oa Progress towards the development of a sulfide targeting tool for mineral exploration under cover

New mineral, geothermal or deep freshwater aquifer discoveries will undoubtedly rely on a combination of techniques including new, mineral- or water-specific geophysics targeting techniques. This is particularly true now, and into the future, as many economically significant, long-life deposits are likely to be discovered at increasingly greater depths below the surface.

The deep imaging potential of a low frequency pulsed electromagnetic technique that uses the radio and microwave frequency range is explored. This geophysical investigative technique involves the measurement and interpretation of energy responses of natural (or synthetic) materials to the interaction of the pulsed electromagnetic radio waves. Specifically, the technique measures atomic dielectric resonance in the subsurface and provides data on (i) dielectric permittivity; (ii) spectral response (energy, frequency, phase); and (iii) material resonance. This is an exciting new field for geoscience as it provides a potential means of helping obtain critical information about the subsurface geology, such as the presence or absence of sulfides or water prior to drilling. The scale of the technique falls between regional surveys where sub-surface targets are generated and drilling which is high risk, high impact and can be extremely costly if many drill holes are required before intercepting the primary sulfide target.