REGIONAL GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION FOR GOLD AND BASE METALS INHAZARA DIVISION N. W.F.P, PAKISTAN

摘要

Sarhad Development Authority (S.D.A) a Provincial Organization of North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Pakistan is playing its role in the exploration, development and exploitation of various economic mineral deposits of the North West Frontier province, Pakistan since 1972. In the recent past, SDA in joint collaboration with Australian International Development Bureau (AIDAB) has launched an exploratory programme on the modern scientific techniques for the exploration of preceions and base metals in Chitral District NWFP with the objective to create a data base to provide necessary informations regarding un-explored areas and investigate metallic mineral deposits of economic significant for further regional systematic minerals exploration to attract foreign investors. Keeping in view the positive and encouraging results of the AIDAB programme in Chitral the Sarhad Development Authority started geochemical exploration for Gold and Base Metals in the remaining Northern parts ofNWFP i.e Hazara Division and Malakand Division on the pattern of AIDAB programme since October, 1993. The objective of the scheme "Regional Exploration for Gold and Base Metals Hazara Division" was to conduct first phase exploration in about 12000 sq. kms of Hazara Division NWFP on Regional scale i.e 1:250,000 with density of each pan concentrate and -80# stream sediment samples in 10-50 km~(2) area. Geologically the area is related to the Indian plate and Island Arc assemblages known as Kohistan Island Are Both the Indian plate and Island Arc are separated from each other by a deep reaching thrust known as the Main Mantle Thrust (M.M.T). Along the MMT the Indian plate subjected under the Island Arc assemblages probably during the cretaceous period. The project team collected 1788 Nos of drainage samples from different streams of Hazara Division on scale 1:250,000 in the first phase of the project (1993-98). These samples were chemically and mineralogical studied. Encouraging results were obtained and anomalous values of Au and other base metals in different parts ofhazara Division were found specially in Kohistan valley, Jalkot valley, Siran and Kunhar valley (Kaghan). Based on these achievements Hazara Division has been divided into nine priority areas recommended for further detailed geo-chemical exploration in order to locate and pin point the Gold and bsae metals economic deposits in their respective areas of interest. It is worth mentioning here that a multinational company MINARCO showed their interest in the data collected by the SDA Geological team. The MINARCO analyzed the duplicate samples for 32 elements in Autralia and found the same areas of interest anomalous in Au and base metals as were found by the project geoscientists. Keeping in view the aforementioned results another scheme was launched to explore the areas of interest of Hazara Division in more detail i.e. on scale 1:50,000. The scheme has been commenced from 1998 and shall be completed in the year 2001.