Adsorbed Gold in Clay Minerals from Hardrock Gold, Geraldton, Ontario

安大略省杰拉尔顿 Hardrock Gold 粘土矿物中吸附的金

• 批准号: 521774-2017
• 负责人: Nadeau, Olivier
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Engage Grants Program
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=640185
• 关键词: Adsorbed; Gold; Clay; Minerals; Hardrock

Greenstone Gold Mines is a 50/50 partnership between Centerra Gold and Premier Gold Mines for the development of, amongst others, the Hardrock gold property. Preliminary research by Dr. Nadeau and student on the Archean Hardrock gold deposit suggests that gold was partly remobilized from its primary location through weathering during the 2.7 billion years that followed its emplacement. Analysis of a limited set of samples suggests that besides that which is associated with sulfides, a significant amount of gold is hosted in a low-temperature phase containing loosely bonded volatiles, titanium, cadmium and heavy rare earth elements. The total amount of gold and other economic metals in these rocks must thus be partly related to their concentration in that low-temperature phase and the extent of the weathering. The auriferous low-temperature phase was degassed at a temperature lower than 105°C and thus probably is a clay mineral. The scientific objectives are to precisely identify these clay minerals using x-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD) and to identify and quantify the metals adsorbed at their surface using x-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS). Although XRD and XPS/LA-ICP-MS have been used before to identify clay minerals and the metals adsorbed on their surfaces, the concept of weathered Archean gold deposits and the combination of these techniques in the context of Archean gold metallogenesis would represent a world premiere. Given the current interest of mining companies for large-tonnage/low-tenor, open pitable deposits, the combination of this discovery with such methods will certainly have impactful results on exploration and mining activities. Ultimately, these results should help Canadian exploration and mining companies refine their resource estimates, metallurgical flow sheets and exploitation procedures, which in turn will enhance their economic activity and the Canadian economy.

Greenstone Gold Mines是Centra Gold和Premier Gold Mines之间的50/50合作伙伴关系，用于开发Hardrock金矿。Nadeau博士和学生对太古代Hardrock金存款的初步研究表明，在其就位后的27亿年中，黄金通过风化从其原始位置部分重新移动。对有限的一组样品的分析表明，除了与硫化物有关的金之外，大量的金存在于含有松散结合的挥发物、钛、镉和重稀土元素的低温相中。因此，这些岩石中的金和其他经济金属的总量一定与它们在低温阶段的浓度和风化程度有关。含金低温相在低于105°C的温度下脱气，因此可能是粘土矿物。科学目标是使用X射线衍射光谱法（XRD）精确识别这些粘土矿物，并使用X射线光电子能谱法（XPS）和激光烧蚀ICP-MS（LA-ICP-MS）识别和量化吸附在其表面的金属。虽然XRD和XPS/LA-ICP-MS以前已被用于识别粘土矿物和吸附在其表面的金属，但风化太古代金矿床的概念以及这些技术在太古代金成矿作用背景下的组合将代表世界首创。鉴于采矿公司目前对大吨位/低品位露天矿床的兴趣，这一发现与这些方法相结合肯定会对勘探和采矿活动产生影响。最终，这些结果将有助于加拿大勘探和采矿公司完善其资源估计、冶金流程和开采程序，这反过来将增强其经济活动和加拿大经济。