Introduction to Mineral Exploration

Charles J. Moon, Michael K. G. Whateley, Anthony M. Evans1-4051-1317-0, 978-1-4051-1317-5

This new, updated edition of Introduction to Mineral Exploration provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of mineral exploration.
Successful mineral exploration requires excellence in geology as well as integration with a range of other scientific, engineering, and financial techniques. This book covers not only the nature of mineral exploration but also considers other factors essential to successful exploration, from target evaluation to feasibility studies for extraction and production. Six detailed case studies, selected for the range of different problems and considerations they present to the mineral explorationist, are also included.
This second edition is updated to include new chapters on handling mineral exploration data and a new case study on the exploration for diamonds.
Introduction to Mineral Exploration is essential reading for upper level undergraduates studying ore geology, mineral exploration, mining geology, coal exploration, and industrial minerals, as well as professional geologists.

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Table of contents :
Introduction to Mineral Exploration……Page 6
Contents……Page 8
Contributors……Page 12
Preface to the Second Edition……Page 14
Preface to the First Edition……Page 15
Units, Abbreviations, and Terminology……Page 16
Part I Principles……Page 18
1.2 MINERAL ECONOMICS……Page 20
1.3 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY OF MINERALS……Page 28
1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE MINING INDUSTRY……Page 29
1.5 SOME FACTORS GOVERNING THE CHOICE OF EXPLORATION AREAS……Page 30
1.6 RATIONALE OF MINERAL EXPLORATION……Page 31
1.7 FURTHER READING……Page 35
2.1 INTRODUCTION……Page 36
2.2 MINERALOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS Before looking at some of the many methods……Page 42
2.3 FURTHER READING……Page 49
3.1 NATURE AND MORPHOLOGY OF OREBODIES……Page 50
3.2 WALL ROCK ALTERATION……Page 56
3.3 GEOLOGICAL MODELS OF MINERAL DEPOSITS……Page 57
3.4 FURTHER READING……Page 62
3.6 APPENDIX: MINERAL DEPOSIT MODEL CLASSIFICATION OF COX AND SINGER (1986). ONLINE LINKS CAN BE FOUND AT USGS (2004)…….Page 63
4 Reconnaissance Exploration……Page 69
4.1 EXPLORATION PLANNING……Page 70
4.2 DESK STUDIES AND RECONNAISSANCE……Page 74
4.3 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT……Page 84
4.5 FURTHER READING……Page 86
5.1 FINDING A DRILLING TARGET……Page 87
5.2 WHEN TO DRILL AND WHEN TO STOP……Page 101
5.3 RECYCLING PROSPECTS……Page 110
5.4 THE BRE – X MINERALS SAGA……Page 117
5.6 FURTHER READING……Page 119
6.1 INTRODUCTION……Page 121
6.2 THE LANDSAT SYSTEM……Page 122
6.3 OTHER IMAGING SYSTEMS……Page 133
6.4 PHOTOGEOLOGY……Page 134
6.5 SUMMARY……Page 142
6.6 FURTHER READING……Page 143
7.2 AIRBORNE SURVEYS……Page 144
7.3 MAGNETIC SURVEYS……Page 147
7.4 GRAVITY METHOD……Page 150
7.5 RADIOMETRICS……Page 152
7.6 RESISTIVITY……Page 153
7.8 INDUCED POLARIZATION (IP)……Page 155
7.9 CONTINUOUS-WAVE ELECTROMAGNETICS……Page 159
7.10 TRANSIENT ELECTROMAGNETICS (TEM)……Page 161
7.11 REMOTE SOURCE METHODS (VLF AND MAGNETOTELLURICS)……Page 162
7.12 SEISMIC METHODS……Page 164
7.13 GROUND RADAR……Page 165
7.14 BOREHOLE GEOPHYSICS……Page 166
7.16 INTEGRATION OF GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL DATA……Page 167
7.17 THE ROLE OF THE GEOLOGIST IN GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION……Page 168
7.18 DEALING WITH CONTRACTORS……Page 169
7.19 FURTHER READING……Page 170
8.1 PLANNING……Page 172
8.2 ANALYSIS……Page 176
8.3 INTERPRETATION……Page 179
8.4 RECONNAISSANCE TECHNIQUES……Page 181
8.5 FOLLOW-UP SAMPLING……Page 194
8.7 FURTHER READING……Page 195
9.1 DATA CAPTURE AND STORAGE……Page 196
9.2 DATA INTEGRATION AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS……Page 203
9.3 INTEGRATION WITH RESOURCE CALCULATION AND MINE PLANNING SOFTWARE……Page 214
9.4 FURTHER READING……Page 215
10.1 SAMPLING……Page 216
10.3 DRILLING……Page 235
10.4 MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE ESTIMATION, GRADE CALCULATIONS……Page 247
10.5 GEOTECHNICAL DATA……Page 260
10.6 SUMMARY……Page 266
10.8 APPENDIX: USE OF GY ’ S SAMPLING FORMULA……Page 267
11.2 VALUE OF MINERALISATION……Page 270
11.3 CASH FLOW……Page 277
11.4 STUDY DEFINITIONS……Page 279
11.5 MINERAL PROJECT VALUATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA……Page 282
11.6 RISK……Page 287
11.7 INFLATION……Page 288
11.8 MINERAL PROJECT FINANCE……Page 289
11.10 FURTHER READING……Page 293
Part II Case studies……Page 296
12.1 INTRODUCTION……Page 298
12.2 PHASE 1 – ORDER – OF – MAGNITUDE STUDY……Page 299
12.3 PHASE 2 – PRE – FEASIBILITY STUDY……Page 300
12.4 PHASE 3 – FEASIBILITY STUDY……Page 301
12.5 PHASE 4 – DETAILED ENGINEERING……Page 308
12.6 QUARRYING AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT……Page 309
12.7 SUMMARY……Page 310
13.1 INTRODUCTION……Page 311
13.2 EXPLORATION PROGRAMS……Page 312
13.3 GEOLOGY……Page 315
13.4 DATA ASSESSMENT……Page 320
13.5 GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION……Page 324
13.6 LIGNITE QUALITY……Page 326
13.7 LIGNITE RESERVE ESTIMATES……Page 331
13.8 SURFACE MINE EVALUATION……Page 332
13.10 FURTHER READING……Page 336
14.2 GEOLOGY……Page 337
14.3 ECONOMIC BACKGROUND……Page 347
14.4 EXPLORATION MODELS……Page 350
14.5 EXPLORATION METHODS……Page 351
14.6 RESERVE ESTIMATION……Page 361
14.7 EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE WEST RAND GOLDFIELD……Page 362
14.8 CONCLUSIONS……Page 374
15.2 VOLCANIC – ASSOCIATED MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSITS……Page 375
15.3 THE KIDD CREEK MINE……Page 387
15.4 CONCLUSIONS……Page 398
16.1 BACKGROUND……Page 399
16.2 TRINITY MINE, NEVADA……Page 403
16.3 EXPLORATION……Page 404
16.4 THE GEOLOGY OF PERSHING COUNTY AND THE TRINITY DISTRICT……Page 408
16.5 DEVELOPMENT AND MINING……Page 412
16.7 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS……Page 414
16.8 GRADE ESTIMATION……Page 416
16.9 ORE RESERVE ESTIMATION……Page 426
16.10 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS……Page 429
17.1 WORLD DIAMOND DEPOSITS AND EXPLORATION……Page 430
17.2 CANADIAN DIAMOND DISCOVERIES: EKATI AND DIAVIK……Page 448
17.3 SUMMARY……Page 460
Internet links……Page 461
References……Page 464
Index……Page 486