Geological Methods in Mineral Exploration and Mining

This book is written as a practical field manual to effective. Each geolOgist has to develop his/her be used by geologists engaged in mineral explo­ own techniques and will ultimately be judged on ration. It is also hoped that it will serve as a text results, not the process by which these results and reference for students in Applied Geology were reached. In mineral exploration, the only courses of universities and colleges. The book 'right' way of doing anything is the way that aims to outline some of the practical skills that locates ore in the quickest and most cost-effective turn the graduate geologist into an explo­ manner. It is preferable, however, for an individ­ rationist:. It is intended as a practical 'how to' ual to develop his/her own method of operation book, rather than as a text on geological or ore after having tried, and become aware of, those deposit theory. procedures which experience has shown to work An explorationist is a professional who search­ well and which are generally accepted in indus­ try as good exploration practice. es for ore bodies in a scientific and structured way. Although an awkward and artificial term, The chapters of the book approximately fol­ this is the only available word to describe the low the steps which a typical exploration pro­ totality of the skills which are needed to locate gramme would go through. In Chapter 1, the and define economic mineralization.

This practical step-by-step guide describes the key geological field techniques needed by today's exploration geologists involved in the search for metallic deposits. The techniques described are fundamental to the collection, storage and presentation of geological data and their use to locate ore. This book explains the various tasks which the exploration geologist is asked to perform in the sequence in which they might be employed in an actual exploration project. Hints and tips are give. The steps are illustrated with numerous examples drawn from real projects on which the author has worked. The book emphasizes traditional skills and shows how they can be combined effectively with modern technological approaches.