IOS FieldGold: A low-cost and easy-to-use field method to identify gold

Mineral exploration geologists identify minerals and describe drill core textures, a process largely influenced by the geologist’s experience and the limitations of the human eye.

The concentration of ore minerals in some deposits, such as massive sulphides or industrial minerals, is significant enough to identify the most favourable rocks. This is not the case for ore deposits with low concentrations of ore minerals, such as gold, PGE, diamond and porphyry deposits, where the grains are small and scarce, making them hard to see during core logging. As a result, the success of a drill hole may only be known well after fieldwork is over. This could directly impact sample selection and subsequent decisions.