Mineral Deposits and Economic Geology

Ancient Placer Basin Analysis

The nature of gold placers in ancient basins of Southern Africa, South America and North America is being studied in order to better understand the structural, climatic and sedimentological factors that created basins filled by gold-bearing sediments, as well as secondary modification, through diagenesis and metamorphism of the primary gold concentrations.

Proterozoic Base Metal Deposits

Research is being undertaken into the metallogenic evolution of the Namaqua and the Pan-African crustal provinces. Studies are directed at porphyry copper deposits and vein-hosted W-Mo mineralisation in the Richtersveld Subprovince, the Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag ore bodies in the Aggeneys area of Bushmanland, the Mountain Orebody, Rosh Pinah (southern Namibia), as well as several deposits in the Otavi Mountainland (northern Namibia).

Mineralisation in the Bushveld Complex

This study involves measurement of the stable isotope composition of well-documented samples from the Bushveld Complex. These data bear on possible magma contamination and post-consolidation hydrothermal mineralisation.

Coal and its By-products

A geochemical study of carbonaceous shales from the Grootegeluk coal mine in the Waterberg Coalfield has recently been completed. The Waterberg Coalfield is regarded as the major source of South African coal in the next century, and the objectives were to evaluate the discards from coal-mining operations as possible sources of economically valuable elements, as possible sources of ground-water pollution in the future, and to relate the results to source rock compositions, depositional environments, and diagenetic processes.



PARTICIPANTS
H E Frimmel D L Reid M Tredoux C Harris


Ancient Placer Basin Analysis The nature of gold placers in ancient basins of Southern Africa, South America and North America is being studied in order to better understand the structural, climatic and sedimentological factors that created basins filled by gold-bearing sediments, as well as secondary modification, through diagenesis and metamorphism of the primary gold concentrations. Proterozoic Base Metal Deposits Research is being undertaken into the metallogenic evolution of the Namaqua and the Pan-African crustal provinces. Studies are directed at porphyry copper deposits and vein-hosted W-Mo mineralisation in the Richtersveld Subprovince, the Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag ore bodies in the Aggeneys area of Bushmanland, the Mountain Orebody, Rosh Pinah (southern Namibia), as well as several deposits in the Otavi Mountainland (northern Namibia). Mineralisation in the Bushveld Complex This study involves measurement of the stable isotope composition of well-documented samples from the Bushveld Complex. These data bear on possible magma contamination and post-consolidation hydrothermal mineralisation. Coal and its By-products A geochemical study of carbonaceous shales from the Grootegeluk coal mine in the Waterberg Coalfield has recently been completed. The Waterberg Coalfield is regarded as the major source of South African coal in the next century, and the objectives were to evaluate the discards from coal-mining operations as possible sources of economically valuable elements, as possible sources of ground-water pollution in the future, and to relate the results to source rock compositions, depositional environments, and diagenetic processes.