1887
ASEG-PESA 24th International Geophysical Conference and Exhibition: Special Issue on Case Studies
  • ISSN: 0812-3985
  • E-ISSN: 1834-7533

Abstract

[

The Romero gold-copper-zinc-silver deposits are located in the Province of San Juan, Dominican Republic, ~165 km west-north-west of Santo Domingo. Romero and Romero South orebodies contain stratabound gold mineralisation with copper, silver and zinc of intermediate sulphidation (IS), epithermal style. The gold mineralisation is associated with disseminated to semi-massive sulphides, sulphide veinlets and quartz-sulphide veins within quartz-pyrite, quartz-illite-pyrite and illite-chlorite-pyrite alteration.

Ground direct current (DC) resistivity and induced polarisation (IP) supported by ground magnetics remain the preferred geophysical targeting tools for drill follow-up along with geologic mapping and geochemistry. However, Z-axis tipper electromagnetics (ZTEM) passive airborne electromagnetics (AEM) and magnetics have recently also been applied with success for reconnaissance mapping of deep alteration and fault structures regionally.

The airborne ZTEM-magnetic surveys, supported by three-dimensional (3D) inversions, show good correlation with the ground IP\resistivity surveys in the Romero and Romero South gold-copper-zinc-silver IS deposit area. The results have provided targets for ground follow-up and deep targeted drilling, and were successful in identifying a previously unknown deep (>500 m) continuity between the Romero and Romero South deposits.

,

The Romero gold-copper-zinc-silver deposits in the Dominican Republic are of the intermediate sulphidation epithermal type. Ground IP\resistivity results are compared to ZTEM passive airborne electromagnetics over the deposit region. The ZTEM results show good correlation with ground IP\resistivity results and identify a previously unknown deep (>500 m) continuity between the Romero deposits.

]
ASEG
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1071/EG15089
2016-09-01
2026-01-13

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1071/EG15089
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. de Lugao P. P. Wannamaker P. E. 1996 Calculating the two-dimensional magnetotelluric Jacobian in finite elements using reciprocity: Geophysical Journal International 127 806 810 10.1111/j.1365‑246X.1996.tb04060.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.1996.tb04060.x [Google Scholar]
  2. Edwards L. S. 1977 A modified pseudo section from resistivity and IP: Geophysics 42 1020 1036 10.1190/1.1440762
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1440762 [Google Scholar]
  3. Hennessey, B. T., San Martin, A. J., Gowans, R. M., Dreesbach, C., and Jacobs, C., 2014, Preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for the Romero project, Tireo property, Province of San Juan, Dominican Republic: NI 43–101 Technical Report for GoldQuest Mining Corp. by Micon International Ltd, 233 pp.
  4. Hermance J. F. Thayer R. E. 1975 The telluric-magnetotelluric method: Geophysics 37 349 364
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Holtham, E., and Oldenburg, D. W., 2008, Three-dimensional forward modelling and inversion of Z-TEM data: 78th Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 564–568.
  6. Holtham, E., and Oldenburg, D., 2010, Three-dimensional inversion of MT and ZTEM data: 81st Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 29, 655–659.
  7. Hoschke, T., 2011, Geophysical signatures of copper-gold porphyry and epithermal gold deposits, and implications for exploration: CODES-ARC Center of Excellence in Ore Deposits, University of Tasmania.
  8. Hubert, J., Lee, B., Unsworth, M., Richards, J., Oldenburg, D., and Cheng, L. Z., 2013, Imaging a Ag-Au rich epithermal system in British Columbia, Canada, with airborne ZTEM and ground magnetotelluric data: SEG Technical Program, Expanded Abstracts, 1606–1610.
  9. Irvine R. J. Smith M. J. 1990 Geophysical exploration for epithermal gold deposits: Journal of Geochemical Exploration 36 375 412 10.1016/0375‑6742(90)90061‑E
    https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-6742(90)90061-E [Google Scholar]
  10. Labson V. F. Becker A. Morrison H. F. Conti U. 1985 Geophysical exploration with audio-frequency natural magnetic fields: Geophysics 50 656 664 10.1190/1.1441940
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1441940 [Google Scholar]
  11. Legault, J. M., and Wannamaker, P. E., 2014, Two-dimensional joint inversion of ZTEM and MT plane-wave EM data for near surface applications: SAGEEP, Expanded Abstracts, 18–23.
  12. Legault J. M. Wilson G. Gribenko A. Zhdanov M. S. Zhao S. Fisk K. 2012 a An overview of the ZTEM and AirMt airborne electromagnetic systems – a case study from the Nebo-Babel Ni-Cu-PGE deposit, West Musgrave, Western Australia: Preview 158 26 32
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Legault, J. M., Zhao, S., and Fitch, R., 2012b, ZTEM airborne AFMAG survey results over low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver vein systems at Gold Springs, south eastern Nevada: 22nd International Geophysical Conference and Exhibition, ASEG, Extended Abstracts, 1–4
  14. Legault, J. M., Zhao, S., Bournas, N., Plastow, G., and Kearvell, G., 2014, Helicopter AFMAG (ZTEM) and aeromagnetic survey results over epithermal gold and gold-skarn deposits in the Guerrero Gold Belt, Mexico: SEG Technical Program, Expanded Abstracts, 1800–1804.
  15. Legault, J. M., Kwan, K., and Prikhodko, A., 2015a, Airborne EM in exploring for epithermal gold and gold skarn deposits: Three examples from the Great Basin and Western Cordillera, in W. M. Pennell, and L. J. Garside, eds., New concepts and discoveries: Geological Society of Nevada symposium proceedings, 1, 101–125.
  16. Legault, J. M., Niemi, J., Brett, J., Zhao, S., Han, Z., and Plastow, G., 2015b, Passive airborne EM and ground IP\resistivity results over the Romero intermediate sulphidation epithermal gold deposits, Dominican Republic: ASEG-PESA, Extended Abstracts, 1–5.
  17. Li Y. Oldenburg D. W. 1996 3-D inversion of magnetic data: Geophysics 61 394 408 10.1190/1.1443968
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1443968 [Google Scholar]
  18. Lo, B., and M. Zang, 2008, Numerical modeling of Z-TEM (airborne AFMAG) responses to guide exploration strategies: 78th Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 1098–1101.
  19. McNeill, J. D., and Labson, V. F., 1991, Geological mapping using VLF radio fields, in M. N. Nabighian, ed., Electromagnetic methods in applied geophysics, volume 2 – applications, parts A and B: Society of Exploration Geophysicists, 521–640.
  20. Niemi, J., 2014, Developing resources in and above the ground – gold and copper development in the Dominican Republic: GoldQuest corporate presentation, June 2014. Available at www.goldquestcorp.com.
  21. Oldenburg D. W. Li Y. 1994 Inversion of induced polarization data: Geophysics 59 1327 1341 10.1190/1.1443692
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1443692 [Google Scholar]
  22. Pedersen L. B. 1998 Tensor VLF measurements: our first experiences: Exploration Geophysics 29 52 57 10.1071/EG998052
    https://doi.org/10.1071/EG998052 [Google Scholar]
  23. Sasaki, Y., Yi, M.-J., and Choi, J., 2013, 3D inversion of ZTEM data for uranium exploration: 23rd International Geophysical Conference and Exhibition, ASEG, Extended Abstracts, 1–4.
  24. Sattel, D., and Witherly, K., 2012, The modeling of ZTEM data with 2D and 3D algorithms: 82nd Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 1–5.
  25. Silitoe, R. H. 2013, Comments on geology and exploration of the Romero gold-copper prospect and environs, Las Tres Palmas Project, Dominican Republic: Report for GoldQuest Mining Corp., 9 pp.
  26. Spies B. 1989 Depth of investigation in electromagnetic sounding methods: Geophysics 54 872 888 10.1190/1.1442716
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1442716 [Google Scholar]
  27. Stodt J. A. Hohmann G. W. Ting S. C. 1981 The telluric-magnetotelluric method in two- and three-dimensional environments: Geophysics 46 1137 1147 10.1190/1.1441254
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1441254 [Google Scholar]
  28. Tarantola, A., 1987, Inverse problem theory: Elsevier.
  29. Taylor, B. E., 2007, Epithermal gold deposits, in W. D. Goodfellow, ed., Mineral deposits of Canada: a synthesis of major deposit-types, district metallogeny, the evolution of geological provinces, and exploration methods: Geological Association of Canada, Mineral Deposits Division, Special Publication No. 5, 113–139.
  30. Telford, W. M., Geldart, L. P., and Sheriff, R. E., 1990, Applied geophysics (2nd edition): Cambridge University Press.
  31. Vozoff K. 1972 The magnetotelluric method in the exploration of sedimentary basins: Geophysics 37 98 141 10.1190/1.1440255
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1440255 [Google Scholar]
  32. Wannamaker P. E. Stodt J. A. Rijo L. 1987 A stable finite element solution for two-dimensional magnetotelluric modeling: Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society 88 277 296 10.1111/j.1365‑246X.1987.tb01380.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.1987.tb01380.x [Google Scholar]
  33. Ward S. H. 1959 AFMAG - airborne and ground: Geophysics 24 761 787 10.1190/1.1438657
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1438657 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1071/EG15089
Loading
Passive airborne EM and ground IP\resistivity results over the Romero intermediate sulphidation epithermal gold deposits, Dominican RepublicFN1
Exploration Geophysics 47, 191 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1071/EG15089
/content/journals/10.1071/EG15089
/content/journals/10.1071/EG15089
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): airborne electromagnetics, case history, epithermal, gold, induced polarisation, inversion, ZTEM.

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