The Application of Electrical Geophysics to Gold Exploration at Mt Wright, North Queensland

Abstract

The gold resource at Mt Wright, located approximately 10km to the northwest of Ravenswood North Queensland, is uneconomic due to its depth. Definition of a shallower resource of similar grade would have a profound effect on the current Ravenswood operation. Recent exploration at and around Mt Wright has been directed toward this end. Early IP surveys at Mt Wright showed that the mineralised system produced a low resistivity anomaly with moderate chargeability. Trial MIMDAS (MIM Distributed Acquisition System ? MIM owned technology), using the pole-dipole/dipole-pole configuration, and CSAMT surveys proved that both techniques have much greater depth of investigation than conventional IP in the Mt Wright area. More than 25 square kilometres have since been `screened?, using MIMDAS and CSAMT, to >400m depth for systems similar to Mt Wright. Infil surveys around Mt Wright have mapped the extent of the alteration system and highlighted anomalous zones away from Mt Wright itself. Some of these have been drill tested. MIMDAS and CSAMT have proven to be effective exploration tools in the Mt Wright area.