NSERC/MDA/CSA/CEMI Industrial Research Chair in Earth and Space Exploration

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Mineral exploration and mining employs approximately 400,000 Canadians and generates billions of dollars for the Canadian economy but the face of mineral exploration and mining in Canada, and around the world, is changing. There is a rapidly growing focus on advanced mineral exploration and resource development. In order for Canada to play a leading role in this transdisciplinary sphere, Western University and Yamana Gold Inc. propose the creation of an NSERC / Yamana Gold Inc. Industrial Research Chair in Advanced Mineral Exploration. This aligns with industry and government recognition of innovation being central to responsible resource exploration and extraction. Canada is a world leader in mineral exploration and mining technology, but discovery of new mineral resources has declined, despite increasing exploration expenditures. Several aspects of the exploration process need to be improved, including the development of new methodologies and approaches to efficiently and effectively explore at broad scales and at depth while implementing advanced exploration and resource development practices informed by science and enabled by technology. The proposed research program is comprised of overarching themes in the following areas: (Theme 1) characterization of gold deposits in the Kirkland Lake mining camp; (Theme 2) sources of mineralizing fluids and metals; and (Theme 3) integrated gold system signatures. Taken together, they will provide an understanding of the signature(s) and possible genetic relationship(s) between several deposits across the Kirkland Lake mining camp while applying new, cutting edge analytical techniques and technologies to improve exploration efficiency and effectiveness. These results will provide a knowledge-based foundation for the development of practical models and exploration vectors to gold mineralization, unlock value in large datasets, and improve exploration success.