A New Discovery Deserves A New Approach - Multi-technique Geometallurgical Characterization of the Recently Discovered Palokas Prospect Cobalt (Gold) Mineralization, Northern Finland

摘要

Significant cobalt mineralization associated with known Paleoproterozoic gold has recently been discovered at the Palokas Prospect in Northern Finland. This discovery has the potential to contribute significantly to the supply of cobalt for current battery technologies. The rocks are petrologically challenging because of their complex metamorphic & structural history. We have therefore developed analytical workflows based on the integration of multi-scale, multi-modal, and multi-dimensional technologies. In this way, we are able to establish: 1) the general nature of the mineralogy and rock microstructure; 2) specific details on the texture of the ore mineralization, including its relationship to structural deformation events; and 3) the deportment of commercially important elements. The benefits of this workflow include the ability to upscale micro-scale observations for informing further exploration work, and early-stage predictive geometallurgical models.