Abstract
The Balatindi Mineral Prospect, Guinea, is a multi-element mineral prospect that hosts commercial quantities of gold, uranium and copper. A major challenge for exploration activities within the area is the turnaround time for assay results due to the unavailability of a nearby assay laboratory and the high cost of analysis. This therefore delays assay results which are needed for quick decisions during field work. There is therefore the need to find a faster and cheaper way of delineating mineral anomalies. Magnetic and radiometric geophysical techniques were considered because of the rapid and cost-effective ways in which data is acquired and they yield substantial quantity of accurate data enhancing interpretation and deduction. Down hole drill data for 37 HQ size diamond drilled holes of about 9200 m were used for the analysis. Magnetic susceptibility data were secured from 24 drill hole data for the Central Polymetallic Prospect area, whiles radiometric data were taken for the 23 drill holes in the other areas. The data were correlated with the laboratory assay results for gold and uranium respectively. Strip logs and statistical analysis were used to interpret magnetic susceptibility readings against gold assay values, and radiometric readings against uranium assay values. Maximum and minimum values of -2.46 × 10 -3 and 546.5 × 10 -3 magnetic susceptibility were respectively recorded whiles 45 cps and 7250 cps were the maximum and minimum radiometric readings obtained. Magnetic susceptibility values did not show any preferential correlation with gold mineralisation. Radiometric cps values showed a very strong direct correlation with uranium mineralisation. This is because the radiometric cps is a function of the radiometric mineral present and therefore, radiometric survey can be used as a faster and cost-effective way of delineating uranium anomaly within the Balatindi prospect. Keywords: Balatindi, Magnetic susceptibility, Radiometric count, Multi-element mineral deposit. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/11-18-04 Publication date: September 30 th 2020
Highlights
The Balatindi Mineral Prospect (BMP) is a highly prospective multi-element mineral deposit of Iron Oxide, Copper, Gold and Uranium (IOCGU) type located in the eastern part of the Republic of Guinea
Two mineralised domains are observed at Balatindi; golddominated mineralisation in the Central Polymetallic Prospect (CPP) hosted within a granodiorite sheet sandwiched between two layers of Archaean quartz-amphibole gneiss, immediately north of an interpreted eastwest trending thrust (Egal et al, 2002) and uranium dominated mineralisation developed south of the thrust
Magnetic susceptibility data were taken for the 14 drill holes located within the CPP area, whiles radiometric data were taken for the 23 drill holes in the other areas
Summary
The Balatindi Mineral Prospect (BMP) is a highly prospective multi-element mineral deposit of Iron Oxide, Copper, Gold and Uranium (IOCGU) type located in the eastern part of the Republic of Guinea. It potentially hosts commercial quantities of Gold, Uranium and Copper. In the North Shore property, Canada, Lafleur, (2006) successfully delineated drill targets for uranium using radiometric survey data. Drill targets were delineated on properties located in the Sudbury Mining District of Northern Ontario, Canada, using detailed ground radiometric survey (Anon, 2009). This paper seeks to establish a relationship between magnetic susceptibility and radiometric surveys with gold and uranium mineralisation on the Balatindi deposit and. Www.iiste.org use the relationship to delineate anomalous zones faster and cheaper during exploration
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