EXPLORATION MINERALOGY (EXPLOMIN™)

Developed by SGS, EXPLOMIN™ is a trademarked suite of packages which provide rapid, automated mineralogy for exploration and early project development purposes. EXPLOMIN™ is your link between mineralogy, domain definition, metallurgy and geometallurgy. The value of EXPLOMIN™ lies in its ability to acquire and process vast amounts of extremely detailed mineralogy, texture and alteration data efficiently and economically.

There are three reporting styles, imaging options and data output formats to choose from. Each provides a consistent digital format that can be used for 3-D mapping and manipulation. The EXPLOMIN™ suite of deliverables is shown below.

	EXPLOMIN™  Standard	EXPLOMIN™ Imaging	EXPLOMIN™ Lithotyping
Deliverables	Mineral identification Modal mineralogy Estimated grain size 3 Deportments Downhole logplot showing modal mineralogy, geochem*, field parameters**	Mineral identification Modal mineralogy Digital image Scale Legend / Mineral List	Mineral identification Modal mineralogy Estimated grain size 3 Deportments Downhole logplot or plan view plot of domains.* Data output determined on case by case basis.
Format	EXCEL file, containing tabulated numerical data.	JPEG or Bitmap	PDF File or other formats as required.
Appropriate Sample Types	Pulp (-0.105 mm) (Assay reject  -1.7 mm if needed)	Rock chip or core slice (Assay reject  -1.7 mm if needed)	Assay reject (-1.7 mm)
Data Transmission	Via email attachment	Via email attachment	Via email attachment
Typical Applications	Vector to Ore Domain Definition Compositing	Petrographic assessments	Management review, hole review, investor relations
Customizables	Additional deportments available

Packages can be customized to suit the specific needs of the project.
*  Data handling charges do not apply if data is from SGS lab.
** Data handling charges may apply depending on data formatting issues.

Experience

The experts at SGS have been providing EXPLOMIN™ since early 2008 and have completed over 20 projects globally for a wide variety of commodity elements.

The Value of EXPLOMIN™

EXPLOMIN™ allows the direct mapping of mineralogy, alteration, elemental deportment, mineral association and texture with a statistically reproducible analysis that can be easily graphed and manipulated in 3-D. Such digital data has many uses during the life of a project.

EXPLOMIN™ data can be used to

• Determine the mineralogy of a large number of samples rapidly and accurately.
• Identify variations in modal mineralogy across or down into mineral deposits or within soil or till horizons.
• Identify textural variation (i.e. degree of replacement).
• Interpret rock textures in a sample (petrography).
• Quantify the mineralogy of core, rocks, rejects or pulps.
• Compare the actual mineralogy of a drill interval with the geochemistry of that same interval.
• Review the ARD potential of various rock units.
• Outline the distribution of environmentally hazardous minerals or zones.

EXPLOMIN™ can contribute to exploration projects in the following ways:

Early Exploration:

• Provide documentation of progressive replacement textures or the presence of pathfinder minerals to verify exploration models and help “vector-to-ore”.
• Provide detailed paragenetic information that highlights the sequence of ore formation.
• Provide data suitable to create bedrock maps.
• Highlight the relationship of ore formation to structural events (only true for the textural options, not the standard product).
• Classify metamorphic domains.
• Identify and map indicator mineral distributions and assemblages.

Project development:

• Delineate or classify alteration or weathering zones within a deposit.  For instance:
  • The oxide zone, the transition zone and the sulphide zone,
  • Sericitic, chloritic and talc alteration zones,
  • Porphyry copper alteration zones,
  • Skarn alteration halos,
  • High phosphorus zones around IOCG deposits.
• Outline areas of deleterious minerals or those with acid generating potential.

EXPLOMIN™ and the Geometallurgical Framework

Geometallurgy identifies the variation in mineralogy and texture across an ore body. It uses a variety of parameters to map grindability and metallurgical performance. Geometallurgical data is used to generate a block model for process modeling and forecasting purposes. An EXPLOMIN™ ore characterization program provides the mineralogical data required for the Geometallurgical Framework. EXPLOMIN™ provides input into the following stages of the Geometallurgical Framework:

EXPLOMIN™ Suite of Products and the Geometallurgical Framework

Geomet Framework	EXPLOMIN™ Suite	Application of Data
1. Domain Definition	EXPLOMIN™ Standard (Modal mineralogy, grain size, deportments)	Data combines with field and geochem data in integrated and extended database for multivariate statistical analysis.
2. Sample Selection	EXPLOMIN™ Standard and EXPLOMIN™ Lithotyping	Creates optimal composites.
3. Parameter Definition or Testing	EXPLOMIN™ Standard	Yields starting parameters to facilitate metallurgical testing and flowsheet development.
4. Model Definition	EXPLOMIN™ Standard	Use as proxies to develop functions that relate mineralogy to process.
5. Spatial Model Generation		Populate the block model.
6. Joint Mining and Mineral Processing Optimization

The EXPLOMIN™ Approach

Measurement Procedures

EXPLOMIN™ data is generated by QEMSCAN on polished sections of core or crushed material. Approximately 0.5 gram of sample (core chunk or granular material) is epoxy-mounted in a “puck”. About 40,000 - 60,000 points are analyzed per sample.

Sample Types

EXPLOMIN™ can be done on drill core fragments, RC drill chips, rock chips from channel or trench samples, geochem rejects or geochem pulps. EXPLOMIN™ is done on “whole rock” samples. There is no screening, mineral separation or size classification involved.

EXPLOMIN™ V2

SGS released Version 1 of EXPLOMIN™ in Q1 of 2008. The V2 (2009) release further includes:

• Ability to collate mineralogy with geochem data by using the analytical pulp (preferred) or the analytical reject (possible if necessary),
• Better data reporting graphics,
• Procedural improvements to speed up data gathering and reporting.

Deportment in the EXPLOMIN™ Context

Deportment is the distribution of an element though various mineral phases present in the sample. It is included in EXPLOMIN™ Standard.

For instance, Cu could be present in a sample in the form of sulphides (e.g. chalcopyrite, chalcocite, bornite) or as oxides (e.g. cuprite) or a carbonate (e.g. malachite or azurite) or even a silicate (e.g. chrysocolla). Deportment shows the percentage of each copper mineral in the sample compared to all the copper minerals in the sample.

Summary

The value of EXPLOMIN™ lies in its ability to acquire extremely detailed mineralogy, texture and alteration data efficiently and economically. EXPLOMIN™ analysis is done on a QEMSCAN, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectra (EDS) technology. EXPLOMIN™ is backed by the expertise of SGS Minerals Services’ metallurgical group, who have 50 years of process mineralogy experience and 10 years of experience with High Definition Mineralogy.

Data acquired during EXPLOMIN™ permits robust statistical comparisons and manipulation in 3-D allowing you to:

• Validate exploration models and use mineralogy to vector-to-ore.
• Realize the value locked in legacy core by providing a fast and reliable way to benchmark the mineralogy in the old core with that which is generated by current drilling.
• Define project-specific geologic domains for use with the Geometallurgical Framework and metallurgical flowsheet development.
• Accurately map deleterious and advantageous minerals with acid generating capabilities or neutralizing potential, for use in the support of continuing environmental investigation and due diligence proceedings.

EXPLOMIN™ is your link between mineralogy, domain definition, metallurgy and geometallurgy. This powerful automated procedure, capable of acquiring and processing vast amounts of mineralogical, textural, and alteration data, will prove especially useful to those in the resource development, conceptual and pre-feasibility phases of their projects.