Results of a stream sediment geochemical orientation on streams draining the Pascua and Lama gold mineralization. Chile and Argentina, South Americ / Геохимическая специализация донных отложений ручьев, дренирующих золоторудные месторождения Паскуа и Лама

Precious and base metal mineralization has long been known to occur in the El Indio area of central Chile. This mineralization occurs as veins containing very high grade Au and Ag, which was the main target for the majority of subsequent exploration. This exploration usually employed the use of remote sensing techniques to highlight color anomalies related to hydrothermal alteration, and local prospectors and geologists to follow up these anomalies. The recent discovery of significant disseminated Au mineralization south of El Indio in both Chile and Argentina has shown that the El Indio belt of rocks is probably under explored. Exploration techniques which can detect a variety of styles of mineralization in a single pass, and which are economically viable, must be introduced to the Andean exploration community. One of these techniques is stream sediment geochemical sampling; a well used exploration method in many parts of the world, but apparently only recently used in the Andes in a systematic fashion. <...>