GOLD IN THE YELLOWKNIFE GOLD BELT: GEOCHEMICAL VECTORS AND GRADE INDICATORS (Invited Presentation)

Solar panels using gold films reach efficiencies of 85 %, and recent studies are pursuing the use of gold nanoparticles in silicon-based solar panels towards increasing their efficiency. Orogenic gold deposits are a major source of gold worldwide (over 30 % of global production). However, in many deposits, gold shows a highly heterogeneous distribution in nuggets. This spatial distribution can lead to issues with assay representativity, over or underestimation of resources and misidentification of targets. In this context, finding proxies for high gold concentration or vectors towards mineralized structures would significantly facilitate exploration.

The Yellowknife Greenstone Belt has produced over 13 million ounces of gold in a belt that expands over 10s of kilometers. However, mineralization in the Yellowknife Greenstone Belt occurs in diverse lithologies, structures, and minerals. As a result, identifying a targeting strategy that is applicable broadly has presented a challenge.

In this study we evaluate the potential of whole rock compositions, mineral chemistry and fluid inclusion characteristics as indicators of grade within a given structure and as indicators of proximity to a mineralized structure and their potential implications in terms of geochemical processes.