Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Experimental Investigation Of Gold Incorporated Into Bornite, Intermediate Solid Solution (Iss), And Pyrrhotite: Implications For Porphyry Ore Deposits, Carli Lynn Schmidt

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits contain metals sourced from a melt and transported to shallower levels by a magmatic volatile phase (MVP) where they can be deposited as native elements or structurally bound in sulfide or oxide minerals. Porphyry ore deposits are a major subclass of such and contain plentiful concentrations of societally significant metals including copper and gold. These deposits include the Grasberg porphyry Cu-Au-(Mo) deposit in Indonesia, the Bingham Canyon porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposit in Utah, USA, and the Far Southeast porphyry Cu-Au deposit in the Philippines. In these systems gold is often found associated with bornite, intermediate solid solution (ISS, …

Structural History Of The Bald Mountain Mining District, Nevada, Usa, David Paul Ryan

WWU Graduate School Collection

The Bald Mountain Mining district, like much of central Nevada, has experienced a complex deformation history. The mining district is considered here as a southern extension of the well-studied Carlin trend of gold deposits to the north. In order to gain a better understanding of how the Bald Mountain Mining District structural style relates to other structural models developed to the north in the Carlin trend, I completed a mapping and structural domain analysis in the district, with a focus on the North Mooney basin area where a high spatial concentration of Carlin-type gold deposits occur. The identification of structural …

Combined Geochemical, Mineralogical, And Structural Investigation Of Auriferous Quartz Veins At The Vertigo Target, White Gold District, West-Central Yukon Territory, Canada, James C M Alexander

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Vertigo target on the southwestern JP Ross property is a gold-mineralized showing ~70 km south of Dawson City in the White Gold district, west-central Yukon Territory, Canada. Favourable gold-mineralized zones occur with pathfinder elements As-Ag-Te-Pb-Bi. This study uses digital borehole logging, petrography, electron probe microanalysis, and micro-x-ray fluorescence to evaluate the spatial, geochemical, and mineralogical distribution of Au mineralization at the Vertigo target. Petrographic and structural interpretations are contextualized with synchrotron radiation x-ray diffraction on 120 drill sample pulps. The clustering of diffraction patterns has revealed characteristic signatures of Au-mineralization with structural geometries coincident with the mineralogical clusters. The …

The Relationship Between Visible Gold And Arsenopyrite At The Orenada Zone 4 Deposit, Val D'Or, Quebec, Cassandra Powell

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Orenada Zone 4 deposit is an Archean orogenic gold deposit situated southeast of Val d’Or, Québec in the southeastern Abitibi Greenstone Belt. It is located directly within the Cadillac-Larder-Lake Deformation Zone. Mineralization is hosted within a volcanoclastic horizon of the Cadillac Group where two distinct facies were defined. Both facies underwent a pervasive sericite-chlorite-carbonate±albite alteration assemblage that predates gold mineralization. Gold is associated with two generation of auriferous quartz-carbonate-tourmaline veins and within fractures of corroded arsenopyrite grains, located proximal to the vein walls. A LA-ICP-MS study determined that neither textural type of arsenopyrite displayed refractory gold. Therefore, gold was …

Copper And Gold In Vapors And Liquids As A Function Of Hcl At 700°C And 100 Mpa, Corrie A. Lucchesi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Porphyry ore deposits are major sources of copper (Cu) and gold (Au) and form when a magmatic volatile phase (MVP) exsolves from a porphyritic intermediate to felsic melt and transports metals to surrounding country rock where they precipitate in an ore zone. There is a consensus that the chloride concentration of the MVP has a direct relationship to the concentration of Cu and Au in the MVP, but the role of dissolved HCl on Cu and Au concentrations has not been addressed. It is hypothesized that increasing HCl concentrations in the MVP will result in higher concentrations of Cu and …

Nature And Origin Of Fissure Ore At The Porphyry-Epithermal Transition Zone Of The Bingham Canyon Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Deposit, Utah, David Harris Tomlinson

Theses and Dissertations

Late-stage fissure-filling ore at the world class Bingham Canyon, Utah, porphyry copper deposit has long been recognized, but poorly studied. Physical and chemical characterization of the Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag-Au mineralized fissures in the porphyry-epithermal transition zone provides insight into the origin, timing, and controls of ore deposition. These sheared sulfide-rich fissures are dominated by pyrite and multiple generations of quartz, with lesser amounts of other sulfides and gangue minerals. Au (0.27 to 4.61 ppm) provides the most value to the ore in the transition zone. Host rocks include Eocene monzonite and Paleozoic limestone and quartzite"”all of which can contain economic ore bodies. …

Mineral Exploration Investigation In The Northern Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico, Labdan Nijr Alqahtani

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Sierra Madre region is rich in mineralized deposits, but it is hard to access because of the rugged terrain. Remote sensing and GIS can help in mineral exploration and regional structural analysis. The purpose of this project is to study linear, curvilinear, arcuate, and circular features in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico in order to improve exploration possibility. It is of great interest to know the relationship between lineament intersections, caldera features because of the location of potential mineral occurrences. In this study, 4,445 lineaments were mapped manually using directional filters applied to satellite images. A total of …

Trace Element Geochemistry And Nd-Sr Isotope Systematics Of Scheelite From The Thunder Creek And 144 Gap Deposits, Timmins, Ontario: Implications For Timing And Genesis Of Gold, Annika Van Kessel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The age of the youngest gold event at the Timmins West Mine is unknown. Scheelite geochemistry and geochronology at the TWM were constrained using WDS and EDS mapping, LA-ICPMS and MC-ICPMS analytical techniques. Trace element analyses by LA-ICPMS revealed scheelites mineralized from a common and oxidized fluid. Samarium-Neodymium isotopic analyses of 15 scheelite grains yielded a linear regression isochron with a corresponding age of 2587 +/- 49 Ma (MSWD = 2.5) and εNdi, calculated from CHUR, of 1.01 ± 0.11 (2SD). A second internal isochron from a single scheelite grain yielded an age of 2516 +/- 88 Ma (MSWD = …

Study On The Surface Features Of Preg-Robbing Carbonaceous Matter During Oxidation Treatment, Mana Pourdasht

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Carbonaceous gold ores have the ability to adsorb gold (I) cyanide from leach solutions during processing. This phenomenon, known as preg-robbing, is responsible for poor recoveries as the carbonaceous materials of the ore compete with activated carbon used during the leaching and adsorption phase of processing. Chemical oxidation of carbonaceous materials by different reagents has been utilized to investigate and compare the mechanism of Au (CN)₂ adsorption onto carbonaceous materials prior to and following the treatment.

The procedure for characterization of the carbonaceous materials (plain and modified) in the sample combines the use of several analytical techniques and test …

Metallogenic Setting Of High-Grade Gold Mineralization In The Neoarchean Hearne Craton, Kivalliq Region, Whale Cove, Nunavut, Canada, Mo Asmail

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Pistol Bay Gold Project is located on the northwestern shores of Hudson Bay, in the Tavani Segment of the Neoarchean Kaminak Greenstone Belt in the Hearne Craton of the Western Churchill Province. This project covers several gold prospects whose genesis is hotly debated. The primary objectives of this research are to answer critical questions regarding the nature and timing of gold mineralization. The investigation includes: (1) establish the absolute age of the felsic and mafic intrusions and the relative timing of gold mineralization; (2) document the nature of primary and hydrothermal mineral assemblages related to gold mineralization; and (3) …

An Evaluation Of The Lithologies And Geochemistry Of The Upper Beaver Deposit Of The Kirkland Lake Area, Katherine E. Feick

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Upper Beaver Cu-Au deposit contains a unique style of mineralization in the Larder Lake and Kirkland Lake areas in terms of mineralization, alteration style, and age. This study aims to use company-provided data, supplemented with focused data collection, to evaluate what information can be attained from company-provided geochemical data. The evaluation uses a combination of hand sample, petrographic, geochemical, statistical, and microprobe analytical methods.

Lithogeochemical analyses indicated that the altered igneous host rock is calc-alkaline in composition and is most likely part of the diorite-monzonite suite. Further, exploratory data analysis of Au and Cu mineralization identified that there are …

Geologic, Geochemical, And Geophysical Characterization Of The Gold Deposits Of The Horseshoe Bend Mining District, Idaho: Building A Four Dimensional Model For Ore Exploration, Joshua Ekhoff

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Eocene aged Trans-Challis Fault System of central Idaho provides the tectonic and magmatic framework for a series of Au-Ag and Cu-Mo ore deposits. From its northernmost extension near Butte, Montana to its southwestern terminus in the Boise Basin of south-central Idaho the Trans-Challis Fault System is associated with some of the richest precious metal deposits found in Idaho. However, the southernmost tip of the Trans-Challis Fault System, composed of the Horseshoe Bend and Pearl mining districts, remains understudied, receiving little economic or academic attention. As a result, how the Pearl to Horseshoe Bend mining districts fit within the established …

Quantifying A Mining Investability Quotient To Mitigate Junior Mining Investment Risk, Jonathan Mickey Merguerian

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Uncertainty and risk are inherent features of investing in mineral exploration ventures. Investors rely on qualitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate risk of capital. The distinction between risk and uncertainty pertaining to mineral exploration is that risk is an opportunity for loss and uncertainty can be described as the range of probabilities that some condition may occur (Rose, 1987). Stakeholders rely on a combination of investment conferences, risk analysis equations, press releases, financial reports, and investment research to determine if an investment potential. J. M. Cozzolini developed a formula for Risk Adjusted Value (RAV) of an exploration venture. The study …

Characterization Of Gold And Related Mineralization At The North Bullion Carlin System, Railroad Project, A Nevada Carlin-~Type Gold Prospect, Melanie Nicole Newton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A study of the North Bullion Carlin system, a Nevada Carlin-type gold prospect located on trend with the large Carlin-type gold deposits (CTGD) of the Carlin Trend, identified characteristics of ore and alteration mineralization, mineral paragenesis, and pyrite and whole rock geochemistry that are similar to characteristics that typify Carlin-type gold deposits. The North Bullion Carlin system is hosted in Devonian shelf carbonates and the Mississippian overlap assemblage, host rocks that are different from typical CTGD shelf-slope carbonate assemblage host rocks. The mineralogy and ore-stage gold-bearing pyrite rims at North Bullion are not as well developed as they are in …

Ore Classification And Breccia Formation In The 144 Zone Gold Deposit: A Chemical Replacement Model, Bare Mountain Range, Nevada, William Thomas Fischer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The 144 Zone is an oxidized, breccia-hosted, disseminated gold deposit that formed along the contact between Early Cambrian Carrara Formation limestone and overlying Bonanza King Formation dolomite within the Bare Mountain range in southern Nevada. Gold mineralization occurs within a breccia body that contains a variety of breccia types. Research goals of this project included classifying clay, oxide and other minerals as well as breccia types to identify the habits of gold mineralization and the minerals associated with gold. Research was also aimed at determining the paragenesis of Au mineralization and brecciation in the 144 Zone. Underground mapping provided spatial …

The Biogeochemical Cycling Of Gold Under Surface And Near-Surface Environmental Conditions, Jeremiah P. Shuster

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The mobility of gold at near-surface environmental conditions, e.g., supergene weathering environments, lateritic weathering systems, saline to hypersaline systems and placer gold environments, takes place as oxidised, soluble gold complexes and as reduced elemental gold. The transformation between aqueous and solid states of gold is attributed to the varying geochemical conditions that occur in dynamic environments that are catalysed in part by the biosphere. The primary focus of this research is the investigation of biogeochemical processes that contribute to the cycling of gold using laboratory models to represent various natural systems including chemolithotrophic bacteria, e.g., iron-oxidising bacteria, and heterotrophic sulphate-reducing …

Lithogeochemical And Stable Isotope Characteristics Of Bristol And Northern Thorneloe Townships And Its Correlation With Gold Mineralization, Zachary Grant Stevison

Wayne State University Theses

The Porcupine Mining Camp located in the southwestend of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt has been mined extensively for its prolific precious and base metal enrichment. This study targeted Bristol and Northern Thorneloe, fifteen kilometers southwest of Timmins, ON, an area that is of economic interest for its gold mineralization. Rock samples were collected (drill- core and outcrop) throughout both townships and analyzed for their major and trace element composition, These were used to determine hydrothermal alteration signatures as well as specific elemental enrichment that relate to gold mineralization in Bristol-Thorneloe Township. Quartz-carbonate and quartz-carbonate-tourmaline vein samples were also collected near …

Ore And Gangue Mineral Paragenesis Of The Cortez Hills Carlin-Type Gold Deposit, Nevada: Evidence For Coincident High-Grade Gold Deposition And Collapse Brecciation, Lindsey R. Clark

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Cortez Hills Carlin-type gold deposit (CTGD), located on the Battle Mountain-Eureka trend of Northern NV, is hosted in a conical shaped polylithic breccia whose central axis strikes parallel to the imbricate Voodoo fault system. Gold grades at the center of the Cortez Hills Breccia Zone (CHBZ) are locally in excess of an ounce per ton. Gold mineralization within the refractory ore at Cortez Hills shares many characteristics with other well studied CTGDs. However, new observations during this study have recognized 1) fragmented realgar that are rimmed by gold-bearing iron-sulfide minerals in four samples, 2) a Hg- and Tl-rich late-ore …

An Experimental Investigation Of Chemical Mass Transfer Processes In Crystallizing, Hydrous Silicate Magmas: The Genesis Of Ore Deposits And Metasomatic Fluids, Aaron S. Bell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation is comprised of three broadly related experimental petrology projects on phase equilibria and noble metal solubility in hydrous silicate melts. Chapters two and three combine experimental petrology with high precision laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis of experimental run products in order to quantitatively constrain the behavior of the investigated metals. Chapter four presents experimental evidence detailing a novel oxidation mechanism for degassing silicate liquids as well as exploring the geochemical consequences of the proposed mechanism.

Chapter two presents the results of an experimental study on Au, Pt, and Pd behavior in coexisting silicate melt-sulfide-oxide …

Oxidation Of Dibenzothiophene To Dibenzothiophene Using Metal Nanoparticles Supported On Silica, Karina Castillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Silica and nanoparticles of Pt, Au, and Ag supported on silica were tested for the ability to oxidize dibenzothiophene (DBT) to sulfone. High performance liquid chromatography was used to study the removal of DBT from solution. In addition, X- ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy were used to characterize the product of the oxidation reaction. Further studies involved the use X-ray absorption spectroscopy to characterize the nanoparticle catalysts before and after the oxidation reaction.

To better understand the reaction, silica was synthesized at different pHs using three different acids. The acids used to synthesize the silica were HCl, HNO3, …

Structural And Geochemical Analyses Of Disseminated-Gold Deposits, Bald Mountain-Alligator Ridge District, Nevada: Insights Into Fault-Zone Architecture And Its Effect On Mineralization, K. Jill Hammond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Structural and geochemical analyses of the Top and Casino deposits, Bald Mountain-Alligator Ridge district, Nevada, were conducted to determine how structures affected gold deposition in Carlin-type deposit s. We also examined how permeability changed over time in a fault that cuts siltstone-dominated sedimentary rocks. The association of gold and related arsenic with faults at the margins of a Jurassic pluton and sedimentary rocks suggests that ore fluids migrated along faults and fracture s. Permeability of the faults changed over time within the Casino deposit, where the ore-controlling fault was a distributed conduit in the early stages of mineralization but a …

The Elkhorn Mine Of Jefferson County, Montana, David D. Walker

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

In 1901, after yielding metals valued in excess of five million dollars, it was considered worked out. Since that time the mine has passed through the hands of several own­ers, none of whom have failed to realize a profit from it. Although at no time since its zenith did it ever regain its once great production, it did provide a livelihood for those who worked it. Now with the American Smelting and Refining Company interested in it, perhaps it will once again become an important producer.

The Lilly Mine Of Powell County, Montana, Wilbur Aikin

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

For many years the Elliston District, of Powell County has been a minor producer of gold, lead, zinc, and silver. Although never among the largest producing districts of the state, it has with the exception of the war years supplied a notable tonnage of ore to the neighboring mills ever since the first placer and lode claims were located there during the late eighteen hundreds.

Benefication Of An Oxidized Lead Ore From The Franklin Mine Lewis And Clark County, Jack D. Mclenegan

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

This thesis is concerned with the beneficiation of an oxidized lead ore. Emphasis was placed upon concentration by flotation rather than by gravity methods, although some investigation was made with the Wilfley shaking table. The concentration of lead minerals received most consideration in the problem, but wherever possible attempts were made to increase the silver and gold concentration along with the lead.

A Mineral Dressing Study Of The U.S. Grant Ore, John Emmett Murphy

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

This investigation concerns the development of a satis­factory method or extracting or concentrating gold and silver from the ores of the U. S. Grant Mine. The choice between applying an extractive process and one by which the valuable mineral constituents are concentrated depends on more than one factor.

Geology Of Upper Bear Gulch And Dry Boulder Creek Area Madison County, Montana, Norman King

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

Potential gold mines lie high among the rugged peaks of the Tobacco Root Mountains of southwestern Montana. This is a region where little geologic work has been done, though extensive mine operations have been carried on, and valuable ore has been shipped.

The Geology And Ore Deposits Of The Ruby Gulch Mine, Henry J. Roletto, John X. Combo

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

The Ruby Gulch Mine, owned and operated by the Ruby Gulch Mining Company, Zortman, Montana, is one of the most important low-grade gold producers in the state. Sit­uated in the Little Rocky Mountains, the mine has had an interesting history since its discovery shortly before the turn of the century.

Testing And Concentration Of A Low Grade Gold Ore From Marysville, Montana, John B. White, Jr.

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate and attempt to concentrate low grade cyanided tailings rejected from the old Montana Mining and milling Company's mill situated 4 miles below the town of Marysville, Montana.

The Investigation Of Different Variables In The Assaying Of Silver Cyanide Solutions, Phillip L. Banfield

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

The cyanide method of extraction of gold and silver from their ores is extensively used in the United States and elsewhere. It is becoming increasingly more important in its use as the mining of lower grade deposits continues.

The Concentration Of Scheelite From The Gold Concentrates Of The Jardine Mining Company, John H. Huxley

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

The Purpose of this thesis was to investigate the possibility of concentrating scheelite from Wilfley table gold concentrates from the mill of the Jardine Mining Company; and to determine whether such concentration is economically feasible and the product of sufficiently high grade to meet commercial specifications for such a product.