Direct imaging of alteration with high-resolution hard-rock 3D seismic data at the Darlot Gold Mine

Abstract

SummaryThe Darlot gold mine is an Archean orogenic deposit located in the world-class gold and nickel terrain of the Yandal granite-greenstone belt within the Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia.In 2016-2017, HiSeis designed, acquired and processed a high-resolution 3D seismic survey centred on the Darlot-Centenary mineralised system with the objective of improving lithological and structural interpretation of the project area and to support targeting of mineralisation.The capability of modern 3D seismic surveys to image formational contacts and structures in hardrock environments has had a game-changing impact on the effectiveness of brownfields exploration programs because the geometry of mineralised systems can now be directly imaged over large volumes of ground. More specifically, partially-preserved relative seismic amplitudes can allow the direct imaging of alteration associated with gold mineralisation in fertile structures, allowing discrimination between these and barren structures and dramatically improving drilling success rates.We present the results of a structural interpretation of the seismic data which focused on identifying drilling targets prioritised with seismic amplitude variation.