Grant: Alliance Grants

The 5-year research program is divided into 4 themes that address important issues to ensure long-term and resilient gold mining in providing next generation knowledge to understand the formation of orogenic gold deposits and to develop innovative exploration methodologies using indicator minerals and field portable instruments. Theme 1 will investigate the petrologic and metamorphic setting of important gold deposit areas to enable better regional targeting. Theme 2 will study the origin of the hydrothermal fluids that formed the gold deposits, of the ligands that carry gold and associated metals in solution, and determine the detailed timing of the gold-bearing hydrothermal events by in situ geochronology. Theme 3 will develop innovative indicator mineral methodologies to improve the exploration toolbox of the partners with geochemical criteria to fingerprint, vector towards oreshoots, and assess fertility for gold mineralization for efficient targeting at the deposit scale. Theme 4 will develop exploration methodologies using field portable instruments (LIBS, SWIR) for rapid results that will maintain and increase the edge of the Canadian mineral exploration sector with efficient, flexible toolboxes.