Posts by LKI Consulting
Spectralucation July: Beyond Porphyry-Epithermal
A common comment that we receive is that ‘spectral is great for porphyry and epithermal, but it cannot help with other deposits.’ At LKI Consulting, we wholeheartedly disagree with this statement so for our last Spectralucation July post we would like to debunk some myths and explore the range of deposit types that are seen…
Read MoreSpectralucation July: Using Spectral Composition Data
If you are unaware, hyperspectral data is renown for producing mineral data; biotite, white mica, tourmaline, sulfates, carbonates, Fe-oxides… the list is long and diverse. However, spectral datasets also yield “composition” data, namely crystallinity and wavelength data. In this post we’re going to focus on some of the more common features and mineral groups they…
Read MoreSpectralucation July: Why Are Plants Green
Fig. 1. Montmorillonite spectra celebrating Spectalucation July. The y-axis is reflectance (%) and the x-axis is wavelength (nm). Our blog posts thus far have concentrated more on geochemistry and general themes so we thought for July… let’s get into some spectral topics to break up either the extreme heat that we’re feeling at our home…
Read MoreElectrochemistry & Invisible Gold in Pyrite
Although characteristic of Carlin-type deposits, invisible Au in pyrite is also observed in epithermal (low- and high-sulfidation) and porphyry deposits. Some famous examples include Yanacocha (Peru), Pueblo Viejo (Dominican Republic), Brucejack (Canada), Lihir (Papua New Guinea), and Dexing (China). Perhaps most interestingly… invisible Au has also been found in the epithermal system at the active…
Read MoreDe-risking the Mining Value Chain Using Hyperspectral Technology
Accurate and consistent mineralogy is one of the fundamental building blocks of exploration. The explorationist talks and dreams about discovery – in order to do this, they must define vectors towards mineralization, while simultaneously de-risking and increasing the net present value (NPV) of a project. The interpretation of hyperspectral data (i.e. absolute mineral identification, compositional…
Read MoreHyperspectral, Geochemistry & Gangue Mineralogy
In comparison to their more shiny (and valuable) mineral counterparts, gangue mineralogy tends to be unloved by geologists. In our rush to define grade for market releases, we lose sight of the fact that gangue mineralogy impacts our final product (i.e., mines) dramatically. What is gangue in CAPEX and OPEX terms? Gangue minerals are the…
Read MoreHonoring Historic Data
“Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.†Guy Kawasaki It would be the dream if every dataset that you come across was ready to go: with (1) no QA/QC required, (2) could be used for an alteration study, lithogeochemistry study, and/or to vector towards mineralization, and (3) could be put into a model. As…
Read MoreWhere’s Your Champion At?
Geologists are busy – at site the number one priority is ensuring cohesion and completing the daily / weekly / monthly(?) task list. The introduction of new technologies and even the interpretation of relatively standard programs, such as 48-element geochemistry data can be incredibly difficult to implement. This is the role of the project champion.…
Read MoreThe Importance of Using Data to Log Core
Although the enargite is obvious, the white rock… less so. Using tools, such as hyperspectral can help resolve this for fundamentally better models. Over the course of a project hundreds of thousands to millions of meters are collected, representing a significant financial investment. Core is the exploration industry’s greatest asset and core logging fundamentally underpins…
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