Prof. Reid Keys Honours Projects

Geochemical constraints on the formation of the Fiddlers Creek gold deposit

Supervisors: Reid Keays and Barrie Bolton
Field of Study: Economic geology and geochemistry
Support offered: All travel, field and analytical costs
Collaborating Organization: Core Prospecting

The Fiddlers Creek gold deposit is quite different to other Victorian gold deposits in that the gold is associated with large amounts of sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite.  This research project, which is being funded by an industry partner, has a number of different aspects including petrographic and micro-analytical studies of the mineralization as well as fluid inclusion studies of the quartz that will be used to determine the temperature at which the mineralization formed as well as the composition of the composition of the ore forming fluids. Raman Spectroscopy will be done at the University of Tasmania to determine what gases (CO 2 and CH 4 ) are present in the fluid inclusions. The project may also include detailed Electron Microprobe analysis of the carbonate porphyroblasts in the peltic country rocks adjacent to the Fiddlers Creek quartz reef which hosts the gold and the base metal
sulfides. The project will include logging of several of the diamond drill holes.

Geochemical controls on the Sunday Creek gold-antimony deposit

Supervisors: Reid Keays and Barrie Bolton
Field of Study: Economic geology and geochemistry
Support offered: All travel, field and analytical costs
Collaborating Organization: Southern Cross Gold

The Sunday Creek Gold gold-antimony deposit near Kilmore, Victoria, is associated with narrow dykes that have been intruded into pelitic sediments. The project will be done in collaboration with an industry partner and will involve a geochemical and mineralogical study of them mineralization. The project will involve detailed Electron Microprobe (EMP) and Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) together with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging of the mineralizing phases. It will also involve logging of diamond drill core. A major aim of the project is to establish the distribution of gold in the deposit and
provide insights into the origin of the deposit.

For further information contact Reid Keays