Developing an understanding of the Prominent Hill mineralising system

Project Researchers

Doctor Graham Baines

Professor David Giles

Andreas Schmidt-Mumm

Industry Partner

Oxiana Limited

Project Details

Project 1

The aim of this project is to determine the geophysical response and hydrothermmal processes responsible of different types of mineralisation that occur within the Prominent Hill ore body and its satellite deposits. Previous work at Prominent Hill has shown that different mineralisation types (ie gold only, copper-gold, grade variations) are related to different styles of hematite or magetite alteration. These alteration styles should have characteristic signatures in magnetic and gravity datasets -with clear exploration implications.

Project 2

The aim of this project is to characterise alteration as a function of distance from the ore body, with a view to developing a vector tool for mineral exploration. Preliminary multi-element geochemistry indicates a first order Na enrichment in the vicinity of the ore body, but as yet the nature and scale of enrichment or the geochemical/mineralogical processes involved are unclear.