Application of lithogeochemistry to gold exploration in the St Ives goldfield, Western Australia

摘要

Lithogeochemistry is being routinely applied to gold exploration programmes at St Ives, Kambalda. Sampling of fresh rock for multi-element analysis is undertaken in all ongoing exploration drilling, and supplementary sampling of archived drill hole pulp samples has also been implemented. Samples are digested by a four-acid digest (hydrofluoric, nitric, perchloric and hydrochloric acids) in Teflon tubes using a specially designed microprocessor controlled digester and analysed by ICP-MS/OES for 36 elements (Ag, As, Ba, Bi, Ce, Cs, Hf, La, Li, Mo, Nb, Pb, Rb, Sb, Ta, Te, Th, W, Zr, Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, S, Sc, Sr, Ti, V, Zn). Multi-element results undergo two stages of assessment: (a) utilization of trace elements to characterize lithological and stratigraphic domains, and (b) utilization of major and pathfinder elements to characterize samples that are altered or enriched above background levels.