A contribution to the study of the production mechanism of sulphide mineralization self-potential

The production mechanism of sulphide mineralization self-potential (SP) is still open to question. The majority of investigators who have worked on this problem basically support the dipole model (Sato and Mooney 1960; Habashi 1966; Thornber 1975; Sivenas and Beales 1982; Belviken 1979; Kilty 1984). According to this model, electrochemical reactions take place in the system of the mineralized body and the surrounding medium and as a result excesses of negative and positive charges (of the same magnitude) are formed around the upper and lower parts of the ore body (respectively).