, and<br />

currently funds drill programs on both.<br />

Sirius aims to expand a chalcocite blanket<br />

identified at Kadiica as well as test<br />

for underlying hypogene mineralization;<br />

at Osogovo, further exploration<br />

will test an extensive stockwork Cu-Mo<br />

system which forms the center <strong>of</strong> the<br />

large Sasa-Toranitza Pb-Zn-Ag skarnmanto<br />

deposit.<br />

IBERIA<br />

Rio Narcea, on its Salave Au project,<br />

announced 1.5 Moz Au at a grade <strong>of</strong><br />

3.0 g. Salave is a disseminated, intrusion-related<br />

deposit hosted in a granodiorite;<br />

gold occurs in subhorizontal to<br />

gently west dipping irregular lenses in<br />

an area <strong>of</strong> 350 × 300 m.<br />

IRELAND<br />

Tournigan Gold followed up on previous<br />

expansions <strong>of</strong> the No. 1 vein at<br />

Curraghinalt Au (1.32 m <strong>of</strong> 66.95 g Au<br />

at 390 m, announced previously).<br />

SLOVAKIA<br />

Tournigan Gold drilled its Brehov VMS<br />

target, and their shallow holes in a 600m-wide<br />

mineralized zone previously<br />

identified and drilled by the Slovak geologic<br />

survey, returned up to 15 m <strong>of</strong><br />

2.6% Pb, 0.3% Zn, 0.5 g Au, and 40 g<br />

Ag in reported Kuroko-type VMS mineralization.<br />

Tournigan continues exploration<br />

at the Kremenica low-sulfidation<br />

Au-Ag target.<br />

FINLAND<br />

Dragon Mining NL will open two gold<br />

mines at Vammala in southwestern<br />

Finland. About 300,000 t ore will be<br />

mined per year at about 8 to 11 g Au.<br />

Production will start in late 2005 from<br />

the underground at Orivesi mine and<br />

from two small open cuts at the new<br />

Jokisivu mine. Stage 2 will develop an<br />

underground mine at Jokisivu. Prior to<br />

going underground at Jokisivu, a sixmonth<br />

drilling program will allow<br />

detailed underground design and financial<br />

study. Stage 3 will develop deeper<br />

ore zones at Jokisivu at and below 400<br />

m level.<br />

Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd has <strong>of</strong>fered<br />

to buy all the outstanding shares <strong>of</strong><br />

Riddarhyttan Resources AB not currently<br />

owned by Agnico-Eagle.<br />

Riddarhyttan is the 100% owner <strong>of</strong><br />

Suurikuusikko Au, northern Finland,<br />

where the resource is now 2.5 Mt @ 6.2<br />

g Au measured, 9.3 Mt @ 5.1 g Au indicated,<br />

and 12.5 Mt @ 4.2 g Au inferred<br />

ore, totaling 3.73 Moz gold. Northern<br />

Lion Gold reports a new gold-rich lode<br />

from the old mine site <strong>of</strong> Haveri in<br />

southwestern Finland, with drill intercepts<br />

from 2 m @ 116.9 g to 44.5 m @<br />

1.3 g Au. Taranis Resources Inc reports<br />

a new lode at its Kettukuusikko<br />

prospect in Lapland, with intercepts at<br />

1.8 m @ 27.7.g and 0.4 m @ 111g gold.<br />

North American Gold Inc has been<br />

granted 12 exploration leases in northwest<br />

Finland, now nearly completely<br />

holding the iron oxide-copper-gold<br />

Kolari belt; the company also holds<br />

ground in nearby Sweden, in obvious<br />

continuation <strong>of</strong> the Kolari belt.<br />

In PGM, Gold Fields Ltd announced<br />

downgrade <strong>of</strong> its Arctic platinum project,<br />

and will assess the viability <strong>of</strong> a<br />

high-grade PGM, smaller-scale operation<br />

rather than large-scale mine.<br />

In the base-metals sector, Vulcan<br />

Resources Ltd more than doubled the<br />

resource <strong>of</strong> the<br />

to page<br />

Outokumpu-style<br />

36 ...<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS


EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

36 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 35<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

Kylylahti Co-Cu-Au deposit, located in<br />

eastern Finland, to 7.4 Mt @ 0.2 % Co,<br />

1.0 % Cu, 0.4 % Zn, 0.2 % Ni, and 0.6 g<br />

Au. Vulcan announced new high-grade<br />

sections from its komatiitic Ni prospect<br />

Hietaharju, eastern Finland, including<br />

17.8 m @ 1.33 % Ni, 0.6 % Cu, 1.9 g Pt<br />

+ Pd, and 7 m @ 0.7 % Ni, 0.2 % Cu,<br />

and 1.3 g Pt + Pd.<br />

After two dormant decades, uranium<br />

exploration restarted in Finland. French<br />

company AREVA acquired ground in<br />

eastern and southern Finland and UKregistered<br />

Agricola Resources plc in<br />

eastern and northeastern Finland.<br />

Nearly all <strong>of</strong> the uranium leases are<br />

around previously known occurrences<br />

including the Paukkajanvaara deposit,<br />

mined in 1960–1961.<br />

Finnish diamond news surrounds the<br />

Kuusamo region in eastern Finland,<br />

where a kimberlite cluster found by<br />

Tertiary Minerals plc in mid-2004 contains<br />

both Group 1 and Group 2 kimberlites.<br />

In May 2005, Tertiary’s new<br />

company, Sunrise Diamonds plc, continued<br />

exploration activities <strong>of</strong> its parent<br />

and in August 2005 announced the<br />

discovery two new, possibly Group 1type,<br />

kimberlites in the Kuusamo<br />

region. European Diamonds plc<br />

announced in June the discovery <strong>of</strong> a<br />

new kimberlite body in central Finland.<br />

SWEDEN<br />

Test mining at Lappland Goldminers’<br />

Fabodliden deposit yielded 3.3 g Au<br />

across 50-m width compared to premining<br />

calculation <strong>of</strong> 1.5 g. Measured<br />

resources down to 200 m depth (open<br />

pit) previously were 21.4 t Au.<br />

MinMet signed the Heads <strong>of</strong><br />

Agreement to sell its 100% owned<br />

Bjorkdalsgruvan AB (Au) to Gold-Ore<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT<br />

Resource Geosciences de Mexico<br />

S.A. de C.V<br />

Exploration Services Throughout the Americas<br />

Dr. Matthew D. Gray, C.P.G. #10688 – President<br />

Resources Limited including an operating<br />

gold mine, plant, reserves/resources<br />

and exploration properties. MinMet has<br />

taken 100% control over Svenska<br />

Skifferolje AB holdings on alumn shales<br />

in southern Sweden, which contain U,<br />

Mo, V, Ni, oil and carbon.<br />

ScanMining’s concentration plant at<br />

Barsele will be in construction before<br />

the end <strong>of</strong> this year.<br />

Dragon Mining’s Svartliden Au<br />

mine is forecast to produce 68,000 oz<br />

during the first year and 50,000 oz/y<br />

after that. Current reserves are 287,000<br />

oz (5,54T) and resources 420,000 oz.<br />

Mining costs are forecast at US$190/oz<br />

the first year and thereafter US$240/oz.<br />

Nordic Diamonds acquired Nyborg<br />

VMS in northern Sweden near Boliden’s<br />

Kristineberg mine (so far the largest producer<br />

in the Skellefte district); at Nyborg,<br />

56 previous core holes by the Geological<br />

Survey <strong>of</strong> Sweden defined a 600-m zone<br />

containing ~0.621 Mt <strong>of</strong> 0.47% Cu, 2.8%<br />

Zn, and 28 g Ag. Drill intercepts from<br />

this prospect assayed up to 6.1% Zn,<br />

0.4% Cu, and 50 g Ag over 8.3 m.<br />

North American Gold Inc. (NAG) has<br />

started drilling on the 1.3-km-long massive<br />

magnetite deposit, Stora Sahavaara,<br />

on its Pajala project, which contains<br />

some gold and sulfides, including chalcopyrite.<br />

Farther north along strike on<br />

the Finnish side <strong>of</strong> the border, a similar<br />

magnetite deposit has been mined on not<br />

just iron but also gold. Historic ore reserve<br />

calculations show 100 Mt <strong>of</strong> magnetite<br />

ore with 43.7% Fe. In the Skirasen-<br />

Barsele Norra area an updated calculation<br />

shows 639,000 oz Au in indicated<br />

and inferred categories at 1.7g. Further<br />

core and AC drilling are ongoing.<br />

Beowulf initiated an agreement with<br />

Gold Fields Exploration B.V. to evaluate<br />

Beowulf’s Ballek licences, covering<br />

a 10-km-long zone, Cu-Au shows<br />

located north <strong>of</strong> Arjeplog in northern<br />

Sweden. The best known among them is<br />

Lulepotten, where historic SGU work in<br />

the 1960s and 1970s defined 5.1 Mt ore<br />

at 0.73% Cu and 0.25 g Au.<br />

International Gold Exploration’s<br />

summer drilling at Olserum showed<br />

continuation <strong>of</strong> the Heavy REO deposit<br />

down to at least 200 m depth and considerable<br />

thickening <strong>of</strong> the mineralization.<br />

The REO is associated with apatite<br />

and REM in an iron skarn layer. With a<br />

new method developed at Bergskolan,<br />

Filipstad, the company is able to filter<br />

the waste water from the former Cu-Co<br />

Gladhammar mine, which also contains<br />

some parts with high gold grades.<br />

This will meet the environment requirements<br />

that so far have stopped further<br />

development at this site.<br />

Lundin Mining is planning to buy<br />

another zinc mine in Europe to double<br />

its zinc production to 340 000–350 000<br />

tpy, making them the seventh biggest<br />

zinc producer in the world. New Boliden<br />

has a production <strong>of</strong> 375,000 tpa. The<br />

company has also discovered a new<br />

prosperous deposit <strong>of</strong> classic VMS-type<br />

on its Copperstone project 26 km<br />

northeast <strong>of</strong> its Storliden mine.<br />

Mawson Resorces extended RC<br />

drilling and soil geochemistry along a<br />

13-km gold trend from Vargbacken<br />

prospect to Middagsberget. At<br />

Middagsberget, RC drilling has indicated<br />

a mineralized area <strong>of</strong> 100 × 100<br />

m down to 80 m depth. The mineralization<br />

is however open in all directions.<br />

Several encouraging results are reported,<br />

including 1 m with 20.3 g Au within a 4<br />

m <strong>of</strong> 5.79 g Au. Gold is associated with<br />

quartz veins in silica-chlorite-albite-carbonate–altered<br />

diorites.<br />

A large area along the “Gold Line”<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 37<br />

immediately south <strong>of</strong> the traditional<br />

Skellefte district has been staked by<br />

Mawson, including the Duobblon uranium<br />

deposit hosted in an ignimbrite<br />

flow.<br />

Many former “sleeping” uranium<br />

prospects in Sweden are now re-staked,<br />

mainly by Ge<strong>of</strong>orum Scandinavia and<br />

also Mawson Resources and Svenska<br />

Skifferoljebolaget.<br />

SOUTH AMERICA<br />

Regional Correspondent:<br />

José A. Perelló (<strong>SEG</strong> 1989 F)<br />

Regional Vice President South America<br />

Ant<strong>of</strong>agasta Minerals<br />

Ahumada 11, Piso 12, Santiago, Chile<br />

E-mail: jperello@aminerals.cl<br />

Contributions from<br />

Craig A. Feebrey (<strong>SEG</strong> 1996 F) – Chile<br />

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National<br />

Corporation (JOGMEC)<br />

Darryl D. Lindsay (<strong>SEG</strong> 2001) – Ecuador<br />

EcuaCorriente S.A.<br />

Steve Jensen (<strong>SEG</strong> 1999) – Peru<br />

Teck Cominco Peru S.A.<br />

CHILE<br />

On the back <strong>of</strong> a controversial Specific<br />

Mining Tax, finally signed in June <strong>of</strong><br />

this year, and a great deal <strong>of</strong> negative<br />

publicity regarding Barrick Gold’s<br />

development <strong>of</strong> Pascua-Lama, with<br />

commodity prices the way they are, it is<br />

<strong>of</strong> no surprise to see the mining industry<br />

in Chile booming. One only has to take<br />

a look at developments in place or<br />

attempt to claim ground in any one <strong>of</strong><br />

the prospective mineral belts in Chile to<br />

realize the importance <strong>of</strong> Chile in many<br />

companies’ investment strategy. The<br />

Chilean Copper Commission<br />

(Cochilco) estimated that gold and copper<br />

mining investment in Chile could<br />

total US$15.22 billion between 2004<br />

and 2008!<br />

Among these investments, a major<br />

US$637M expansion <strong>of</strong> Los Pelambres<br />

(Ant<strong>of</strong>agasta plc-Japanese consortium)<br />

was approved in 2005, while major upand-coming<br />

projects in 2006 include production<br />

from BHP Billiton’s US$990M<br />

Spence and US$870M Escondida (bacterial<br />

leach) projects, and the US$1.4 billion<br />

development <strong>of</strong> Barrick’s 17-Moz<br />

Pascua-Lama gold project.<br />

Andina Minerals Corp. has reported<br />

results from drilling the Dorado East<br />

zone on its Volcan project (Andina<br />

Minerals Corp., 100% option) located in<br />

the Maricunga belt. Hole DVA-001<br />

returned 146 m @ 1.27 g/t Au from surface,<br />

with a second intersection occurring<br />

from 262 m returning 24 m @ 0.67<br />

g/t Au. The true thickness <strong>of</strong> the 146-m<br />

mineralized interval is estimated to be<br />

approximately 60 m. The company is<br />

planning further drilling during the<br />

2005–2006 season in order to expand<br />

the size <strong>of</strong> the Dorado East and Central<br />

mineralized zones.<br />

Antafogasta Minerals is on track to<br />

complete a US$15.3M prefeasibility<br />

study on its Esperanza deposit by<br />

October 2006. Approximately 40,000 m<br />

<strong>of</strong> drilling should be completed by early<br />

fall. A 2.2 km decline is currently under<br />

construction. Esperanza has an inferred<br />

in-pit sulfide resource <strong>of</strong> 367 Mt @<br />

0.64% Cu and 0.29 g/t Au.<br />

Barrick Gold has received significant<br />

negative publicity since announcing its<br />

plans to develop the Pascua-Lama gold<br />

deposit. Opposition has focused on<br />

Barrick’s plan to relocate part <strong>of</strong> a<br />

glacier in order to access the ore, arguing<br />

that this could have an impact on<br />

water supply to local farmers and harm<br />

the environment. Construction is due to<br />

commence in 2006, with the start production<br />

in 2009, with an output <strong>of</strong><br />

750,000–775,000 oz/yr <strong>of</strong> gold and<br />

32–34 Moz/yr <strong>of</strong> silver a year for the<br />

first 10 years <strong>of</strong> operation.<br />

In order to secure a stable, long-term<br />

copper supply to China, China’s<br />

Minmetals and Corporacion Nacional<br />

del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) formalized<br />

a maximum US$2 billion joint venture,<br />

with US$550M going toward<br />

Codelco’s Gaby project, which is in the<br />

pipeline to be developed around 2010.<br />

Geocom Resources Inc. announced<br />

the results from 512 m <strong>of</strong> drilling on<br />

their Escorpion project located in the<br />

Coquimbo district, <strong>of</strong> Region IV. Better<br />

intersections include hole ES-01, 7.8 m<br />

@ 0.94 g/t Au; hole ES-02, 10.8 m @<br />

2.03 g/t Au.<br />

International PBX Ventures<br />

announced the results from an additional<br />

1,350 m, five-hole, DD program<br />

on its Copaquire Cu-Mo porphyry project<br />

located 15 km west <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Collahuasi mine. Significant intercepts<br />

include Cerro Moly zone-hole CQ09,<br />

176.8 m @ 0.056% Mo from 28.6 m,<br />

including 30 m @ 0.122% Mo from 43.6<br />

m, and Sulfato zone - hole CQ05, 108 m<br />

@ 0.41% Cu from 224.8 m, and CQ10,<br />

93 m @ 0.48% Cu from 89.8 m. A more<br />

extensive and systematic 25,000-m drill<br />

program is planned on the Copaquire<br />

target during 2005.<br />

Mena Resources completed a 22-hole<br />

RC drill program on its Vaquillas-<br />

Cenizas gold-silver project. Ten holes<br />

were drilled in the Vaquillas area. Better<br />

intersections include hole VQ003, 54 m @<br />

0.69 g/t Au, and 24.4 g/t Ag from 106 m;<br />

and hole VQ009, 68 m @ 0.67 g/t Au,<br />

and 23.1 g/t Ag, from 108 m. Of the six<br />

holes drilled in the Cenizas area, only<br />

hole CZ005 intercepted significant mineralization,<br />

returning 198 m @ 0.<strong>45</strong> g/t Au.<br />

Drilling on the Rio Figueroa project<br />

(Metallica Resources Inc., 100%<br />

option), located approximately 85 km<br />

southeast <strong>of</strong> Copiapó, intercepted 348 m<br />

@ 0.30% Cu and 0.30 g/t Au, which<br />

included 70 m @ 0.59% Cu and 0.31 g/t<br />

in the Cerro Matta area. Nine holes<br />

totaling 2,884 m were drilled, with five <strong>of</strong><br />

these holes intercepting anomalous Cu-<br />

Au mineralization with Cu > 0.10% and<br />

Au > 0.10 g/t over intervals in excess <strong>of</strong><br />

100 m. Further drilling is planned. The<br />

Rio Figueroa project includes a cluster <strong>of</strong><br />

6 porphyry Cu-Au occurrences, in addition<br />

to an epithermal Au occurrence<br />

known as Quebradas. The best hole<br />

drilled at Quebradas, QG-02, returned 17<br />

m @ 1.98 g/t Au that included 8 m @<br />

3.70 g/t Au.<br />

Quadra Mining has announced an<br />

independent resource estimate on its<br />

Sierra Gorda Cu-Mo project. Sierra<br />

Gorda is estimated to contain indicated<br />

and inferred sulfide resources <strong>of</strong> 397.3<br />

Mt @ 0.38% Cu and 0.05% Mo (COG =<br />

0.34% Cu equiv), in addition to an indicated<br />

and inferred oxide and supergene<br />

resources <strong>of</strong> 217.24 Mt @ 0.36% Cu<br />

(COG = 0.2% Cu). A 15,000-m RC drill<br />

program will try and expand oxide<br />

resource and carry out further exploration<br />

in the area.<br />

Regalito Copper Corp. (previously<br />

Lumina Copper) is raising finance to<br />

purchase by water and surface rights<br />

and provide general working capital in<br />

connection with the development <strong>of</strong> its<br />

Regalito copper project.<br />

An updated resource estimate for the<br />

Cinabrio deposit <strong>of</strong> 6.51 Mt @ 1.49%<br />

Cu, 0.03 g/t Au and14.3 g/t Ag has<br />

been reported by SMC Gold Ltd. SMC<br />

Gold plans to develop Cinabrio as part<br />

<strong>of</strong> their Punitaqui operation already in<br />

production.<br />

South American Gold and Copper<br />

and Rio Tinto signed a letter <strong>of</strong> understanding<br />

earlier in the year to explore<br />

the Pimenton Cu-Au porphyry. Rio<br />

Tinto has agreed to drill four DD holes<br />

within the first year,<br />

to page<br />

after which they have 38 ...<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS


EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

38 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 37<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

an option to enter a formal joint venture<br />

agreement. Rio Tinto can potentially<br />

earn a 60% interest.<br />

On Trio Gold’s San Ramon Cu-Au-<br />

Co project, located <strong>45</strong> km west <strong>of</strong><br />

Copiapo, step-out drilling testing the<br />

San Ramon shear intersected 7.7 m @<br />

5.4% Cu, 1.51 g/t Au, and 0.05% Co<br />

from 103.3 m. Trio Gold is planning to<br />

conduct further drilling to test geophysical<br />

anomalies associated with the same<br />

mineralized structure.<br />

Valencia Ventures reported earlier in<br />

the year results <strong>of</strong> a 16-hole RC drill<br />

program on its Cachinal Ag-Au project.<br />

Targeting historical workings, better<br />

intersections include hole CLRC-02, 21<br />

m @ 189.3 g/t Ag, and 0.05 g/t Au from<br />

63 m; and in hole CLRC-12, 18 m @<br />

231.4 g/t Ag, and 0.19 g/t Au from 122<br />

m. Further exploration including RC<br />

drilling is planned.<br />

ECUADOR<br />

Aurelian Resources has completed a<br />

four-hole, 573-m, angled diamond drill<br />

program at the Las Penas-Bonza gold<br />

deposit in southeastern Ecuador. All<br />

holes tested cross structures <strong>of</strong> the main<br />

structural system with hole CP05-42<br />

returning the best results <strong>of</strong> 101 m @<br />

2.85g/t Au including 14.47 m @ 14.47<br />

g/t Au. Previous work at Penas-Bonza<br />

has determined an inferred resource <strong>of</strong><br />

15 Mt @ 1.07 g/t Au and 11.6 g/t Ag, at<br />

a 0.75 g/t Au equiv cut<strong>of</strong>f.<br />

Approximately 20 km southwest from<br />

the Las Penas-Bonza project, Aurelian<br />

confirmed gold mineralization associated<br />

with a northeast-trending, southeast-dipping<br />

shear zone, and identified<br />

several other vein and shear systems at<br />

the Bella Vista prospect.<br />

Further reconnaissance exploration<br />

for epithermal Au-Ag mineralization by<br />

Cornerstone Capital Resources on the<br />

Shyri project in south-central Ecuador<br />

has identified at least three areas <strong>of</strong><br />

interest—Tasqui, Wison and areas<br />

adjacent to IAMGOLD’s Quimsacocha<br />

concessions—in addition to the<br />

Canaribamba area. These areas are<br />

reported to be gold bearing and have<br />

epithermal-style stockwork systems and<br />

vein arrays with advanced argillic and<br />

quartz-alunite alteration. Recent rock<br />

chip samples returned values up to 46.6<br />

g/t Au and 19.1 g/t Ag over 0.4 m in the<br />

Canaribamba area.<br />

Reconnaissance work by Cornerstone<br />

continues on the Rinconada and<br />

Monterrey concessions. A 3,000-m drill<br />

program by Largo Resources is testing<br />

six IP geophysical anomalies on its<br />

Macuchi property in central Ecuador.<br />

Skeena Resources has begun a drill<br />

program on the El Corazon gold project<br />

in northwestern Ecuador. Previous<br />

drilling on the property returned 2.3 g/t<br />

Au over 70.8 m in DDH34, in DDH37<br />

2.1 g/t Au over 90 m, and more recently<br />

underground sampling by Skeena<br />

returned 9.7 g/t Au over 56 m.<br />

Rock chip sampling reporting up to<br />

6.26 g/t Au and 79 g/t Ag over 8 m confirmed<br />

the presence <strong>of</strong> mineralization in<br />

Dynasty’s Cola prospect. Recent<br />

drilling, 3,084 m in 32 holes, in the<br />

adjacent Papayal and Cerro Verde<br />

mineralized zones, returned intersections<br />

<strong>of</strong> 25.37 m @ 2.0 g/t Au and 8 g/t<br />

Ag in hole 05DDH24, and 14.0 m @2.34<br />

g/t Au and 10 g/t Ag in hole 05DDH25.<br />

Laurentian University<br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Earth Sciences<br />

Mineral Exploration Research Centre<br />

<strong>Economic</strong> Geology<br />

The Department <strong>of</strong> Earth Sciences and Mineral Exploration Research Centre at Laurentian<br />

University invite applications for a tenure-track faculty position in <strong>Economic</strong> Geology to be<br />

filled in July 2006. We are particularly interested in candidates who have strong field and<br />

theoretical backgrounds in magmatic and/or hydrothermal ore deposits in Precambrian rocks.<br />

Applicants should have strong research records and be committed to excellence in teaching at the<br />

undergraduate and graduate levels. Supervision <strong>of</strong> graduate students within a vigorous,<br />

externally-funded research program is expected. Applicants must hold a PhD degree by the time<br />

<strong>of</strong> appointment.<br />

The successful candidate will work and interact with faculty, undergraduate and graduate<br />

students, and post-doctoral fellows in the Department <strong>of</strong> Earth Sciences and Mineral Exploration<br />

Research Centre. The Department currently <strong>of</strong>fers BSc degrees in Geology and Environmental<br />

Earth Sciences, thesis-based and applied MSc degrees in Geology, and PhD degrees in Ore<br />

Deposits and Precambrian Geology. Faculty and students have access to excellent light optical,<br />

electron optical, and geochemical analytical equipment, including FLINC, SEM, EPMA, WD-<br />

XRF, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS, and EBSD. Additional information about the Department<br />

and MERC can be found at http:www.laurentian.ca/geology.<br />

Send curriculum vitae, including a complete list <strong>of</strong> publications, a statement <strong>of</strong> teaching interests,<br />

long- and short-term research goals, and the names and mail/e-mail addresses <strong>of</strong> at least (4)<br />

academic references to: Faculty Search Committee, Department <strong>of</strong> Earth Sciences, Laurentian<br />

University, Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2C6, Canada, e-mail: DES@laurentian.ca, Fax: (705) 675-<br />

4898. Screening <strong>of</strong> applications will begin 01 November 2005, but applications will be accepted<br />

until the position is filled.<br />

Laurentian University is a bilingual institution and an equal opportunity employer. It has a policy<br />

<strong>of</strong> passive bilingualism (English/French) as a condition <strong>of</strong> tenure. The university is committed to<br />

equity in employment and encourages applications from women, aboriginal peoples, members <strong>of</strong><br />

visible minorities, and persons with disabilities.<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT PAID ADVERTISEMENT


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 39<br />

The previously reported positive feasibility<br />

study completed by Corriente<br />

Resources for the Mirador project in<br />

southeastern Ecuador <strong>of</strong> in-pit Indicated<br />

Resources <strong>of</strong> 111 Mt @ 0.67% Cu and<br />

0.22 g/t Au (at a cut<strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> 0.4% Cu) continues<br />

to undergo optimization.<br />

Optimization studies include a recently<br />

completed two-stage infill drill program<br />

<strong>of</strong> some 11,850 m in 51 drill holes, a pit<br />

slope review, and inclusion <strong>of</strong> Ag revenue<br />

in the mine model. Recent drilling<br />

encountered high grade mineralization.<br />

Drill hole M116 reported 58 m @ 1.94%<br />

Cu and 0.33 g/t Au in enrichment, from<br />

58 m depth, and continued in primary<br />

mineralization with 269 m @ 0.66% Cu<br />

and 0.17 g/t Au. A new resource calculation<br />

incorporating this drilling and<br />

updated geological modeling is<br />

expected by the end <strong>of</strong> September.<br />

IAMGOLD continues to report infill<br />

and expansion drill results from its<br />

Quimsacocha project in south-central<br />

Ecuador. Results include hole 190 with<br />

59.3 m @ 5.1 g/t Au, hole 192 with 67.5<br />

m @10.3 g/t Au, hole 197 with 50.4 m @<br />

7.9 g/t Au, hole 210 with 54.8 m @5.3<br />

g/t Au, and hole 221 with 58.2 m @ 4.1<br />

g/t Au. The current drilling may be<br />

completed by August, at which time an<br />

independent resource estimate will commence<br />

with a presentation date <strong>of</strong> late<br />

fall.<br />

Metallurgical results reported by<br />

IAMGOLD for the Quimsacocha project<br />

indicate roughly 99% <strong>of</strong> gold and<br />

copper is extracted using a process <strong>of</strong><br />

pressure oxidation followed by cyanidation<br />

<strong>of</strong> the residue. In unoptimized<br />

floatation tests 94 to 97% <strong>of</strong> Au and 98<br />

to 99% <strong>of</strong> copper reported to the concentrate<br />

which treated with pressure<br />

oxidation and cyanide extracted 97% <strong>of</strong><br />

the gold.<br />

Recent drilling by IMC at its Rio<br />

Blanco project intersected high-grade<br />

mineralization <strong>of</strong> up to 151 g/t Au and<br />

647 g/t Ag over 1.2 m, in a newly discovered<br />

vein system following the<br />

drilling <strong>of</strong> some 1930 m in 13 drill<br />

holes. Drilling continues in this sector in<br />

order to develop an inferred resource.<br />

IMC has also completed some infill<br />

and condemnation drilling on the<br />

immediately adjacent Alejandra<br />

deposit and infrastructures areas for<br />

which the company will complete a feasibility<br />

study in January 2006.<br />

PERU<br />

Exploration activity for gold and copper<br />

in Peru continues at a strong pace<br />

despite the growing anti-mining sentiment<br />

in Peru led by left-wing NGO’s,<br />

very political church leaders, drug-traffickers,<br />

and political groups vying for<br />

higher pr<strong>of</strong>iles leading up to the next<br />

federal election in April 2006. The general<br />

widespread frustration, leaving the<br />

communities open to be swayed by the<br />

above mentioned groups, is largely due<br />

to the lack <strong>of</strong> perceived benefits for the<br />

regional communities from the mining<br />

operations as well as the federal governments<br />

and business community’s<br />

apparent lack <strong>of</strong> interest in the problem,<br />

to date, and refusal to pay attention<br />

to the underlying causes <strong>of</strong> the<br />

protests—inequality, frustration and a<br />

feeling <strong>of</strong> abandonment in the regions.<br />

All <strong>of</strong> these factors together are creating<br />

an environment <strong>of</strong> hostility toward<br />

mining and exploration companies.<br />

One can hope that the increased quantity<br />

<strong>of</strong> mining income tax and royalty<br />

funds available to the communities will<br />

be utilized for beneficial projects in the<br />

regions (infrastructure, etc.), and that<br />

the mining and exploration companies<br />

and federal government develop and<br />

carry out more proactive social and<br />

community relations programs.<br />

Drilling by Bear Creek Mining on its<br />

optioned Corani Ag-Au property continues<br />

to show encouraging silver (±<br />

lead-zinc) results with the second ninehole<br />

program returning an average <strong>of</strong><br />

109 g/t Ag over 52 m in all holes (up to<br />

62 m @ 128 g/t Ag, 48 m @ 156 g/t Ag<br />

and 127 m @ 93 g/t Ag). Previous holes<br />

included 78 m @ 130.6 g/t Ag and 52 m<br />

@ 102.6 g/t Ag. Mineralization has been<br />

outlined over a 1,300-m strike length<br />

and remains open in all directions.<br />

Trenching has identified new targets to<br />

the east. To date, Bear Creek has drilled<br />

3,000 m and drilling continues. Trench<br />

results to date include 120 m @ 115 g/t<br />

Ag and 132 m @ 50 g/t Ag. Bear Creek<br />

has also commenced a 500-m, threehole<br />

drill program at their optioned<br />

Pichacani Au-Ag prospect in southern<br />

Peru.<br />

Chariot Resources continues to come<br />

up with encouraging results on the<br />

Marcona Copper JV in southern Peru.<br />

Chariot has completed ~40,000 m <strong>of</strong> a<br />

55,000-m drill program in a 1.8 × 0.8<br />

km area. Latest results include 100 m @<br />

2.32% Cu, 40 m @ 4.19% Cu, 64 m @<br />

1.7% Cu, 36 m @ 2.4% Cu, 62 m @<br />

1.7% Cu, and 76 m @ 1.2% Cu in sulfides,<br />

as well as 102 m @ 0.87% Cu, 70<br />

m @ 1.3% Cu, and 60 m @ 1.1% Cu in<br />

oxides. Chariot hopes to have a new<br />

resource estimate completed by early<br />

fall and a scoping study done by the<br />

end <strong>of</strong> the year. The previous resource<br />

estimate is 218 Mt @ 0.80% Cu.<br />

Peru Copper continues to drill their<br />

Toromocho porphyry Cu project<br />

located in central Peru, having drilled<br />

~100,000 m in 180 holes. Previous operators<br />

drilled 42,394 m. Current global<br />

resource is 1.58 Gt @ 0.49% Cu, 0.015%<br />

Mo and 6.8 g/t Ag including a higher<br />

grade core <strong>of</strong> 818 Mt @ 0.64% Cu,<br />

0.022% Mo and 8.3 g/t Ag. Issues<br />

include metallurgy and social risk as<br />

the adjacent community <strong>of</strong> Morococha<br />

will have to be relocated. A new mineral<br />

resource and prefeasibility study is<br />

expected later in 2005.<br />

Phase two drilling (4,365 m in 13<br />

holes) by Candente Resource Corp.<br />

on their Cañariaco copper property,<br />

located in northern Peru, has expanded<br />

the area <strong>of</strong> mineralization to the south<br />

by 750 m. The mineralization remains<br />

open at depth and laterally. Assays<br />

have not been released yet. Phase 1<br />

Candente drilling (2,648 m in 12 holes)<br />

and previous drilling outlined a<br />

resource <strong>of</strong> 76.5 Mt @ 0.61% Cu and<br />

0.10 g/t Au (0.3% Cu cut<strong>of</strong>f) in a 400 ×<br />

400 m area. Xstrata is reporting positive<br />

results from the current drilling taking<br />

place on their Las Bambas Cu<br />

property located in southern Peru.<br />

Xstrata has completed 30,385 m in 132<br />

drill holes so far in 2005 and expects to<br />

complete 50,000 m by year end. Xstrata<br />

acquired Las Bambas from the Peru<br />

government for initial cash payments <strong>of</strong><br />

US$91M and further commitments.<br />

Social problems continue with several<br />

NGO’s threatening more action.<br />

Serious social problems continue at<br />

Monterrico Mineral’s Rio Blanco Cu-<br />

Mo porphyry property, located on the<br />

northern Peruvian border with Ecuador,<br />

with a couple <strong>of</strong> violent anti-mining<br />

protests having taken place recently.<br />

Monterrico has resumed drilling on the<br />

project as part <strong>of</strong> the ongoing feasibility<br />

study. The new indicated and inferred<br />

resource at Rio Blanco is 213 Mt @<br />

0.89% Cu and 0.022% Mo at 0.7% Cu<br />

cut<strong>of</strong>f. Rio Blanco has a global resource<br />

<strong>of</strong> 1.3 Gt @ 0.57% Cu and 0.022% Mo at<br />

a 0.4% Cu cut<strong>of</strong>f. Latest drilling by<br />

Quadra Mining on the Magistral Cu-<br />

Mo property located in northern Peru<br />

has returned up to 253 m @ 1.19% Cu<br />

and 0.062% Mo, 126 m @ 1.0% Cu and<br />

0.13% Mo, 140 m @ 082% Cu, and<br />

0.144% Mo and 142<br />

to page<br />

m @ 0.88% Cu and<br />

40 ...<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS


EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

40 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 39<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

0.109% Mo. Quadra completed 12,103<br />

m drilling in 47 holes and a prefeasibility<br />

study is in progress. Quadra is earning<br />

a 51% interest in the project from<br />

Inca Pacific Resources.<br />

Barrick’s Alto Chicama HS gold<br />

mine in northern Peru was <strong>of</strong>ficially<br />

inaugurated and will produce 800,000<br />

opy gold for the first three years.<br />

Reserves are 229 Mt @ 1.24 g/t Au for<br />

9.1 Moz gold. AngloGold Ashanti has<br />

sold 100% <strong>of</strong> its Rescatada gold deposit<br />

to Peruvian national company<br />

Aruntani for US$12.5M. AngloGold<br />

retains a back-in right to 60% interest if<br />

more than 2Moz gold is outlined within<br />

three years. In a further blow to<br />

Sulliden Exploration, the arbitration<br />

process regarding ownership at the<br />

Shahuindo gold property has been<br />

temporarily suspended. Sulliden is in<br />

the midst <strong>of</strong> a heated battle against<br />

Peruvian company ATIMMSA over<br />

ownership <strong>of</strong> the property. Junior<br />

Fortuna Silver Mines has acquired<br />

100% <strong>of</strong> the Caylloma silver mine from<br />

Peruvian company Hochschild for a<br />

total <strong>of</strong> US$7.6M plus shares equaling<br />

10.8% <strong>of</strong> Fortuna. Cayllloma has 14<br />

Moz Ag in reserves and resources and<br />

Fortuna hopes to restart the mine<br />

within a year at an annual production<br />

<strong>of</strong> 2 Moz Ag.<br />

The latest drilling by Acero-Martin<br />

on the Pinaya Au-Cu property returned<br />

up to 57.7 m grading 1.04 g/t Au and<br />

1.00% Cu, 46.8 m @ 1.1% Cu and 0.3<br />

g/t Au, 169.5 m @ 0.5% Cu & 0.7 g/t<br />

Au, 98.5 m @ 0.7% Cu, and 0.9 g/t Au.<br />

To date, 20 holes have been drilled by<br />

Acero-Martin and copper-gold mineralization<br />

has been intercepted over a 1<br />

km strike length. Recent phase 3 drilling<br />

by Absolut Resources on their Pico<br />

Machay gold property returned up to<br />

76.5 m @ 1.06 g/t Au, 70.5 m @ 1.17 g/t<br />

Au, 49.5 m @ 1.69 g/t Au, 30 m @ 2.32<br />

g/t Au, and 54 m @ 1.24 g/t Au. A<br />

resource estimate is in progress.<br />

Work by Gitennes Exploration on its<br />

optioned Tucumachay gold property<br />

has returned trench results up to 20 m<br />

@ 5.65 g/t Au, 10.1 m @ 5.23 g/t Au, 10<br />

m @ 5.82 g/t Au, 10 m @ 5.5 g/t Au,<br />

13.5 m @ 5.11 g/t Au, and 10 m @ 6.33<br />

g/t Au. Drilling is planned for later in<br />

the year. Gitennes has an option from<br />

Inmet Mining to earn 100% by spending<br />

US$1.6M by 2008 with Inmet retaining<br />

a back-in right to 60%. Drilling at<br />

Berenguela by optionee Silver<br />

Standard Resources continues to return<br />

high-grade silver intercepts including 49<br />

m @ 605 g/t Ag, 36 m @ 691 g/t Ag, and<br />

63 m @ 128 g/t Ag. Silver Standard has<br />

completed 18,972 m in 222 holes and<br />

expects a resource estimate soon.<br />

Norsemont Mining plans to carry<br />

out a 15-hole, 5,000-m drill program on<br />

its optioned Constancia Cu-Au-Mo porphyry<br />

property located in southern<br />

Peru. Drilling <strong>of</strong> 13,200 m by Rio Tinto,<br />

Mitsui, and Minera Livitaca/Katanaga<br />

has outlined a geological resource <strong>of</strong><br />

189 Mt @ 0.68% Cu and 209 ppm Mo<br />

(at a 0.5% Cu cut<strong>of</strong>f) in a 1.5 by 10.0<br />

km area. Overall resource is 608 Mt @<br />

0.48% Cu and 0.15% Mo (at a 0.3% Cu<br />

cut<strong>of</strong>f). Results include up to 168 m <strong>of</strong><br />

1.14% Cu and 44 m <strong>of</strong> 1.1% Cu with<br />

copper mineralization comprising chalcocite<br />

and chalcopyrite. JOGMEC has<br />

optioned Northern Peru Copper’s (ex-<br />

Lumina) Pashpap Cu-Mo property<br />

located in north-central Peru. JOGMEC<br />

and earn 51% interest by paying<br />

US$200,000 and doing US$5M worth <strong>of</strong><br />

work over four years. Pashpap has a<br />

non-compliant resource <strong>of</strong> 101 Mt @<br />

0.64% Cu and 0.049% Mo.<br />

Antares Minerals has calculated an<br />

inferred independent resource <strong>of</strong> 210 Mt<br />

@ 0.46% Cu on its optioned Huaquira<br />

Cu property, located in southern Peru<br />

immediately south <strong>of</strong> Las Bambas. Of<br />

the total resource there is 121 Mt @<br />

0.49% Cu in mixed secondary and<br />

oxides, and 89.2 Mt @ 0.43% Cu in primary<br />

sulfides. Vena Resources plans to<br />

carry out 2,000-m drilling on their<br />

Aurora porphyry Cu project located in<br />

southern Peru. Previous drilling<br />

returned up to 116 m @ 0.4% Cu. Vena<br />

is also becoming the first junior to register<br />

on the Lima venture stock exchange.<br />

Work by NDT Ventures on their Cori<br />

Puncho property in southern Peru has<br />

returned up to 7 m <strong>of</strong> 2.1 g/t Au, 15 m<br />

<strong>of</strong> 1.58 g/t Au, and 50 m <strong>of</strong> 0.49 g/t Au<br />

in trench samples across the Main shear<br />

zone. Drilling will begin soon. Tinka<br />

Resources plans to carry out 3,000-m<br />

drilling on the Luminaria gold property<br />

located in the Huaraz region <strong>of</strong> northern<br />

Peru. Most <strong>of</strong> the holes will test geophysical<br />

targets. Andresmin has completed<br />

3,640 m drilling in 11 holes on<br />

the Winicocha copper property located<br />

in southern Peru. Assays are pending.<br />

Solex Resources and Frontier Pacific<br />

Mining continue to explore for uranium<br />

in south-eastern Peru. Work to<br />

date on their Macusani project includes<br />

mapping, sampling, and ground geophysics<br />

(101 line-km radiometrics).<br />

Several interesting zones have been<br />

identified to date. Junior Andean<br />

American plans to drill 5,000 m in 28<br />

holes on its Sinchao polymetallic property<br />

located in the Hualgayoc area <strong>of</strong><br />

northern Peru after finally securing<br />

land title and all permits. Drilling will<br />

focus on geophysical targets and test<br />

the grade and continuity <strong>of</strong> the polymetallic<br />

mineralization.<br />

WESTERN<br />

CANADA<br />

Regional Correspondent:<br />

T.G. (Tom) Schroeter (<strong>SEG</strong> 1988 F)<br />

300-865 Hornby Street<br />

Vancouver, BC<br />

Canada V6Z 2G3<br />

Tel: 604-660-2812<br />

E-mail: Tom.Schroeter@gov.bc.ca<br />

Contribution from<br />

Stephen P. Quin (<strong>SEG</strong> 1992 F) – Nunavut<br />

MANITOBA<br />

Exploration for nickel, copper, zinc and<br />

gold is on the rise across the province<br />

due to strong commodity prices. Several<br />

companies, including mining giant De<br />

Beers, are exploring for diamonds in<br />

Manitoba’s far north. This year’s<br />

increased activity is expected to bump<br />

expenditures to around CAN$37M.<br />

Inco announced in August that it will<br />

spend $<strong>45</strong> million to develop the 1-D<br />

Lower ore body in Thompson.<br />

Development will commence in 2006<br />

and first production is scheduled for<br />

2008. The new mine development will<br />

also provide access to additional exploration<br />

targets at depth.<br />

Crowflight Minerals conducted a<br />

winter drill campaign on their Bucko<br />

deposit in Wabowden. A National<br />

Instrument (NI) 43-101 compliant<br />

resource calculation concluded the<br />

deposit contains an indicated resource<br />

<strong>of</strong> 1.22 million tonnes (Mt) grading<br />

2.71% Ni. A feasibility study currently<br />

in progress is expected to be completed<br />

in September.<br />

Nuinsco Resources commenced a<br />

scoping study to evaluate the potential<br />

<strong>of</strong> open pit and underground mining <strong>of</strong><br />

the Minago deposit, located 140 km


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 41<br />

south <strong>of</strong> Thompson. A recent study concluded<br />

Minago contains a measured<br />

and indicated resource <strong>of</strong> 29.84 Mt<br />

grading 0.64% Ni. Winter drilling on<br />

the Main zone at Minago intersected a<br />

2<strong>45</strong>.9-m interval grading 0.68% Ni.<br />

In the Flin Flon-Snow Lake area,<br />

Hudbay Minerals (formerly OntZinc<br />

Corporation) acquired Hudson Bay<br />

Mining and Smelting from Anglo<br />

American in late 2004. In February,<br />

Hudbay announced that it would spend<br />

$10M on exploration over 12 months<br />

on their large Manitoba- and<br />

Saskatchewan-based property portfolio.<br />

Mustang Minerals acquired 100%<br />

interest in the Mayville property in the<br />

Bird River Belt in southeastern<br />

Manitoba. Drilling commenced in June<br />

to test conductors associated with the<br />

12-km-long layered, mafic-ultramafic<br />

Mayville intrusion. By early August, 16<br />

holes had been completed on the M2<br />

zone, all intersecting wide intervals<br />

(minimum 20 m true thickness) <strong>of</strong> sulfide<br />

mineralization containing lowgrade<br />

nickel-copper-PGE values. The M2<br />

zone conductor has 1.2 km <strong>of</strong> untested<br />

strike length remaining, and other geophysical<br />

targets remain to be tested.<br />

Mustang Minerals also owns 100%<br />

interest in the Maskwa nickel deposit<br />

30 km south <strong>of</strong> the Mayville property.<br />

An NI 43-101 compliant resource calculation<br />

completed in February estimates<br />

Maskwa contains an indicated open pit<br />

and underground resource <strong>of</strong> 6.0 Mt,<br />

grading 0.74% Ni and 0.15% Cu.<br />

Drilling conducted in the spring was<br />

successful in extending the Maskwa<br />

deposit to the east.<br />

Bema Gold and Wolfden Resources<br />

conducted another round <strong>of</strong> winter<br />

drilling at their Monument Bay property<br />

in northeast Manitoba. Drilling at<br />

the Twin Lakes and Seeber River zones<br />

intersected high-grade values, including<br />

4.8 m grading 31.71 g/t Au and 3.28 m<br />

grading 41.95 g/t Au. Inferred resources<br />

at Monument (2004) are 1.07 Mt, grading<br />

15.36 g/t Au, using an 8 g/t cut<strong>of</strong>f.<br />

In southeastern Manitoba, San Gold<br />

Resources and Gold City Industries<br />

amalgamated to form San Gold<br />

Corporation. San Gold owns the Bissett<br />

gold mine which consists <strong>of</strong> an 1,100tpd<br />

mill and mine with proven and<br />

probable reserves <strong>of</strong> 818,000 t, grading<br />

9.2 g/t Au. San Gold anticipates having<br />

the Bissett mine back into production<br />

by the fourth quarter <strong>of</strong> 2005. The company<br />

also has 3 other near-surface gold<br />

deposits located in close proximity to<br />

the Bissett operation in various stages <strong>of</strong><br />

exploration or development.<br />

NUNAVUT<br />

Exploration activities continued at a<br />

high level across Nunavut, focused on<br />

gold, diamonds and base metals with or<br />

without PGMs.<br />

Nunavut’s last mining operation,<br />

Goldcorp’s (and formerly Echo Bay’s)<br />

Lupin mine ceased operations, joining<br />

Nanasivik and Polaris as operations in<br />

reclamation.<br />

The largest exploration program in<br />

the Territory continues to be Miramar<br />

Mining’s Hope Bay project, which is<br />

nearing completion <strong>of</strong> a 30,000+ m drill<br />

program focused on advancing portions<br />

<strong>of</strong> the three main deposits to feasibility<br />

status. Miramar reported some outstanding<br />

results from the Madrid<br />

deposit, including 66.5 m grading 11.5<br />

g/t Au in the Naartok zone. On the permitting<br />

front, Miramar continues to<br />

work its way through getting a second<br />

NIRB approval for its Doris North<br />

deposit.<br />

In January, Miramar completed the<br />

sale <strong>of</strong> its option to earn 60% from<br />

Kinross on the Back River project to<br />

Dundee Precious Metals. Dundee is<br />

undertaking a $9M, 18,000-m drilling<br />

program to further define the George<br />

Lake and Goose Lake deposits.<br />

At Meadowbank, Cumberland completed<br />

a feasibility study in February<br />

2005 that confirmed potential for a<br />

large open pit operation at a capital<br />

cost <strong>of</strong> $300M and cash costs <strong>of</strong> US$224<br />

per oz Au. It is now in the midst <strong>of</strong> the<br />

NIRB permitting process. Cumberland is<br />

also undertaking a $3.5M exploration<br />

program at Meadowbank to increase<br />

resources and reserves. Cumberland<br />

also has a 22% carried interest in the<br />

Meliadine West project with Comaplex<br />

Minerals, where a 15,000-m drilling<br />

program is underway to expand the<br />

West Tiriganiaq deposit. Results so far<br />

include up to 13.7 g/t Au over 6.4m.<br />

Gold Fields converted its 55% interest<br />

in the Committee Bay project into<br />

shares <strong>of</strong> Committee Bay Resources,<br />

but granted Gold Fields a one time back<br />

in right to forgo the equity and retain<br />

its 55% interest. In the Committee Bay<br />

belt in eastern Nunavut, drilling<br />

focused on the Three Bluffs area, with<br />

results that included 46 g/t Au over 3.7<br />

m and 13g/t Au over 2.2 m, as part <strong>of</strong> a<br />

$8M program planned for 2005.<br />

Wolfden was active at its High<br />

Lake polymetallic deposit, where it<br />

intersected three new zones <strong>of</strong> massive<br />

sulfides, including the Sand zone 12 km<br />

north <strong>of</strong> High Lake, where the first drill<br />

hole on a UTEM target intersected 2.7%<br />

Cu over 21 m.<br />

Sabina Resources announced a significant<br />

resource increase at the now<br />

100% owned (subject to a back in right<br />

by Teck Cominco) Hackett River massive<br />

sulfide deposit, reporting over 50<br />

Mt polymetallic mineralization dominated<br />

by zinc and silver values. Sabina<br />

is undertaking a resource expansion<br />

program and has reported intercepts <strong>of</strong><br />

up to 10% Zn and 230 g/t Ag over 23<br />

m.<br />

Diamond exploration continues to be<br />

active in a number <strong>of</strong> areas. Tahera’s<br />

Jericho diamond project received its<br />

permits in early 2005 and mobilized<br />

approximately 550 truckloads <strong>of</strong> equipment,<br />

materials, and supplies to the<br />

Jericho site. Construction is reported to<br />

be well underway for a targeted completion<br />

at year end; this will be Nunavut’s<br />

first diamond mine.<br />

In the Churchill area, partners<br />

Stornoway, Shear Minerals and BHP<br />

Billiton reported their first macrodiamond<br />

from the property, one <strong>of</strong> 11 kimberlites<br />

discovered in 2005, including<br />

one in outcrop. On Wales Island, partners<br />

Stornoway, Strongbow and BHP<br />

intersected kimberlite on their first hole.<br />

In the Melville Peninsula,<br />

Stornoway, BHP Billiton, and Hunter<br />

Exploration resumed exploration on<br />

the Aviat project, where 6 diamondiferous<br />

kimberlites have been discovered,<br />

including AV-1, which returned a grade<br />

<strong>of</strong> 0.8 carats per tonne.<br />

In the Slave province, Ashton and its<br />

partners are undertaking a summer<br />

drilling program at Kikerk Lake in the<br />

Coronation Gulf area.<br />

WESTERN<br />

UNITED STATES<br />

Regional Correspondent:<br />

Roger C. Steininger (<strong>SEG</strong> 1978)<br />

Consulting Geologist, 3401 San Mateo Ave.<br />

Reno, NV 89509<br />

Tel: 775-323-7775<br />

Fax 775-323-1134<br />

E-mail: audoctor@aol.com<br />

ARIZONA<br />

Augusta Resource Corp. acquired the<br />

copper resources in the Rosemont district<br />

(Pima County),<br />

to page<br />

consisting <strong>of</strong> the<br />

42 ...<br />

EXPLORATION REVIEWS


EXPLORATION REVIEWS<br />

42 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

... from 41<br />

Exploration Reviews (Continued)<br />

Rosemont, Peach Elgin, and Broadtop<br />

Butte deposits. The aggregate resource<br />

is estimated at 5 billion pounds <strong>of</strong> copper,<br />

with molybdenum credits. Augusta<br />

is commissioning a drilling program<br />

and a prefeasibility study to define<br />

near-surface oxide and deeper sulfide<br />

reserves.<br />

CALIFORNIA<br />

Although the headline read “Gold Mine<br />

becomes Copper Mine” it was not referring<br />

to the Las Vegas gold show where<br />

your favorite property is being pushed<br />

as a uranium opportunity this year,<br />

when it was diamond play last year<br />

and gold target the year before. In this<br />

case, Sutter Gold Mining had $10,000<br />

worth <strong>of</strong> copper cable ripped <strong>of</strong>f (literally)<br />

from its Sutter Creek property.<br />

The perpetrators apparently went<br />

underground and removed the copper<br />

cable, giving a whole new meaning to<br />

underground copper mining.<br />

NEVADA<br />

White Knight Resources must be given<br />

an award for its effort to obtain free<br />

consulting. They have launched the<br />

Lower Plate Challenge. Anyone can go<br />

to their website and make an estimate<br />

<strong>of</strong> where the Lower Plate will be<br />

encountered during drilling at any one<br />

<strong>of</strong> the White Knight properties. Firstplace<br />

prize is a weekend in Las Vegas<br />

and $1,000 cash. Two questions: is the<br />

second place prize two weekends, and<br />

does the Lower Plate refer to the Roberts<br />

Mountains fault or the last dirty dish in<br />

the sink?<br />

Royal Standard Minerals<br />

announced the start <strong>of</strong> mining at<br />

Goldwedge (Nye County) with an initial<br />

bulk sample <strong>of</strong> 3,000 to 5,000 tons.<br />

A facility was built at the site to capture<br />

coarse gold, with the finer gold to be<br />

recovered by heap leaching.<br />

Gold Summit continues to drill at<br />

Monte Cristo (Nye County), but several<br />

recent holes failed to find extensions <strong>of</strong><br />

mineralization to the northeast, southwest,<br />

and other places along the “controlling<br />

fault structure.” Drilling is continuing,<br />

but the focus has turned to<br />

in-filling the resource. At least one analyst<br />

(now there is a good source) estimates<br />

that the deposit has potential for<br />

a small high-grade reserve containing<br />

0.5 to 1.0 Moz gold.<br />

Agnico-Eagle completed three holes<br />

at NDT Ventures’ Trend property in<br />

Eureka County. The holes encountered<br />

a “strongly altered and potentially mineralized<br />

system” between 1,800 and<br />

2,140 ft deep. Alteration consists <strong>of</strong> silica<br />

“flooding,” clay, and pyrite with up<br />

to 74 ppb Au. That sounds like a thousand<br />

other places in the Great Basin.<br />

Three drills are now working at<br />

Midway Gold Corp’s Spring Valley<br />

property (Pershing County). Results continue<br />

to be “all over the map.”<br />

Mineralized intervals vary from a few<br />

feet up to about 100 ft with grades in<br />

the low to mid-0.0X opt Au range, with<br />

the occasional quarter- to as much as<br />

one-half ounce <strong>of</strong> gold per ton.<br />

Castleworth Ventures’ 24 RC holes<br />

in the Black Stallion area <strong>of</strong> the Pan<br />

project (White Pine County) show<br />

promise for outlining another gold<br />

deposit. Some <strong>of</strong> the more significant<br />

intercepts include 40 ft <strong>of</strong> 0.101 opt Au,<br />

85 ft <strong>of</strong> 0.036 opt Au, and 90 ft <strong>of</strong> 0.039<br />

opt Au, all starting at, or near, the surface.<br />

The rest <strong>of</strong> the holes encountered<br />

intervals from 5 to 220 ft with grades in<br />

the 0.01–0.03 opt Au range, containing<br />

narrower intervals <strong>of</strong> higher grades.<br />

Black Stallion is 1,000–2,000 ft west <strong>of</strong><br />

the Pan fault, which hosts the Pan<br />

deposit. Mineralization seems to be<br />

along a north-south structure that is<br />

traceable for at least two miles.<br />

Idaho General Mines filed a Plan <strong>of</strong><br />

Operations with the BLM to place the<br />

Mt. Hope molybdenum project (Eureka<br />

County) into production. Idaho General<br />

claims that there are at least 1.3 billion<br />

pounds <strong>of</strong> recoverable molybdenum at<br />

Mt. Hope. Now all they need is $400<br />

million to develop the deposit, the<br />

molybdenum market stay robust, and<br />

Phelps Dodge not to return Climax to<br />

production.<br />

Canyon Resources terminated its<br />

option to acquire the Hycr<strong>of</strong>t property<br />

(Humboldt County) from Vista Gold<br />

Corp. Canyon completed 33 drill holes<br />

totaling 12,475 ft and produced a new<br />

resource estimate. The new measured<br />

and indicated resource at the<br />

Brimstone deposit is 52.7 million tons<br />

(Mt) with an average grade <strong>of</strong> 0.019 opt<br />

Au. Part <strong>of</strong> Canyon’s reason for terminating<br />

the option was “increased costs,<br />

as well as shortage <strong>of</strong> labor and large<br />

mining equipment.” Too bad they hadn’t<br />

taken advantage <strong>of</strong> the Nevada<br />

Exploration Futures Market in Rachel to<br />

secure the needed labor and equipment<br />

(see last issue’s comments).<br />

Two RC drill holes intersected highgrade<br />

gold at Gateway Gold’s Crusher<br />

target, about 600 ft northeast <strong>of</strong> the<br />

North Sammy pit (Elko County). One<br />

intercept is 135 ft <strong>of</strong> 0.122 opt Au and<br />

the other 25 ft <strong>of</strong> 0.818 opt Au. More<br />

drilling is in progress to define these<br />

gold-bearing zones.<br />

Quincy Energy released a news<br />

release outlining the results <strong>of</strong> a sevenhole,<br />

7,700-ft RC program at its Seven<br />

Troughs property (Pershing County).<br />

The three pages explained why a couple<br />

<strong>of</strong> deep 10-ft intervals <strong>of</strong> 0.01X opt Au<br />

represent “an interesting low-grade bulk<br />

mineable target … in extensive pyrite<br />

bearing zones.” Really?<br />

UTAH<br />

Palladon Ventures announced that it<br />

would start commercial production <strong>of</strong><br />

iron ore from the Comstock/Mountain<br />

Lion iron project (Iron County) in the<br />

fall. Magnetite concentrate will be produced<br />

and shipped to a Chinese purchaser.<br />

Lithic Resources leased the Crypto<br />

zinc property from EuroZinc Mining<br />

Corp. In 1993, Cyprus Minerals estimated<br />

that the deposit contains about 6<br />

Mt <strong>of</strong> sulfide mineralization with a<br />

grade <strong>of</strong> 8.6% Zn and an oxide resource<br />

<strong>of</strong> about 3.1 Mt with an average grade<br />

<strong>of</strong> 7% Zn.<br />

There is no decay in uranium activity<br />

in Utah. Over 6,000 claims were staked<br />

in the Plateau counties <strong>of</strong> San Juan,<br />

Emery, Grand, and Garfield since the<br />

start <strong>of</strong> the year, mostly for uranium.<br />

Constellation Copper Corp. completed<br />

13 drill holes in the newly discovered<br />

Flying Diamond copper deposit.<br />

All <strong>of</strong> the holes intersected copper mineralization<br />

averaging 83 ft thick with<br />

an average grade <strong>of</strong> 0.70% Cu. The<br />

deposit is open in all directions, except<br />

to the east-northeast where it abuts the<br />

east splay <strong>of</strong> the Lisbon Valley fault.<br />

Mineralization is primarily chalcocite,<br />

cuprite, and bornite in sandstone members<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Cretaceous Dakota and<br />

Burro Canyon Formations. Silver is present<br />

in the range <strong>of</strong> 0.6 to 82.4 ppm. 1


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 43<br />

The <strong>Society</strong> Welcomes<br />

The Following<br />

NEW1FELLOWS:<br />

Donald M. Burton Etruscan Resources,<br />

Inc., Windsor, NS, Canada; Sandra J.<br />

Foster, Cameco Corporation, Saskatoon,<br />

SK, Canada; Chris J. Gaughan, Elwood,<br />

VIC, Australia; Oleksandr V. Grinchecko,<br />

National Taras Shevchenko University <strong>of</strong><br />

Kiev, Kyiv, Ukraine; Ge<strong>of</strong>frey A. Handley,<br />

Placer Dome, Inc., Vancouver, BC,<br />

Canada; Stephen J. Jensen, Teck<br />

Cominco Perú S. A., Lima, Perú; Karen D.<br />

Kelley, U. S. Geological Survey, Denver,<br />

CO; Luis W. Rivera Quispe, Minera Perú<br />

Copper Syndicate S. A., Lima, Perú;<br />

Thomas Sant, Ivanhoe Mines Mongolia,<br />

Inc.; Jon Scoates, Consulting Geologist,<br />

Ottawa, ON, Canada; William H.<br />

Wulftange, Meridian Gold Company,<br />

Reno, NV.<br />

The <strong>Society</strong> Welcomes<br />

The Following<br />

NEW1MEMBERS:<br />

Johanna M. Alitalo, Anglo American<br />

Exploration, Mala, Sweden; Ferdinand<br />

Dumlao, Western Mining Corporation,<br />

Landsdale, WA, Australia; Thomas R.<br />

Gibson, Gibson Consulting, Pagosa<br />

Springs, CO; Steven R. Grusing, Newmont<br />

Mining Corporation, Carlin, NV; Bruce<br />

Hunter, Mt. Magnet Gold N. L.<br />

(Harmony), Perth, WA, Australia; Georgi<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> MEMBERSHIP NEWS<br />

CANDIDATES FOR 1 FELLOWSHIP<br />

To All <strong>SEG</strong> Fellows:<br />

Pursuant to the <strong>Society</strong>’s Bylaws, names <strong>of</strong> the following candidates, who have been recommended for Fellowship by the Admissions<br />

Committee, are submitted for your consideration. Each applicant’s name and current position are followed by the names <strong>of</strong> their <strong>SEG</strong><br />

sponsors. If you have any comments, favorable or unfavorable, on any candidate, you should send them, in writing before<br />

November 15, 2005. If no objections are received by that date, these candidates will be presented to Council for approval.<br />

Address Comments To:<br />

Chair, <strong>SEG</strong> Admissions Committee<br />

SOCIETY OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGISTS • 7811 Shaffer Parkway • Littleton, CO 80127 • USA<br />

Doherty, Mary E., ALS-Chemex, Reno, NV: L. Graham Closs,<br />

Brian G. Hoal;<br />

Edwards, Alaster C., A & J Edwards and Associates Pty Ltd.,<br />

Camberwell, VIC, Australia: Andy Wilde, Brian G. Hoal;<br />

Frantz, Jose C., Universidad Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul,<br />

Porte Alegre, RS, Brazil: José A. Perrelló, Jeffrey W.<br />

Hedenquist;<br />

Garnett, Richard H.T., Valrik Enterprises, Inc., Oakville, ON,<br />

Canada: Richard Sillitoe, Jeffrey W. Hedenquist;<br />

Keats, Donna, Reno, NV: Jon Foruria, Brian G. Hoal;<br />

Leavitt, James D., Geologix Explorations, Inc., Reno, NV:<br />

William A. Wright, Ronald L. Parratt;<br />

THE SOCIETY ALSO WELCOMES THE ABOVE CANDIDATES AS NEW MEMBERS<br />

I. Magaranov, Rio Tinto Mel, S<strong>of</strong>ia,<br />

Bulgaria; Paul R. Morley, Newmont<br />

Mining Corporation, Accra, Ghana; Jean<br />

Louis Vigneresse, CREGU, Vandoeuvre<br />

Cedex, France; Gernot E. Wober, Hunter-<br />

Dickinson, Inc., Heffley Creek, BC,<br />

Canada; Wade S. Johnson, Newmont,<br />

West Perth, WA, Australia; Sheron T<br />

Kavilia, Skorpion Zinc Mine, Rosh Pinah,<br />

Namibia; Eric A. LeLacheur, Elkhorn<br />

Goldfields, Inc., Boulder, MT; Raul J.<br />

Madrid, Victoria Resources US Inc, Napa,<br />

CA; Damian M. Brett, Phelps Dodge,<br />

Kiruna, Sweden; Musie Gebre-Mariam,<br />

Newmont Australia, West Perth, WA,<br />

Australia; Alex V Gostevskikh, Centerra<br />

Gold, Delta, BC, Canada; Garth E.<br />

Graham, U. S. Geological Survey, Denver,<br />

CO; Koji Hamano, Nikko Exploration and<br />

Development Company, Ltd., Minato-Ku,<br />

Tokyo, Japan; Jane M. Hammarstrom, U.<br />

S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA; George<br />

F. Klemmick, Alaska Department <strong>of</strong><br />

Natural Resources, Chugiak, AK; Brett S.<br />

McKay, Malachite Resources NL, North<br />

Sydney, NSW, Australia; Patrick M.<br />

Manouge, Nickel Australia Limited, West<br />

Perth, WA, Australia; Esteban E. M.<br />

Montoya, Compania Minera Quebrada<br />

Blanca S. A., Iquique, Chile; Juan C.<br />

Sarmiento, Compania de Minas<br />

Buenaventura S. A. A., Lima, Peru; Erika<br />

J. Shepard, Century Mining, Blaine, WA;<br />

Edgar W. Alayo Leon, ASC Peru LDC,<br />

Lima, Peru; Farrell J. Andersen, Prospex<br />

Geological Enterprises, Marsh Lake, YT,<br />

Canada; Richard H.T. Garnett, Valrik<br />

Enterprises Inc., Oakville, ONT, Canada;<br />

Margolis, Jacob, Bullion River Gold Corporation, Reno, NV:<br />

David L. Emmons, Brian G. Hoal;<br />

Perkins, Robert A., The Perkins Corporation, Reno, NV:<br />

Tommy B. Thompson, Brian G. Hoal;<br />

Piercey, Stephen J., Mineral Exploration Research Centre,<br />

Sudbury, ON, Canada: C. Michael Lesher, Brian G. Hoal;<br />

Sheriff, William M., Energy Metals Corporation, Wylie, TX:<br />

Phillip Goodell, Brian G. Hoal;<br />

Zappettini, Eduardo, Servicio Geologico Minero Argentino,<br />

Bueno Aires, Argentina: José A. Perelló, Jeffrey W.<br />

Hedenquist.<br />

Carl James Jackman, Ivanhoe Mines<br />

Monglia, Moonah, TAS, Australia;<br />

Gantumur Khorloo, Mineral Resources<br />

and Petroleum Authority <strong>of</strong> Mongolia,<br />

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Luis Olcay,<br />

Nacimiento LTD, Santiago, RM, Chile;<br />

Michael B. Skead, Banro Resources, Cape<br />

Town, WP, South Africa; Baojin Zhao,<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Fort Hare, Alice, EC, South<br />

Africa.<br />

The <strong>Society</strong> Welcomes<br />

The Following<br />

NEW1STUDENT MEMBERS:<br />

Lila M. Dolansky, McGill University,<br />

Montreal, QC, Canada; Teesa Kamvong,<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Tasmania, TAS, Australia;<br />

Javier A. Ortuzar, Universidad de Chile,<br />

Santiago-Nunoa, Chile; Rik Sneep,<br />

Utrecht University, Utrecht, The<br />

Netherlands; Bineli Thierry Olivier,<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Geneva, Geneva,<br />

Switzerland; Jesse G. White, University <strong>of</strong><br />

Alaksa-Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK; James<br />

R. Austin, James Cook University,<br />

Townsville, QLD, Australia; Aaron M.<br />

Bertram, McMaster University, Hamilton,<br />

ON, Canada; Sebastian M. Jovic,<br />

Instituto de Recursos Minerales, La Plata,<br />

Argentina; Bronto Sutopo, University <strong>of</strong><br />

Tasmania, TAS, Australia; Michael L.<br />

Takaichi, University <strong>of</strong> Arizona, Tucson,<br />

AZ; Elizabeth R. Sharman-Harris,<br />

University <strong>of</strong> the Witwatersrand,<br />

Johannesburg, South Africa. 1


ANNOUNCEMENTS<br />

44 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

EXPLORING THE MODERN MINERALS RENAISSANCE<br />

NORTHWEST MINING ASSOCIATION’S 111TH<br />

ANNUAL MEETING, EXPOSITION & SHORT COURSES<br />

DECEMBER 5 - 9, 2005 - SPOKANE, WASHINGTON<br />

SHORT COURSES~ INDUSTRY BRIEFINGS<br />

Uranium Short Course & Field Trip Avoiding Permitting Pitfalls & Delays<br />

on Federal Lands Passive Treatment <strong>of</strong> Mining Influenced Waters<br />

Geology-Focused NI 43-101 Reports Traditional Mapping vs. Digital .. Get<br />

With The Digital Age! Principles and Practices <strong>of</strong> Water Management Using<br />

Land Application NIOSH Industry Briefing and USGS Industry Briefing<br />

MINERAL DEPOSITS, GEOLOGY AND EXPLORATION SESSIONS<br />

<strong>SEG</strong>’s New Developments in Porphyry Copper Deposits State & Province<br />

Reports New Trends - Redefining Mineral Wealth Alaska Projects<br />

Moving Forward Large Left Lateral Leaps in Geo-Logic/Primordial Rocks<br />

& Extreme Life Re-Discoveries and New Ideas<br />

BUSINESS AND FINANCE SESSIONS<br />

The Business <strong>of</strong> Mining With a Social License Growth Companies Through<br />

2005 The Business <strong>of</strong> Exploration & Mining - Financing Your Mine<br />

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner!<br />

OPERATIONS SESSIONS<br />

Operations Summit Health and Safety in a Booming Mining Industry<br />

Minerals & Metallurgical Processing<br />

LEGISLATIVE & PUBLIC AFFAIRS SESSIONS<br />

Winning a Social License Through Sustainable Development Legislative Affairs<br />

ENVIRONMENTAL SESSIONS<br />

Reclamation Successes Restoration <strong>of</strong> Abandoned Mines<br />

For more information contact NWMA<br />

Phone: (509) 624-1158 Fax: (509) 623-1241<br />

Email: pheywood@nwma.org Web: nwma@nwma.org<br />

XII Colombian Mining Congress<br />

- Exploration and mining in<br />

tropical terrains<br />

- Mineral Resources<br />

- Mineral production added value<br />

- Field Trips<br />

- Case studies<br />

Colombian Jewelry<br />

- Commercial Jewelry<br />

- Industrial Jewelry<br />

- Artisan Jewelry<br />

- Equipment / Inputs<br />

- Associate companies <strong>of</strong> work. (E.A.T.),<br />

- Emeralds<br />

A Business meeting<br />

- Industrial and mineral<br />

potential <strong>of</strong> Colombia<br />

- Legal and Fiscal conditions<br />

- Mining investment show<br />

- Investors and exchange<br />

Forum<br />

- Mineral prospects and<br />

mining portfolio<br />

Exhibitions<br />

- Exploration Equipment<br />

- Mining Equipment<br />

- Mining Services<br />

SOCIETY OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGISTS AT<br />

THE NWMA MEETING<br />

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSITS: GEOLOGIC<br />

ORIGINS, EXPLORATION, & ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS<br />

TECHNICAL SESSION<br />

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2005<br />

Morning session - 8:00 am - 11:15 am<br />

Session Chair: John H. Dilles (<strong>SEG</strong> Fellow 1987), Department <strong>of</strong><br />

Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.<br />

E-mail: dillesj@geo.oregonstate.edu; Tel: +1.541.737.12<strong>45</strong><br />

Session Description: Porphyry Cu (±Au, ±Mo) deposits are some <strong>of</strong> the<br />

most economically important mineral deposits on earth. The session will<br />

explore what modern geologic and analytical geochemistry studies are<br />

learning about porphyry deposits. Presentations will examine factors that<br />

form porphyry deposits, such as sources <strong>of</strong> metals and fluids, length <strong>of</strong> magmatism<br />

and hydrothermal activity, wall-rock alteration and veins, regional<br />

geology, and tectonics (Butte, Montana); geology <strong>of</strong> current exploration<br />

areas in east Asia and South America, and environmental geology and<br />

geochemistry <strong>of</strong> acid-mine waters related to the Butte superfund site.<br />

Speakers and topics include:<br />

Geology, Geochronology, and Geochemistry <strong>of</strong> Porphyry Cu-Mo<br />

Ores and Base Metal Lodes at Butte, Montana, John H. Dilles,<br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR<br />

El Morro, Chile ppy Cu-Au, Paul E. Dircksen, Exploration Advisor,<br />

Coeur d’Alene, ID<br />

Geochemistry and Remediation <strong>of</strong> Acidic Mine Waters at Butte,<br />

Montana, (Invited) Chris Gammons, Montana Tech <strong>of</strong> University <strong>of</strong><br />

Montana, Butte, MT<br />

Current Exploration <strong>of</strong> the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, (Invited) Peter<br />

Mitchell, QGX, Ltd., Waterdown, ON, Canada<br />

CONGRESO ARGENTINO DE ASOCIACIÓN ARGENTINA DE<br />

GEOLOGÍA ECONÓMICA GEÓLOGOS ECONOMISTAS<br />

VIII CONGRESO ARGENTINO<br />

DE GEOLOGÍA ECONÓMICA<br />

November, 15-17, 2005<br />

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA<br />

The Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong> <strong>of</strong> Argentina<br />

invites you to the VIII Congress <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology.<br />

This international event will <strong>of</strong>fer the opportunity to<br />

present papers on South American Metallogeny, New<br />

Discoveries, Prospecting, and <strong>Economic</strong> Evaluation <strong>of</strong><br />

new projects, as well as Environmental Studies and related<br />

topics.<br />

The exploration and mining <strong>of</strong> VMS and SEDEX deposits<br />

will be emphasized, and Argentina’s prospectivity for<br />

PGE mineralization in mafic and ultramafic complexes<br />

will be reviewed.<br />

________________________________________________<br />

Contact<br />

Dr. Vicente Méndez<br />

Presidente del VIII Congreso Argentino de Geología Económica<br />

Maipú 6<strong>45</strong>, Primer Piso, 1006 ACG Buenos Aires<br />

e-Mail: congreso@aage.org.ar<br />

www.aage.org.ar


OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER <strong>45</strong><br />

personal notes & news<br />

CAREER-RELATED<br />

CHANGES<br />

TERENCE J. BOTTRILL (<strong>SEG</strong> 1992) has been<br />

named exploration manager with<br />

Canadian Shield. Previous employment<br />

has included work for Inco, Rio Algom,<br />

and Battle Mountain Canada. Terence has<br />

40 years <strong>of</strong> experience working in various<br />

terranes around the world.<br />

ODIN D. CHRISTENSEN (<strong>SEG</strong> 1982 F) was<br />

appointed director <strong>of</strong> CMQ Resources.<br />

PETER J. DOYLE (<strong>SEG</strong> 1996) was appointed<br />

by Troy Resources NL to the position <strong>of</strong><br />

Exploration and Business Development<br />

Manager.<br />

LINDSAY B. GILLIGAN (<strong>SEG</strong> 1997) has been<br />

appointed Director, Geological Survey <strong>of</strong><br />

New South Wales, based in Maitland, New<br />

South Wales, Australia.<br />

TOMAS M. GUERRERO (<strong>SEG</strong> 1997 F) has been<br />

appointed director with Fortuna Minerals.<br />

STEPHEN JURAS (<strong>SEG</strong> 1979) was appointed<br />

manager <strong>of</strong> geology for Eldorado Gold.<br />

Prior to joining Eldorado, Stephen was<br />

chief geologist with AMEC Americas.<br />

JAMES B. LINCOLN (<strong>SEG</strong> 1989 F) has been<br />

named vice president <strong>of</strong> corporate development<br />

for Jinshan Gold Mines.<br />

THOMAS K. MANCUSO (<strong>SEG</strong> 1985) has been<br />

named president <strong>of</strong> a three-way merger <strong>of</strong><br />

Reno-based Western Goldfields Inc., TSX<br />

venture-listed Romarco Minerals Inc., and<br />

Colorado-based US Gold Corp. Thomas<br />

has been chief executive <strong>of</strong> Western<br />

Goldfields.<br />

BORDEN PUTNAM III (<strong>SEG</strong> 1980 F) was<br />

appointed director for Eurasian Minerals.<br />

MICHAEL B. SKEAD (<strong>SEG</strong> 2005) has been<br />

promoted to vice president-exploration by<br />

Banro Corp. Michael was previously<br />

exploration manager at Banro. He will be<br />

responsible for directing gold exploration<br />

activities in the Democratic Republic <strong>of</strong><br />

Congo.<br />

DON R. TAYLOR (<strong>SEG</strong> 1982 F) has been<br />

appointed vice president <strong>of</strong> exploration for<br />

Doe Run Co.<br />

RODNEY N. THOMAS (<strong>SEG</strong> 1993), formerly<br />

vice president, exploration, with Diadem<br />

Resources Ltd., was promoted to the position<br />

<strong>of</strong> president, CEO, and director <strong>of</strong> the<br />

company. Previous employment included<br />

work with BHP Minerals Canada Ltd.,<br />

Saskatchewan Mining Development<br />

Corporation, and Urangesellschaft<br />

Canada Ltd.<br />

ROBIN S. TOLBERT (<strong>SEG</strong> 2001) has resigned<br />

as vice president <strong>of</strong> exploration for Ross<br />

River Minerals.<br />

AWARDS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS<br />

Many Thanks, Jeremy!<br />

JEREMY P. RICHARDS (<strong>SEG</strong> 1985 F), who has<br />

served as technical editor <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SEG</strong><br />

Newsletter since April 2003, announced<br />

that he will be stepping down from the<br />

volunteer position after the current issue.<br />

His responsibilities have included soliciting,<br />

selecting, and reviewing feature articles,<br />

as well as shepherding them through<br />

additional peer review. He has also been<br />

responsible for the <strong>Economic</strong> Geology<br />

Commentary column. The <strong>Society</strong> appreciates<br />

the many hours Jeremy devoted to<br />

seeking out interesting work for publication<br />

and will miss his scrupulous editing<br />

and oversight. We thank him for his commitment<br />

and wish him well!<br />

Farewell to Long-Time <strong>SEG</strong> Staffer<br />

JEAN THOMS, first employed by <strong>SEG</strong> in the<br />

early 1990s, retired from her position as<br />

Head <strong>of</strong> Subscription Services in August.<br />

Jean's contribution to the growth <strong>of</strong> the<br />

<strong>Society</strong> over 13 years was enormous and<br />

we all owe her a great debt <strong>of</strong> gratitude.<br />

We wish her well in her retirement.<br />

2005 Mining Hall Inductee<br />

CHARLES MEYER (1915–1987)<br />

has been inducted into the<br />

National Mining Hall <strong>of</strong><br />

Fame. Born September 30,<br />

1915, in St. Louis, Missouri,<br />

Charles received his bachelor’s<br />

and master’s degrees<br />

from Washington University,<br />

and a master’s in geology from<br />

Harvard, where he studied under L.C.<br />

Graton and Donald H. McLaughlin.<br />

He took a position as research geologist<br />

with Anaconda Copper Mining<br />

Company, working under chief geologist<br />

Reno H. Sales, with whom he studied the<br />

mineralization <strong>of</strong> the district around<br />

Butte, Montana. The outgrowth <strong>of</strong> the<br />

study, involving an analysis <strong>of</strong> mineralogy<br />

and ore controls with laboratory support,<br />

was a detailing <strong>of</strong> the process <strong>of</strong> ore<br />

formation and its effect on wall rocks.<br />

Based on the work, Charles was awarded<br />

a Ph.D. by Harvard in 1950.<br />

In 1953, Charles joined the University<br />

<strong>of</strong> California at Berkeley. He retired to<br />

Sedona, Arizona, in 1982, becoming an<br />

adjunct pr<strong>of</strong>essor at the University <strong>of</strong><br />

Arizona.<br />

A dedicated member <strong>of</strong> <strong>SEG</strong>, Charles<br />

was named President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong> in<br />

1971, and received the <strong>SEG</strong> Penrose Gold<br />

Medal in 1982.<br />

Sam Adams to Receive AGI Award<br />

SAMUEL S. ADAMS (<strong>SEG</strong><br />

1975 F) is the 2005<br />

American Geological<br />

Institute (AGI) Medalist<br />

in Memory <strong>of</strong> Ian<br />

Campbell. This award is<br />

presented to a geoscience<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essional in recognition<br />

<strong>of</strong> singular performance<br />

in and contributions<br />

to the pr<strong>of</strong>ession <strong>of</strong> geology.<br />

Campbell had remarkable accomplishments<br />

that gave him widespread influence<br />

in the geosciences. AGI’s Medal in<br />

Memory <strong>of</strong> Ian Campbell is the<br />

Institute’s most distinguished award.<br />

Sam received his bachelor’s and master’s<br />

degrees from Dartmouth College<br />

and his Ph.D. from Harvard University<br />

in economic geology. Following graduation,<br />

Adams worked for the International<br />

Minerals and Chemical Corporation<br />

in New Mexico, and then was<br />

named chief geologist at Anaconda<br />

Company.<br />

In 1986, Sam was made chair <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Geology and Geological<br />

Engineering at Colorado School <strong>of</strong><br />

Mines. After five years <strong>of</strong> working with<br />

students, faculty and staff, Adams<br />

returned to New Hampshire to run the<br />

Loon Mountain Recreation Corporation,<br />

the state’s largest ski and summer resort.<br />

A former president <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong>, and most recently,<br />

chair <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SEG</strong> Publications Board, Sam<br />

has served the <strong>SEG</strong> in many capacities.<br />

The award, the most recent <strong>of</strong> many,<br />

will be presented to Sam at the GSA<br />

Presidential Awards on October 15 in<br />

Salt Lake City, Utah.<br />

DEATHS<br />

G. CHRISTIAN AMSTUTZ (<strong>SEG</strong> 1955 SF) died<br />

June 23, 2005, in Switzerland. He had<br />

retired as a pr<strong>of</strong>essor at the University <strong>of</strong><br />

Heidelberg and was a 50-year member <strong>of</strong><br />

the <strong>SEG</strong> at the time <strong>of</strong> his death.<br />

WILLIAM C. GUSSOW (<strong>SEG</strong> 1951 SF) died<br />

August 20, 2005, in Ontario, Canada. He<br />

was 97 years old. No additional information<br />

is available.<br />

ANNOUNCEMENTS


46 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

–<br />

DUES ARE PAYABLE IN ADVANCE OF JANUARY 1, 2006<br />

[ ]:<br />

Fellow, Member - Standard US$95.00 � <strong>Society</strong> US$_________<br />

Electronic Membership US$75.00 � <strong>SEG</strong> Foundation General Fund US$_________<br />

E-Membership w/ print Newsletter Hugo T. Dummett Fund US$_________<br />

Additional US$10.00 � Alberto Terrones L. Fund US$_________<br />

Couples 2 nd Membership US$25.00 � Timothy Nutt Fund US$_________<br />

Student Membership US$10.00 � Hugh E. McKinstry Fund US$_________<br />

Student Membership w/Print Journal US$50.00 � Hickok-RadfordFund US$_________<br />

**Senior Fellows requesting printed journal US$50.00 � <strong>SEG</strong> Canada Foundation – please refer to page 47<br />

**[Senior Fellows not requesting the journal do not pay dues; to retain membership, please return completed form.]<br />

Honorary and Life Fellows, Post-1972 Lindgren Awardees<br />

[Exempt members must indicate if they wish to receive the journal, ] Initial here: _______<br />

An explanation <strong>of</strong> benefits by membership category for 2006 is detailed on page 47.<br />

to the <strong>Society</strong> (<strong>SEG</strong>) and/or the <strong>SEG</strong> Foundation may be included with the dues payment. Income from invested contributionsis<br />

used to support pr<strong>of</strong>essional activities <strong>of</strong> both organizations. The <strong>SEG</strong> and the <strong>SEG</strong> Foundation are tax-exempt501(c)(3) corporations under U.S.<br />

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OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 47<br />

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48 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

SOCIETY OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGISTS<br />

Publications Order Form<br />

Full details on publications are available on-line at www.segweb.org / Publications<br />

TITLE LIST MEMBER<br />

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GUIDEBOOK SERIES:<br />

GB 8: Industrial Mineral Resources <strong>of</strong> the Delaware Basin,<br />

Texas, and New Mexico: J.R. Kyle, Editor; 1990, 203p. $24.00 $19.20<br />

GB 22: Carbonate-Hosted Lead-Zinc-Fluorite-Barite Deposits<br />

<strong>of</strong> North America: K.C. Misra, Editor; 1995, 254p. $36.00 $28.80<br />

GB 28: The Carlin-Type Gold Deposits Field Conference:<br />

P.G. Vikre, et al., Editors; 1997, 294p; 3 colored figures $36.00 $28.80<br />

GB 29: Geology and Ore Deposits <strong>of</strong> the Oquirrh and Wasatch<br />

Mountains, Utah: D.A. John & G.H. Ballantyne, Editors;<br />

1997 (Revised 1998), 308p; 19 colored figures, 2 oversize<br />

colored plates (in pocket) $40.00 $32.00<br />

GB 30: Gold Deposits <strong>of</strong> Northern Sonora, Mexico: K.F. Clark,<br />

Editor; 1998, 252p.; 12 colored figures, 1 oversized figure,<br />

2 oversized plates (in pocket) $36.00 $28.80<br />

GB 31: Epithermal Mineralization <strong>of</strong> the Western Carpathians:<br />

F. Molnár, J. Lexa, & J.W. Hedenquist, Editors; 1999, 274p. $36.00 $28.80<br />

GB 32: PART I. Contrasting Styles <strong>of</strong> Intrusion-Associated<br />

Hydrothermal Systems: J.H. Dilles, et al., Editors;<br />

PART II. Geology & Gold Deposits <strong>of</strong> the Getchell Region;<br />

E.J. Crafford, Editor; 2000, 234p. $40.00 $32.00<br />

GB 33: Svec<strong>of</strong>ennian Ore-Forming Environments: Volcanic-<br />

Associated Zn-Cu-Au-Ag, Intrusion-Associated Cu-Au,<br />

Sediment-Hosted Pb-Zn, and Magnetite-Apatite Deposits<br />

<strong>of</strong> Northern Sweden: R.L. Allen, O. Martinsson, and P. Weihed,<br />

Editors; 2004, 175 p. AVAILABLE ON CD ONLY. $36.00 $28.80<br />

GB 34: Epithermal Gold Mineralization and Modern Analogues,<br />

Kyushu, Japan: C.A. Feebrey, T. Hayashi, & S. Taguchi,<br />

Editors; 2001 188p. AVAILABLE ON CD ONLY! $36.00 $28.80<br />

GB 35: PART I. Proterozoic Iron and Zinc Deposits <strong>of</strong> the Adirondack<br />

Mountains <strong>of</strong> New York and the New Jersey Highlands: J.F. Slack,<br />

Editor; PART II. Environmental Geochemistry and Mining History <strong>of</strong><br />

Massive Sulfide Deposits in the Vermont Copper Belt;<br />

J.M. Hammarstrom & R.R. Seal II; 2001, 294p. $36.00 $28.80<br />

GB 36: Cretaceous Porphyry-Epithermal Systems <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Srednogorie Zone, Bulgaria: K. Bogdanov & S. Strashimirov,<br />

Editors; 2003, 132 p. AVAILABLE ON CD ONLY. $36.00 $28.80<br />

ECONOMIC GEOLOGY MONOGRAPH SERIES:<br />

EG Mono 9: Mineral Deposits <strong>of</strong> Alaska: R.J. Goldfarb &<br />

L.D. Miller, Editors; 1997, 483p., 9 colored figures $<strong>45</strong>.00 $36.00<br />

EG Mono 10: The Giant Kidd Creek Volcanogenic Massive<br />

Sulfide Deposit, Western Abitibi Subprovince, Canada:<br />

M.D. Hannington & C.T. Barrie, Editors; 1999, 676p.,<br />

32 colored figures; hard bound. $60.00 $48.00<br />

EG Mono 11: Massive Sulfide Deposits <strong>of</strong> the Bathurst<br />

Mining Camp, New Brunswick, and Northern Maine:<br />

W.D. Goodfellow, S.R. McCutcheon, & J.M. Peter,<br />

Editors; 2003; 930 p., hardbound. Includes CD-ROM.<br />

(extra postage; see below) $69.00 $55.20<br />

ECONOMIC GEOLOGY JOURNAL SPECIAL ISSUES:<br />

10-Volume Bibliography and Index, Volumes 81-90, 1986-1995 $20.00 $16.00<br />

For a complete listing <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> Geology Special Issues,<br />

go to https://store.agiweb.org/seg/<br />

Vol. 98:8 Map Series Issue with Geology <strong>of</strong> the Bajo de la<br />

Alumbrera Porphyry Copper Deposit, Argentina,<br />

by John M. Pr<strong>of</strong>fett; 4 oversize maps in pocket<br />

Vol. 98:8 Offprint. Geology <strong>of</strong> the Bajo de la Alumbrera<br />

Porphyry Copper Deposit, Argentina: John M. Pr<strong>of</strong>fett;<br />

$50.00 $40.00<br />

4 oversize maps in pocket, 2 foldouts; 40p.<br />

Vol. 99:7 Special Issue Devoted to Barite and Zn-Pb-Ag<br />

Deposits in the Red Dog District, Western Brooks Range,<br />

$35.00 $28.00<br />

Northern Alaska: Guest Editors, K.D. Kelley & S. Jennings<br />

<strong>Economic</strong> Geology 100<br />

$50.00 $40.00<br />

th Anniversary Volume: J.W. Hedenquist,<br />

J.F.H. Thompson, R.J. Goldfarb, and J.P. Richards, Editors; 2005,<br />

1146 p. hardcover; Supplementary Appendices on CD-ROM. $100 $80<br />

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REVIEWS IN ECONOMIC GEOLOGY SERIES:<br />

Rev. 5: Sedimentary and Diagenetic Mineral Deposits:<br />

A Basin Analysis Approach to Exploration: E.R. Force,<br />

J.J. Eidel & J.B. Maynard, Editors $10.00 $8.00<br />

Rev. 6: PART A: The Environmental Geochemistry <strong>of</strong> Mineral Deposits:<br />

Processes, Techniques, and Health Issues; G.S. Plumlee & M.J. Logsdon,<br />

Editors; PART B: The Environmental Geochemistry <strong>of</strong> Mineral Deposits:<br />

Case Studies and Research Topics; L.H. Filipek & G.S. Plumlee,<br />

Editors; 1999, Volume set total 583p. Sold only as a set $55.00 $44.00<br />

Rev. 7: Applications <strong>of</strong> Microanalytical Techniques to<br />

Understanding Mineralizing Processes: M.A. McKibben,<br />

W.C. Shanks, III, & W.I. Ridley, Editors; 1998, 271p. $34.00 $27.20<br />

Rev. 8: Volcanic-Associated Massive Sulfide Deposits:<br />

Processes and Examples In Modern And Ancient Settings:<br />

C.T. Barrie & M.D. Hannington, Editors; 1999, 416p. $40.00 $32.00<br />

Rev. 9: Ore Genesis and Exploration: The Roles <strong>of</strong> Organic Matter:<br />

T.H. Giordano, R.M. Kettler, & S.A. Wood, Editors; 2000, 340 p. $49.00 $39.20<br />

Rev. 10: Techniques in Hydrothermal Ore Deposits Geology:<br />

J.P. Richards & P.B. Larson, Editors; 1998, 264 p. $34.00 $27.20<br />

Rev. 11: Metamorphosed and Metamorphogenic Ore Deposits:<br />

P.G. Spry, B. Marshall, & F.M. Vokes, Editors; 2000, 310p. $44.00 $35.20<br />

Rev. 12: Application <strong>of</strong> Radiogenic Isotopes to Ore Deposit<br />

Research and Exploration: D.D. Lambert & J. Ruiz,<br />

Editors; 1999, 208p. $32.00 $25.60<br />

Rev. 13: Gold In 2000: S.G. Hagemann & P.E. Brown,<br />

Editors; 2000, 560p.; 8 colored figures $69.00 $55.20<br />

Rev. 14: Structural Controls on Ore Genesis: J.P. Richards<br />

& R.M. Tosdal, Editors; 2001, 190p. $<strong>45</strong>.00 $36.00<br />

SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS SERIES:<br />

SP 3: Ore Reserve Estimates in the Real World:<br />

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SP 4: Carbonate-Hosted Lead-Zinc Deposits:<br />

D.F. Sangster, Editor; 1996, 672p.; hard bound $60.00 $48.00<br />

SP 7: Geology and Ore Deposits <strong>of</strong> the Central Andes:<br />

B.J. Skinner, Editor; 1999, 368p. $38.00 $30.40<br />

SP 8: New Mines and Discoveries in Mexico and Central America:<br />

T. Albinson & C.E. Nelson, Editors; 2001, 362p. $68.00 $54.40<br />

SP 9: Integrated Methods for Discovery: Global Exploration in the<br />

21st Century: R.J. Goldfarb & R.L. Nielsen, Editors; 2002, 392p. $59.00 $47.20<br />

SP 10: Volcanic, Geothermal and Ore-Forming Fluids: Rulers<br />

and Witnesses <strong>of</strong> Processes within the Earth: S.F. Simmons<br />

& I. Graham, Editors; 2003, 360p. $59.00 $47.20<br />

SP 11: Andean Metallogeny: New Discoveries, Concepts,<br />

and Updates: R.H. Sillitoe, J. Perelló, and C.E. Vidal, Editors;<br />

2004, 358p. $59.00 $47.20<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> CONFERENCE SERIES: (Note: CD-ROMs listed are not audio)<br />

Global Exploration 2002: Integrated Methods for Discovery<br />

Abstracts <strong>of</strong> Oral and Poster Presentations, Apr. 14-16, 2002;<br />

E.E. Marsh, R.J. Goldfarb, & W.C. Day, Editors; 150p. $10.00 $ 8.00<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> 2004: Predictive Mineral Discovery Under Cover:<br />

Extended Abstracts. <strong>SEG</strong> and the Centre for Global<br />

Metallogeny (Australia). AVAILABLE ON CD-ROM ONLY. $20.00 $16.00<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> Forum 2005: Controversies on the Origin <strong>of</strong> World-Class<br />

Gold Deposits: Carlin and Witwatersrand, May 14, 2005;<br />

John Muntean, Organizer. AVAILABLE ON CD ONLY. $20.00 $16.00<br />

<strong>SEG</strong> Member Discount:<br />

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OCTOBER 2005 • No 63 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER 49<br />

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<strong>SEG</strong> VIDEO/DVD SERIES: Note: Each tape/DVD includes two one-hour lectures*<br />

Vid. 1: 1) The Genesis <strong>of</strong> Magmatic Ni-Cu (PGE) Sulfide Deposits<br />

2) Physical Volcanology, Geochemistry and Petrogenesis <strong>of</strong><br />

Komatiite Basalt Lava Channels and Channelized Sheet Flows<br />

in the Cape Smith Belt, New Quebec: C. Michael Lesher,<br />

Laurentian University, Sept. 1998 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 2: 1) Worldwide Exploration: Can We Afford It?,<br />

2) Exploration Strategic Planning: Michael J. Knuckey, President,<br />

Noranda Mining Exploration, Ltd., Nov. 1998 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 3: 1) The Porphyry to Epithermal Continuum: Evidence from<br />

Volcanoes and Ore Deposits, 2) Characteristics <strong>of</strong> and Exploration<br />

for Epithermal Gold Deposits in the Circum Pacific: Jeffrey W.<br />

Hedenquist, Consulting <strong>Economic</strong> Geologist, April 1999 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 4: 1) Epithermal Gold Deposits—Characteristics, Classes<br />

and Causes 2) Convergent Evolution and Ore Deposits:<br />

Noel C. White, Consulting <strong>Economic</strong> Geologist, Sept. 1999 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 5: 1) Cordilleran Metallogeny <strong>of</strong> Western Canada<br />

2) Intrusion-related Mineral Deposits: Tectonics, Magmas and<br />

Fluids: John Thompson, Teck Corporation, Feb. 2000 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 6: 1) Geology and Genesis <strong>of</strong> the Irish Zn-Pb-Ag Ore Field<br />

2) The Lisheen Deposits, Ireland: Discovery and Delineation<br />

<strong>of</strong> a Blind Zn-Pb-Ag Orebody: Murray W. Hitzman,<br />

Colorado School <strong>of</strong> Mines, Sept. 2000 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 7: 1) How Orebodies are Found 2) The Arequipa<br />

Resources Pierina Project: David J. Lowell,<br />

Lowell Mineral Exploration, Feb. 2001 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 8: 1) Tectonic Setting and Structural Controls in the Giant<br />

Eocene-Oligocene Porphyry Copper Deposits <strong>of</strong> Northern<br />

Chile 2) Late Cenozoic Mineralization and Crustal Evolution<br />

in a Thickening Arc: The Maricunga and El Indio Mineral<br />

Belts: Constantino Mpodozis, Chilean Geological Survey, Mar. 2001 $25.00 $20.00<br />

<strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong><br />

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*For a shipping discount on four or more items mailed to the same address, please contact the <strong>SEG</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />

Vid. 9: 1) Mineral Resources and Mining: Supply, Demand the<br />

Environment 2) Supergene Oxidation <strong>of</strong> Copper Deposits:<br />

The Zoning <strong>of</strong> Copper Oxide Minerals and Applications to<br />

Minerals Exploration: William X. Chavez, Jr., New Mexico<br />

Institute <strong>of</strong> Mining, Apr. 2001 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 10: 1) Reflections on the Bre-X Saga<br />

2) Pioneering Mining in the Arctic: Graham Farquharson,<br />

Strathcona Mineral Services, Ltd., Nov. 2001 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 11: 1) Mississippi Valley-type Lead-Zinc Deposits through<br />

Earth History: Implications for Ore Genesis, Crustal Fluid-Flow,<br />

Paleoclimate, and Relation to Shale-Hosted (SEDEX) Deposits:<br />

David L. Leach, U.S. Geological Survey, Mar. 2002 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 12: 1) Discovery History and Geology <strong>of</strong> the Cannington<br />

Ag-Pb-Zn Deposit 2) Advances in Micro-Analytical Technologies<br />

— What a grain can tell you Steve Walters,<br />

Macquarie University, Apr. 2002 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 13: 1) Lode Gold Deposits through Earth History — Patterns<br />

in Space and Time 2) Metallogeny <strong>of</strong> Gold Deposits in<br />

China: R.J. Goldfarb, U.S. Geological Survey, Mar. 2003 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 15: 1) Characteristics <strong>of</strong> Lode Gold Deposits in Greenstone<br />

Belts 2) Geology and Setting <strong>of</strong> Gold Deposits in the North<br />

Carlin Trend, Nevada: François Robert, Barrick Gold, Dec. 2004 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 16: 1) Characteristics and Genesis <strong>of</strong> Carlin-type Gold<br />

Deposits, NV 2) Upwelling Hot Water at a Proposed Nuclear<br />

Waste Repository: Jean Cline, Univ. <strong>of</strong> Nevada, Las Vegas,<br />

Feb. 2005 $25.00 $20.00<br />

Vid. 17: 1) Breccias in Epithermal and Porphyry Deposits:<br />

NEW<br />

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The Birth and Death <strong>of</strong> Magmatic-Hydrothermal Systems<br />

2) The Giant Sediment-Hosted Zn-Pb-Ag Deposits <strong>of</strong><br />

Northern Australia: David R. Cooke, Univ. <strong>of</strong> Tasmania, Feb. 2005 $25.00 $20.00<br />

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09/05


ANNOUNCEMENTS<br />

50 <strong>SEG</strong> NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005<br />

2005<br />

SOCIETY OF<br />

ECONOMIC GEOLOGISTS<br />

Nov. 15–17. VIII Congreso Argentino<br />

de Geología Económica. Buenos Aires,<br />

Argentina. E-mail: congreso@aage.org.ar;<br />

Website: . See p. 44.<br />

★ Dec. 5–9. Northwest Mining<br />

Association (NWMA) Conference.<br />

Spokane, Washington, USA. Website:<br />

.<br />

For more details, see p. 44.<br />

2006<br />

Jan. 5–6. Mineral Deposit Studies<br />

Group (MDSG) 2006. London Annual<br />

Winter Meeting. Natural History Museum,<br />

London. Organized by MDSG in association<br />

with Imperial College London and<br />

the Natural History Museum. website:<br />

. For<br />

information, contact John Chapman,<br />

e-mail: john.chapman@imperial.ac.uk.<br />

May 14–16. <strong>SEG</strong> 2006 Conference –<br />

Wealth Creation in the Minerals<br />

Industry. Keystone Resort & Conference<br />

Center, Keystone, Colorado, USA.<br />

Website: . For complete<br />

details, see pp. 25–28.<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT<br />

★ Aug. 21–24. 12th Quadrennial IAGOD<br />

Symposium; Moscow, Russia. The First<br />

Circular is available for download at<br />

.<br />

2005<br />

Vernon DeRuyter<br />

Exploration Geologist & Hydrologist<br />

Tel: 520-419-26<strong>45</strong>, 744-8600 6880 West Ina Road<br />

Fax: 520-744-8601 Tucson, Arizona 85743<br />

www.rocksandwaters.com•<br />

• International mineral and water projects •<br />

Exploration • Development • Production<br />

Prospect Generation and Evaluation<br />

Geologic Mapping • Drilling Projects<br />

Resource Estimation<br />

Star (★) indicates new entry. Send entries to the <strong>SEG</strong> Office,<br />

attn. <strong>SEG</strong> Production Director: 7811 Shaffer Parkway, Littleton, CO 80127 USA<br />

Tel. +1.720.981.7882/Fax +1.720.981.7874.<br />

OTHER EVENTS<br />

Nov. 13–16. New Zealand Minerals<br />

Conference 2005. Auckland, New<br />

Zealand. Website: .<br />

Nov. 21–24. Quebec Exploration 2005.<br />

Chateau Frontenac, Quebec, Canada<br />

website: .<br />

Email: info@quebecexploration.qc.ca<br />

★ Nov. 28–29. NewGen Gold 2005.<br />

Perth, Western Australia. Sixth in a series<br />

<strong>of</strong> biennial conferences featuring case histories<br />

<strong>of</strong> the world’s most recent gold discoveries.<br />

Organized jointly by Louthean<br />

Media and Keith Yates and Assocs Pty<br />

Ltd. For more information, see the website:<br />

.<br />

Dec. 8–17. Modular Course in<br />

Exploration Geophysics. Sudbury,<br />

Ontario, Canada. Information: Contact<br />

Michael Lesher, Mineral Exploration<br />

Research Centre, Department <strong>of</strong> Earth<br />

Sciences, Laurentian University, 933<br />

Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON,<br />

Canada, P3E 6B5; Ph. +1.705.675.1151<br />

x2364, Fax. +1.705.675.4898. E-mail:<br />

2006<br />

mlesher@laurentian.ca. Website:<br />

.<br />

★ Jan. 23–26. BCYCM Mineral<br />

Exploration Roundup 2006. Vancouver,<br />

BC. “Striving for Excellence in Exploration”.<br />

Website: <br />

★ Mar. 5–8. PDAC 2006 – Prospectors &<br />

Developers Association <strong>of</strong> Canada.<br />

Toronto, Canada. Website: .<br />

★ Mar. 27–29. SME Annual Meeting &<br />

Exhibits. St. Louis, Missouri, USA.<br />

Website: < http://www.smenet.org/meet<br />

ings/AnnualMeeting2006/index.cfm>.<br />

★ Apr. 10–12. Russian Academy <strong>of</strong><br />

Sciences Siberian Branch <strong>of</strong> RAS.<br />

United Institute <strong>of</strong> Geology, Geophysics<br />

and Mineralogy, Scientific Conference<br />

“Topical problems <strong>of</strong> ore formation and<br />

metallogeny”. For more information, see<br />

Website: >http://www.uiggm.nsc.ru/conf/<br />

conf100/><br />

PAUL W. KUHN<br />

Registered Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Geologist<br />

Worldwide mine exploration/production<br />

Exploration project generation/management<br />

PK 69, Kavaklıdere PTT, 06691 Ankara, TURKEY<br />

Tel: +90-542-675-1603 or +90-536-875-1333<br />

U.S. mobile tel: 1-509-990-6786<br />

e-mail: kuhnpw@cs.com<br />

PAID ADVERTISEMENT


NEW<br />

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The <strong>Economic</strong><br />

Geology 100 th<br />

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Editors: Jeffrey W. Hedenquist, John F.H. Thompson,<br />

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<strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong><br />

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Contact <strong>SEG</strong><br />

Our Headquarters address is<br />

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<strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>Geologists</strong> Foundation, Inc.<br />

7811 Shaffer Parkway · Littleton, CO 80127-3732, USA<br />

Tel. +720.981.7882 · Fax +720.981.7874<br />

E-mail: seg@segweb.org · Website: www.segweb.org<br />

— Staff Phone & E-mail List —<br />

EXECUTIVE Tel. Extension E-mail Address<br />

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ACCOUNTING Tel. Extension E-mail Address<br />

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MEMBERSHIP Tel. Extension E-mail Address<br />

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PUBLICATIONS Tel. Extension E-mail Address<br />

Publications Editing:<br />

Alice Bouley......................202 ............ editing@segweb.org<br />

Newsletter Production:<br />

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Journal Subscriptions:<br />

Shirley King......................208 ............ subscriptions@segweb.org<br />

<strong>SEG</strong><br />

NEWSLETTER<br />

7811 SHAFFER PARKWAY<br />

LITTLETON, CO 80127-3732 • USA<br />

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