Hilda Nthabiseng Mashale

Prospectivity Mapping using Stream Sediment Geochemistry Hilda Nthabiseng Mashale

The Areachap Terrane which is part of the Namaqua Sector of the Namaqua-Natal Belt in the Northern Cape Province host volcanic-hosted Zn-Cu deposits at volcanic centres. Major deposits that were mined till early 1990's include Copperton (at Prieska) and Areachap deposits. Currently, Orion mining/exploration Company is further exploring some of the best target areas including Copperton, Areachap and Kantienpan base metal occurrences. The primary objective was to map base metal mineralisation, determine the heavy metal contents of sediments, locate the source of anomalies and delineate targets for follow-up studies. A total of 9314 stream sediments samples were collected and analysed using XRF at the Council for Geoscience laboratory. Spatial joint analysis tool was used to calculate the element associated with their respective lithostratigraphy. Fuzzy OR Overlay operation was applied to combine maps of relevant indicator elements associated with the geology.