Gold Mineral Systems

World class gold ore deposits are the expression of a complex combination of critical processes (tectonic evolution, gold and fluid sources, fluid pathways, and depositional mechanisms). The research is multi-disciplinary and includes structural geology, tectonics, geophysics, 3D modelling, geochemistry, and geochronology placing gold deposits into mineral and exploration system frameworks.  Australian projects are dominated by studies of Archean and Proterozoic gold systems in the Yilgarn, Tanami, and Tennant Creek terranes. Most projects are co-ordinated by Professor’s McCuaig, Miller, and Hagemann.  Global gold projects are focused in Asia, West Africa and South America. The control of early crustal and lithospheric architecture and its influence in the formation of Au mineralisation is a major focus of current research projects in the centre.

Main theme researchers

Prof. Cam McCuaig

Prof. John Miller

Prof. Steffen Hageman

Dr Nicolas Thébaud

Dr Aurore Joly

Dr Iris Sontag

Dr Walter Witt

Leon Bagas (PhD student)

Yongjun Lu  (PhD student)

Qingtao Zeng  (PhD student)

Jianwei Zi  (PhD student)

Barbara Duggan (MSc student)

Jason Larocca  (MSc student)

Derek Marshall (PhD student – Universidade Federal Minas Gerais/University of Western Australia)

Research theme affiliates

Prof. Mike Dentith, Prof. Mark Barley, Prof. Peter Cawood, Assoc. Prof. Klaus Gessner, Dr Marco Fiorentini, Assoc. Prof. Eun Jung Holden, Dr Geoff Batt, Emeritus Professor David Groves, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow Dr. Frank Bierlein (AREVA); Professor Craig Hart, (MDRU-University of British Columbia), Prof. Lydia Lobato (UFMG-Brazil), Ana Fogliata (University of Tucuman-Miguel Lillo Foundation-Argentina), Professor Rob Kerrich (University of Saskatchewan), Professor Mark Jessell (IRD-Toulouse); Senior Honorary Professor Zengqiang Hou (Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences).

Major Projects

Controls on the porphyry-epithermal Au-Cu systems in Mindanao, Philippines (Dr Iris Sonntag, Prof. Hagemann)

Construction of 4D framework of the Tanami: Au mineral systems and prospectivity analysis  (MERIWA Project M389; Prof. McCuaig, Dr. Frank Bierlein, Assoc. Prof. Holden, Dr Joly, Ms Irianti (MSc, completed); Leon Bagas (PhD, submitted);

Lithospheric architecture of the Yilgarn and controls on Au mineral systems (associated with LP 0776780 in Nickel Mineral Systems; Profs. McCuaig; Miller, Drs. Fiorentini, Joly, Thebaud; PhD students Mole, Isaac)

4D evolution of the Agnew gold field, Yilgarn Craton (Prof. McCuaig, Prof. Miller, Dr Thebaud).

Target generation for gold ore bodies in the Pataz gold district, Peru (Dr Witt, Prof. Hagemann).

Evolution of the West Qinling Orogenic Belt, Eastern Indo-Asian Collision Zone and Lanping-Simao Basin, China  (Prof. McCuaig, Prof. Hart (UBC), Prof. Cawood; Dr. Hou and PhD students Lu, Zeng and Zi)

4D evolution of the St Ives field, Kambalda, W.A. (Prof. Miller, MSc project Duggan)

Controls on Gold Mineralization in Central Victoria: Towards New Exploration Models.  Prof. Christopher Wilson (Uni.Melb.), A/Prof David Phillips, Prof. John Miller (CET), Dr Mark Kendrick.  ARC-LINKAGE GRANT LP0882157

Mineral systems analysis of Australia’s largest gold producing deposit: Sunrise Dam Gold Mine, Western Australia.  Dr Thomas Blenkinsop (JCU), Prof Nicholas Oliver (JCU),  Prof. John Miller, Mr Michael Nugus (AngloGold), Mr James Biggam (AngloGold)    ARC-LINKAGE GRANT LP0883306 1

4D evolution of the Tennant Creek Mineral Field, N.T. (Prof. Miller, Dr Holden)

Structural and geochronological study of the Plutonic Greenstone Belt-Scale, Yilgarn  (Prof. Miller, Dr Sue Murray- Barrick)

Deposit Scale studies – Assessment of Orogenic and Intrusion-related Mineral Systems Continuum Gold Models

Jundee, Plutonic, Leonora, Southern Cross, St Ives, Coolgardie, Wallaby, Sunrise Dam, Callie (Tanami), Bendigo, Stawell, Ballarat, Cuiaba (Brazil) Culampaja and Incahuasi (Argentina)

NEW major initiatives

AMIRA P934A West African Exploration Initiative-stage 2 (WAXI2 – proposal currently with possible sponsors)  Prof. McCuaig and Prof. John Miller., Prof Mark Jessell (IRD - Uni. Toulouse, Project leader); Prof Kim Hein (Uni. Witwatersrand), Prof Lompo (Uni. Ouagadougou),  Dr Eric Gloaguen (BRGM);

Tectonic evolution and lode gold mineralisation in the Southern Cross district (ARC LINKAGE, proposal submitted  Prof. Barley, Prof. McCuaig, Prof. Miller, Assoc. Prof. Barley, GSWA)

Orogenic/Intrusion-related style of gold mineralization in the northern Sierras Pampeanas orogen, northern Argentina (joint project University of Tucuman/Lillo – Prof. Ana Fogliata and CET – Prof. Steffen Hagemann)

Strucural control and fluid flow in selected Archean gold deposits in the Iron Quadrangle of Brazil (joint project between the Universidade Federal Minas Gerais (Prof. Lydia Lobato) and CET (Prof. Hagemann)

Collaboration

Industry

Anglogoldashanti

Barrick Gold of Australia

Bendigo Mining Ltd

Emmerson Resources Ltd

Focus Minerals Ltd

Gold Fields Ltd

Northgate Minerals Corporation

Newmont Mining Corporation

Poderosa LtdSt. Barbara Ltd

University/Government

Mineral Deposit Research Unit, University of British Columbia

Centre for 3D Mineral Mapping (C3DMM)

CSIRO ‘Minerals Down Under’

University of Melbourne

James Cook University

GEMOC, Macquarie University

Geological Survey of Western Australia

Geoscience Australia

Universidade Federal Minas Gerais – Brazil

University of Tucuman/ Miguel Lillo Foundation – Argentina

University of Leeds

Lausanne University

CODES, University of Tasmania