Application of high resolution 2D/3D spectral induced polarization (SIP) in metalliferous ore exploration

Abstract:

Induced polarization (IP) is a powerful tool in metalliferous ore exploration. However, there are many sources, such as clay and graphite, which can generate IP anomaly. Spectral induced polarization (SIP) measures IP response on a wide frequency range. This method provides a way to discriminate IP response generated by metalliferous ore or other objects. The best way to explore metalliferous ore is 3D SIP exploration. However, if we consider the exploration cost and efficiency, we can use SIP profiling to find an anomaly, and then use 2D/3D SIP sounding to characterize the anomaly. Based on above idea, we used a large-scale distributed SIP measurement system which can realize 800 sounding sites in one direction at the same time. This system can be used for SIP profiling, 2D/3D SIP sounding with high efficiency, high resolution, and large depth of investigation (> 1000 m). Qiushuwan copper - molybdenum deposit is located in Nanyang city, Henan province, China. It is only a middle-size deposit although over 100 holes were drilled and over 40 years of exploration were spent because of very complex geological setting. We made SIP measurement over 100 rock and ore samples to discriminate IP responses of ore and rock containing graphite. Then we carried out 7 lines of 2D SIP exploration with the depth of investigation great than 1000 m. The minimum electode spacing for potential difference is only 20 m. And we increase the spacing of current electodes at linear scale. This acquisition setting ensures high density data acquired and high quality data acquisition. Modeling and inversion result proves that we can get underground information with high resolution by our method. Our result shows that there exists a strong SIP response related to ore body in depth > 300 m. Pseudo-3D inversion of five 2D SIP sounding lines shows the location and size of IP anomaly. The new drillings based our result found a big copper-molybdenum ore body in new position with depth > 300 m and ore thickness > 300 m.