Key Services
The pmd *CRC is able to provide access to a group of experts with experience in tackling a range of problems at different scales.
Application at different scales
1 Terrain selection
Identifying terrains that are prospective by focusing on their history - looking at their locations throughout geological time and space that led to the formation of a huge metal endowment.
- Terrain analysis and concept development, tested by crustal scale thermal and fluid flow modeling
2 Project generation within selected terrains.
- 3D model construction
- Identifying areas of high mineral potential through regional scale modeling of 3D scenarios:
- Coupled thermal-fluid flow simulations to test the impact of thermal events (eg intrusions) and/or thermal structure (eg insulators/seals and radiogenic heat sources) of fluid flow and focusing
- Identifying fluid pathways and areas of fluid focus in structurally controlled settings
- Regional scale geochemical and/or reactive transport simulations to identify regional alteration signatures, and to develop data acquisition/interpretation strategies, which can help minimise data acquisition costs.
Prospect/District scale targeting
Investigating areas of mineralisation by looking at the specifics and mechanisms, which formed known deposits, and assemble a picture of what controlled ore formation in yet undiscovered ore deposits.
Identify high quality targets through simulating ore formation of known ore systems ‘reverse engineering’ by using:
- Structural mapping/analysis on core and outcrop
- Paragenetic studies
- Geomechanical simulations to determine the likely far-field stress regimes, rheological properties, temperatures and pressures and the time of ore deposition
- Reactive transport simulations to identify viable metal and sulfur-bearing chemistries and fluid-rock or fluid-fluid reaction behaviours.
Predictive modelling at the ore system scale and prospect scale, involving geochemical and reactive transport modelling of:
- Simplified 3D prospect models where they can be inferred
- Template testing of idealised geometries and rock types where the prospect geology is unknown.
Assist in developing geophysical and geochemical data acquisition strategies through reactive transport modelling for either alteration mineralogy or minerals that generate a geophysical response to identify the scale and intensity of detectable footprints.
Target testing
Sequential target testing strategies by including new information from each successive drill hole and running progressively more accurate and detailed simulations of ore location to arrive at the likely ore position with a minimum cost. This is particularly suited to drill testing deep targets where each drill hole may cost in excess of $100,000.
