1 Imaging a Buried Diamondiferous Kimberlite Using Conventional

ABSTRACT: Accurate mapping of the mineral deposits buried by tens to hundreds of meters of overburden will focus an exploration program, minimizing costs and time expended. Traditional surface geochemical techniques often focus on measuring and mapping metal ions in the soil or vegetation, water/soil chemical properties, and by-product gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. A new technique, Amplified Geochemical ImagingSM Technology, focuses on high sensitivity measurements of volatile compounds emanating from the mineral itself, its contact zone, or associated redox systems. Compounds ranging from light sulphur species to organics with 18 carbon atoms, which reach the surface more easily than the metal ions associated with the mineral deposit, are collected and analyzed using a sensitive and sophisticated analytical technique. Differentiation of compounds associated with the mineralization and a robust image of the buried deposit are then obtained by processing the data using advanced modelling systems and multivariate statistical methods. This new technique works well with high sulphur containing minerals such as VMS, porphyry copper, Mississippi Valley-type deposits, and some gold systems. In this paper, Amplified Geochemical ImagingSM Technology, along with conventional surface geochemical analysis was used to image