The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Brewery-inspired device sniffs out buried mineral deposits Metal Tech News – June 15, 2022
A technician tests the new carbon dioxide-in-soil sensor at Centerra Gold's Mount Milligan copper-gold mine in British Columbia.
A small, made-in-British-Columbia device that uses sensors typically found in breweries and greenhouses has proven to be useful in the exploration of critical minerals.
A new report from Geoscience BC shows that this device can indicate the presence of geological faults and sulfide mineralization through real-time measurements of the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide in soil.
This ability to sniff out CO2 in the soil can help geologists identify potential mineral deposits buried beneath sediments such as glacial deposits without the need to send gas samples to laboratories for analysis.
This new brewery-inspired geosciences tool was tested at the Mount Milligan copper-gold mine located between Fort St. James and Mackenzie, British Columbia.
Results from the Mount Milligan testing show a correlation between CO2 and oxygen concentrations in the soil above geological structures and mineralization, providing a framework for using real-time soil-gas measurements to support mineral exploration in areas where bedrock is covered by sediment.
"The results from Mount Milligan Mine are very encouraging. The correlation of carbon dioxide and oxygen anomalies with observed fractures and potentially mineralized faults, combined with the ability to give reliable, real-time data demonstrates a tangible benefit to the mineral exploration sector, said Ray Lett, emeritus scientist at BC Geological Survey and inventor of the device. "The soil gas measurement system also has potential applications in other areas, such as geothermal or seismicity detection, where the measurement of soil gases would be of benefit."
The Geoscience BC report provides an update to a 2020 project, which was extended so that the research team could refine the operability and accuracy of the prototype device and further test the system at the Mount Milligan Mine.
Centerra Gold Inc., which operates the Mount Milligan Mine, provided the research team with bedrock and surficial geology data to allow the correlation of soil gas measurements with known bedrock structures and mineralization. Centerra Gold Inc. also trenched the project area allowing for direct field observations of the bedrock. Collectively these techniques gave a higher level of confidence in the project results.
"This research demonstrates an innovative and cost-effective technique to support exploration for critical minerals in areas of BC and beyond that may host undiscovered mineral deposits," said Geoscience BC Vice President of Minerals Christa Pellett.
Further details of the study "Soil-Gas Detection of Bedrock Mineralization and Geological Faults Beneath Glacial Deposits using Economic Electronic Gas Sensors" can be found at https://www.geosciencebc.com/projects/2018-028/.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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