A practical classification of gold deposits, with a theoretical basis

Abstract

Well-considered schemes that classify ore deposits can be effective contributors to exploration success, understanding of deposit genesis, mining geology, engineering, metallurgy, property valuations and stock market analysis. An effective classification scheme needs to be easy to apply without ambiguity and is much more powerful if based on sound scientific principles. For deposits with economic gold, a useful classification recognises gold-only and gold-plus deposits based upon whether they also have economic base metals. The scheme is easy to apply and in most cases unambiguous for specific deposits and whole provinces. The subdivision has a sound scientific basis that involves the chemis..