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STARCO INC.
PRECIOUS AND BASE METAL EXPLORATION IN NORTH AMERICA
| Copyrights © 2002, Starco Inc. All Rights Reserved |
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Design by Bato Inc. |
Starco
Inc. Geological Services
Starco
is
a newly established consultancy service to the mining and exploration industry.
Consultants are specialist
with many years worldwide experience in the application of structural geology and
remote sensing techniques to mineral exploration. Our expertise in the
application of structural techniques to determine the controls on mineralization
and the generation of predictive models that can be used to identify new
exploration targets. We strive to provide results that are exploration
orientated and can be easily understood and directly applied by the client’s
staff in the search for new resources, rather than “academic” structural
studies.
Services
The
following services are offered at a highly competitive rate.
Mine/Prospect
Scale Analysis
Field
structural analysis and mapping.
Interpretation
of high resolution satellite imagery, aerial photographs and geophysics
data.
Review
and re-interpretation of the client’s data to identify mineralization controls.
Review
of drilling results and structural analysis of drill core.
Data
integration to define new models for the controls on mineralization and ore body geometry.
Use
of the mineralization model to identify new exploration targets.
Regional/District
Scale Analysis
Interpretation
of satellite imagery e.g.
Landsat TM, Landsat ETM+, SPOT, ASTER, IRS, Radar.
Provision
of satellite image products through an associate image processing
firm.
Structural
interpretation of geophysics data.
Review
and re-interpretation of the client’s exploration data.
Review
of other data sets e.g.
Open file data, published maps, theses, publications, alteration data.
Field
structural analysis of key localities and areas of known mineralization.
Synthesis
of available data to define the structural framework of the district and the
main controls on mineralization.
Identification
of exploration targets in the region/district based on predictive
models established from the data synthesis.
General
Experience
During
consultancy we undertook field based and
desk studies around continents, encompassing a broad spectrum of tectonic
settings (Archean Greenstone Belts to Tertiary Volcanic Provinces), a
Geological Services
Listed
below are fields of expertise:
Structural
analysis applied to mineral exploration.
Field
analysis of many mines and prospects throughout the world to determine the
structural controls on mineralization including:
Geometry
and kinematics of mineralized structures;
Mineralization
style;
Structural
history of a deposit/prospect and timing of mineralization;
Fluid
drive, fluid pathways and fluid focusing mechanisms;
Ground
preparation.
Interpretation
of remotely sensed data (satellite imagery, radar, aerial photographs,
airborne and ground geophysics).
Review
and analysis of client’s data (drilling results, geochemical data,
geological and alteration mapping).
Data
synthesis involving the integration of remote sensing interpretations, field
observations and data review to generate new models for the mineralization
controls in mines and prospects and the identification of exploration
targets.
Regional
analysis of remotely sensed data and map data to determine the structural
framework of a district and identify new exploration targets.
Project
Range
Geological Services can make an important contribution at all stages of
exploration:
Grassroots
Exploration
Provide structural and lithostratigraphic interpretations of remote sensing data (satellite imagery, radar, aerial photographs and geophysics). Determine the structural framework of a district and identify potentially mineralized structures.
Evaluate controls on known mineralization and mineralization styles.
Generation of exploration targets.
Provide
integrated exploration maps, showing the structural framework, main
lithostratigraphic units, principal areas of exploration interest, as well
as specific exploration targets.
Provide
satellite image products through an associate image processing firm.
Provide
logistics maps showing infrastructure (roads, tracks, railways towns
and villages) and physical features (rivers, ravines, canyons, mountain
ranges etc.).
Prospect
Evaluation
Field
analysis to determine the geometry and kinematics of mineralized structures.
Aerial
photograph interpretation to identify the main structures/vein systems
within the area.
Determine
the controls on known mineralization.
Review
exploration data to determine ore body geometry.
Structural
interpretation of geophysics data.
Production
of models for the mineralization controls that can be used to predict
new exploration targets.
Production
of a detailed report emphasizing the up side potential of a prospect.
Development
Stage
Evaluation
of the client’s exploration data.
Review
of mine plans, cross-sections and block models.
Field
analysis of outcrop and mine developments to establish/verify controls
on mineralization.
Identify
new exploration targets.
Production
Stage
Review
of mine plans and cross-sections.
Field
analysis of mine workings to examine mineralization style and identify
structural/lithostratigraphic controls.
Examination
of ground preparation mechanisms and identification of feeder
structures.
Determination
of controls on oreshoots and high grade zones.
Production
of model for the mineralization controls.
Identification
of new exploration targets within the immediate mine area
Application
of the mine model to the identification of new exploration targets
in the district.
Decommissioning
Review
of mine plans and cross-sections.
Field
analysis of mine workings to determine the main controls on mineralization.
Identification
of ore zones that may have been missed.
Evaluation
of the potential for other mineralization styles within the mine area,
which may not have been previously targeted.
Interpretation
of remote sensing data (satellite imagery, aerial photos, geophysics)
to determine the structural framework of the district.
Review
of exploration data for the district.
Synthesis
of all available data to produce a new exploration strategy for the
district.
Use
of the mine model and data synthesis to identify new exploration targets
in the district.
Projects
The
work undertaken at both local scale, on prospects and mines, and on a
more regional scale has made a valuable contribution to the client’s
understanding of the controls on a deposit, and more importantly has helped
focus the client’s exploration effort. Listed below are some of the
projects undertaken. These have been chosen to illustrate the broad range
of tectonic regimes, structural controls and mineralization styles. They also show how work has been applicable during various stages of
exploration from grassroots reconnaissance and prospect evaluation, to mine
development and production, to decommissioning exploration during the declining phase
of a mine’s life.
4CE, Nevada
Archean
shear zone hosted Au mineralization.
Structural
analysis of trenches, open pits and surface exposure to determine
the geometry and kinematics of shear zone related vein systems.
Interpretation
of Landsat TM and aerial photographs to map the principal shear
zones and vein systems.
Interpretation
of airborne geophysics and geochemical data.
Review
of drilling results for the prospect.
Generation
of new models to explain the known mineral occurrences and identify
new exploration targets.
A
transpressional bend on a major shear zone, coinciding with the prospect, was identified as the main target in the district. The structural
study enabled the limits of the mineralized zone to be defined, resulting in
a more focused drilling campaign.
A
series of cross-sections were constructed to help define the regional structure
and its control on known mineralization.
Dry
Creek, Nevada
Au
mineralization related to Tertiary extensional faults with thrust related ground
Surface
and underground analysis of structures and mineralization controls.
Review
of mine plans, cross-sections and the vulcan deposit model.
Interpretation
of aero magnetic data.
Data
integration to produce a model for the structural evolution of the property and identification of structures controlling mineralization.
The
results of the study predicted that mineralization was likely to be highly
localized, precluding the possibility of a world-class ore body on the
property.
These
findings were subsequently borne out by the drilling results.
Bluebell, Saskatchewan
Carbonate replacement Zn mineralization within a fold and thrust belt.
In 2003 we conducted a regional remote sensing study to evaluate the potential for zinc
mineralization, involving:
Interpretation
of 4 Landsat ETM+ scenes.
Integration
of the interpretation with existing maps and mineralization data.
Construction
of 3 regional cross-sections to establish the geometry of the thrust
belt and help identify possible fluid pathways.
Reconnaissance
fieldwork to examine structural style and areas of known zinc
mineralization.
Areas
with the best potential were identified using a “play fairways”
approach.
Subsequent
fieldwork by the client’s geologists identified a 20 km (minimum) long
zone with significant zinc mineralization in the principal target area.
Deloro, Mexico
Zn-Pb-Ag
epithermal vein system with some carbonate replacement sulphide mineralization.
Field
analysis of surface exposures of veins and faults in the district.
Underground
analysis of old mine.
Review
of mine plans and cross-sections.
Identification
of the controls on the veins, wall rock mineralization and carbonate
replacement deposits.
Development of a model for the controls on pockets of high grade Zn-Pb.
Ag
wallrock mineralization that was successfully used to predict new oreshoots.
Identification
of thrust related ground preparation for carbonate replacement
sulphide mineralization.
The
application of the models produced by this study resulted in a doubling of
reserves in the district.
Dora Mine, Manitoba
Epithermal
Au-quartz veins.
Detailed
field analysis of surface exposures of veins, open pits and underground
workings.
Review
of mine plans and cross-sections for Mine.
Re-interpretation
of exploration drilling data and revision of the level plans for
unexploited veins.
Structural
interpretation of geophysical data.
Interpretation
of aerial photographs.
Review
of old level plans for abandoned mines in the district to establish vein
geometry and kinematics.
Landsat
TM interpretation to determine the regional structural framework.
Two
vein styles were recognized in the immediate vicinity of Dora Mine:
Veins
formed by multiple movement events within active faults.
Veins
developed as epithermal fills within caldera collapse structures.
This distinction was subsequently verified by new development work along the fault related veins.
