American Pacific identifies new geological anomalies revealed in underground workings in advance of drill programme at Madison Copper-Gold Project

The successful application of a 'fugitive calcite' black-light technique in newly revealed underground workings has contributed to an increased understanding of the mineralising system at Madison.

Recent fieldwork has taken advantage of a short seasonal window of greater underground access made possible by lower water levels revealing an additional 150 ft of newly exposed ramp access.

American Pacific’s geological team has successfully deployed ultraviolet (black-light) scanning to search for 'fugitive calcite' a technique learned from renowned exploration geologist Dr. Peter Megaw. Under black light, certain calcite populations fluoresce, providing a powerful discriminator within a sea of visually similar non-fluorescent veins.

At Madison, this work has already identified at least one distinct population of fluorescing veins among numerous non-glowing vein sets. When these veins are plotted on stereonets, they offer an additional layer of structural information that can further refine vectors toward both porphyry and carbonite replacement deposit (“CRD”) targets. This supports the working hypothesis that Madison may host a cluster of porphyries – multiple sources rather than a single 'textbook' centre – and provides a new toolset to help unravel this unique mineralising system.

“The use of ultraviolet lights to detect fugitive calcite is a skill learned while working underground in Utah with Dr. Megaw,” commented Managing Director of Exploration, Eric Saderholm. “The fluorescence in the calcite indicates the presence of trace amounts of manganese and lead, both of which are indicators of carbonate replacement that can be associated with skarn, CRD and the presence of distal porphyry mineralisation. Fugitive calcite represents 'exhaust' proximal to where sulfide mineralisation has formed containing stronger metal concentrations. It is a simple and inexpensive, yet highly effective tool for this type of mineral exploration.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/11032026/american-pacific-identifies-new-geological-anomalies-revealed-in-underground-workings-in-advance-of-drill-programme-at-madison-copper-gold-project-in-montana/