1887
Volume 15 Number 3
  • ISSN: 1569-4445
  • E-ISSN: 1873-0604

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Although the Bathurst Mining Camp has been explored for more than 40 years, high‐resolution airborne geophysical survey has led to the detection of several new volcanogenic massive sulphide occurrences in the region. The discovery of these concealed exploration targets depended directly on the knowledge of the multi‐parameter signature of the major deposits and the search for the repeatability of these signatures in other regions. The Heath Steele B deposit, within the southern part of the Bathurst Mining Camp, together with an associated magnetite‐rich iron formation and adjacent tuffaceous sedimentary rocks, produced strong, co‐extensive magnetic and conductivity anomalies. However, the strong anomalies observed in the geophysical data can be related to non‐mineralised lithology such as mafic dykes or graphite. So a direct identification of exploration targets using geophysical data only can be difficult. For this reason, the joint interpretation of geophysical and geochemical signature can considerably improve the identification of new deposits. Using these techniques, we identify three new possible targets, characterised by local magnetic and apparent conductive highs. Two of these areas are located in the Heath Steele belt, and their geochemistry has been studied in detail. The proximity of these targets (less than 1.5 km) from known occurrences of hydrothermal sediments (magnetite, siderite, and stilpnomelane) confirms their exploration potential. The fourth identified area is most likely associated with a regional anomaly related to an unmapped ferromagnetic structure and was earlier disregarded as a possible target. The joint interpretation of geophysical and geochemical data allowed us to identify two new targets for exploration and to exclude one area interpreted as associated with a regional anomaly. Therefore, the search parameters (physical proprieties and hydrothermal sediment geochemical pattern distribution) are established with a success index of 75%. The index was limited by the absence of geochemistry data over the third target. The procedure presented in this paper can be used to search for new targets elsewhere in the Bathurst area and even in other base metal regions.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.3997/1873-0604.2017010
2017-03-01
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. BellandM.1992. The birth of the Bathurst Mining Camp: a development history of the Austin Brook iron mine and No. 6 base‐metal deposit.New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy, Mineral Resources, Popular Geology Paper. 92‐1, 56pp.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. ChungC.F.2003. Use of aero geophysical surveys for constructing mineral potential maps. In: Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 879–891.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. de RooJ.A. and van StaalC.R.2003. Sulfide remobilization and sulfide breccias in the Heath Steele and Brunswick deposits, Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick. In: Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 479–496.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Geoscience Data Repository for Geophysical Data of Natural Resources Canada:http://gdr.agg.nrcan.gc.ca. Accessed in January 13, 2017.
  5. GoodfellowW.D.2003. Geology and genesis of the Caribou deposit, Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick, Canada. In: Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 327–360.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. GoodfellowW.D. and McCutcheonS.R.2003. Geologic and genetic attributes of volcanic sediment‐hosted massive sulfide deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, northern New Brunswick—A synthesis. In: Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 245–301.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. GoodfellowW.D., McCutcheonS.R. and PeterJ.M.2003. Massive sulfide deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick, and northern Maine: introduction and summary of findings. In: Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 1–16.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. HamiltonA.1992. Geology of the Stratmat boundary and Heath Steele N‐5 zones, Bathurst Camp, northern New Brunswick.Exploration and Mining Geology1(2), 131–135.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. HamiltonA. and ParkA.1993. Stratmat boundary and Heath Steele N‐5 zones, northern New Brunswick. In: Guidebook to the Metallogeny of the Bathurst Camp (eds S.R.McCutcheon and D.R.Lentz ), pp. 66–73. Bathurst'93, 3rd Annual Field Conference, Field Trip 4. Geological Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. JennyC.p.1957. Exploration in New Brunswick 1932–1957. Canadian Mining Journal78(4), 113–117.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. KeatingP., ThomasM.D. and KissF.2003. Significance of a high resolution magnetic and electromagnetic survey for exploration and geologic investigations, Bathurst Mining Camp. In:Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 783–798.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. LentzD.R. and WilsonR.A.1997. Chemostratigraphic analysis of the volcanic and sedimentary rocks in the Heath Steele B‐B5 zone area, Bathurst Camp, New Brunswick: stratigraphic and structural implication. In: Current Research 1997‐D, pp. 21–33. Geological Survey of Canada.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. MalehmirA., KoivistoE., ManziM., CheraghiS., DurrheimR.J., BellefleurG. et al. 2013. A review of reflection seismic investigations in three major metallogenic regions: the Kevitsa Ni–Cu–PGE district (Finland), Witwatersrand goldfields (South Africa), and the Bathurst Mining Camp (Canada).Ore Geology Reviews56, 423–441.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. McBrideD.E.1976. The structure and stratigraphy of the B‐Zone, Heath Steele Mines, Newcastle, New Brunswick.PhD thesis, University of New Brunswick, Canada.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. McCutcheonS.R.1992. Base‐metal deposits of the Bathurst‐Newcastle district: characteristics and depositional models.Exploration Mining Geology1, 105–119.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. McCutcheonS.R., LuffW.M. and BoyleR.W.2003. The Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick, Canada:history of discovery and evolution of geologic models. In: Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 17–35.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. MoretonC.1989. The stratigraphy, structure and geometry of the B, B5 and E zone massive sulphide deposits, Heath Steele Mines, Newcastle, New Brunswick, Canada. PhD thesis, University of New Brunswick, Canada.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. PembertonR.H.1989. Geophysical response of some Canadian massive sulphide deposits. In: Proceedings of Exploration '87, Third Decennial International Conference on Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration for Minerals and Groundwater (ed G.D.Garland ). Special Volume 3, 517–531. Ontario Geological Survey.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. PeterJ.M. and GoodfellowW.D.1996. Mineralogy, bulk and rare earth element geochemistry of massive sulphide‐associated hydrothermal sediments of the Brunswick horizon, Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick.Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences33, 252–283.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. PeterJ.M. and GoodfellowW.D.2003. Hydrothermal sedimentary rocks of the Heath Steele belt, Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick: part 3. Application of mineralogy, mineral, and bulk compositions to massive sulfide exploration. In: Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 417–433.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. PeterJ.M., GoodfellowW.D. and DohertyW.2003. Hydrothermal sedimentary rocks of the Heath Steele belt, Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick: part 2. Bulk and rare earth element geochemistry and implications for origin. In: Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 391–415.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. SaifS.I.1980. Petrographic and geochemical investigation of iron formation and other iron‐rich rocks in Bathurst District, New Brunswick. In: Current Research Part A80‐1A, 309–317. Geological Survey of Canada.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. TelfordW.M., GeldartL.P. and SherifR.E.1990. Applied Geophysics.Cambridge University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. ThomasM.D., WalkerJ.A., KeatingP., ShivesR., KissF. and GoodfellowW.D.2000. Geophysical atlas of massive sulphide signatures Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick.Geological Survey of Canada Open File D3887. New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy, Minerals and Energy Division, Open File2000–9.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. van StaalC.R., LangtonJ.P. and McCutcheonS.R.1992. The Ordovician Tetagouche Group, Bathurst Camp, northern New Brunswick, Canada:history, tectonic setting, and distribution of massive sulfide deposits.Exploration Mining Geology1, 93–103.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. van StaalC.R., WilsonR.A., RogersN., FyffeL.R., LangtonJ.P. and McCutcheonS.R.2003. Geology and tectonic history of the Bathurst Supergroup, Bathurst Mining Camp and its relationships to coeval rocks in southwestern New Brunswick and adjacent Maine—A synthesis. In: Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick and Northern Maine: Economic Geology Monograph, Vol. 11 (eds W.D.Goodfellow , S.R.McCutcheon and J.M.Peter ), pp. 37–60.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. WahlJ.L.1990. Report on whole rock geochemical characterization study: heath Steele mine study: Bathurst, New Brunswick, Noranda Exploration, Unpublished report, 50pp.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. WahlJ.L.1991a. Report on whole rock geochemistry: HC4 zone: Bathurst, New Brunswick, Noranda Exploration, Unpublished report, 34 pp.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. WahlJ.L.1991b. Report on whole rock geochemistry: Mowat zone: Bathurst, New Brunswick, Noranda Exploration, Unpublished report, 23 pp.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. WahlJ.L.1992. West Grid horizon: continuing whole rock geochemical investigation: Bathurst, New Brunswick, Noranda Exploration, Unpublished report, 30 pp.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. WahlJ.L., GovettG.J.S. and GoodfellowW.D.1978. Anomalous element distribution in volcanic rocks around Key Anacon, Heath Steele, B‐zone and Brunswick No. 12 sulphide deposits [abs.].Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Bulletin68(755), 49.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. WhiteheadR.E.1973. Environment of stratiform sulfide deposition; variation in Mn:Fe ratio in host rocks at Heath Steele Mine, New Brunswick, Canada.Mineralium Deposita8, 148–160.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. WhiteheadR.E.S. and GovettG.J.S.1974. Exploration rock geochemistry—Detection of trace metal halos at Heath Steele Mines by discriminant analysis.Journal of Geochemical Exploration3, 371–386.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. WrightD.F., KempL.D. and GoodfellowW.D.1998. EXTECH II GIS geoscience database Bathurst camp, New Brunswick.Geological Survey of Canada Open File D3693, 1 CD‐ROM.
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.3997/1873-0604.2017010
Loading
/content/journals/10.3997/1873-0604.2017010
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article

Most Cited This Month Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error