Tropicana underground gold mine is located 330km east-northeast of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Gold mineralisation is hosted in granulite facies quartzo-feldspathic gneiss. Garnet gneiss is commonly associated with hanging wall of nearby mineraisation so understanding the distribution of garnet gneiss is key to understanding mineralisation.
3D seismic surveys were acquired in 2014 and 2015 and both data sets were merged. In 2021, LITHO-MOD was applied to the dataset.
LITHO-MOD uses the distinctive rock type elastic properties to create detailed rock models that honour all existing data. It can provide a continuous volume of data to infill zones with sparse drilling. This technique was used to map probable occurrences of garnet gneiss, thus highlighting areas of high prospectivity.
“Another innovation is the 3D seismic survey carried out at the site last year…The resulting dataset is of a high quality and has been interpreted to create a structural model that has facilitated cost-effective planning of deep drill holes as well as providing important geotechnical and structural information.” Kalgoorlie Miner Interview with Michaek Erickson, Senior VP AngloGold Ashanti, 3 Aug 2015
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