Finding the High-Grade Signal: New Tools for Targeting Porphyry and Epithermal Systems

How do we recognise and target high-grade potential, from arc-scale patterns down to individual deposits? Large, high-grade Cu-Au porphyry systems are rare, but recent discoveries hundreds of metres below previously known low-grade systems show there is still major high-grade potential to be found in areas which do not always show classically defined “fertility” signatures. This short course draws on four major MDRU research programs focussed on the Western Tethyan belt and British Columbia to unpack new insights on fertility indices, and what zircon and lithogeochemical workflows show once tested against real deposits.

The course will present new results highlighting how gold-rich porphyry systems are distributed through the life span of accreted arcs. Case studies will highlight the use of mineral chemistry as an exploration vector, alongside the importance of stratigraphic markers for exploration in porphyry terranes. The course will provide new insights on porphyry exploration models and targeting, including deposits that do not conform to established models. Presented by experienced industry professionals and MDRU researchers, the course will interest any explorer working in porphyry-epithermal terranes. The course includes a “hands on” component with suites of hand samples available for review

Presented by MDRU