Mineral exploration   Mining   Geothermal
Agregates   Management  


Petrologic studies applied to all stages of exploration, from grass roots reconnaisance, through prospect investigations, to drilling and resource definition

Heavy mineral provenance studies to locate bedrock source and style of mineralisation.
  • Superpan concentration and separation of heavy minerals
  • Hand-picking and separation of indicator minerals.
  • Electron microprobe analysis and identification of indicator minerals in polished thin section grain mounts, to determine type of bedrock source and guide exploration
 Alluvial gold, platinoids

Ophiolite-sourced alluvial gold and platinoids
(native iridium), West Papua

Field mapping , including alteration mapping and drill core logging.
Vietnam Pb-Zn gossan

Gossan block debris field over vein lead-zinc
mineralisation, Cho Don, northern Vietnam		 Listwanite gold, drill core

Quartz vein stockwork in oxidised, carbonate-
altered dunite. Listwanite gold mineralisation,
Meratus Ophiolite, Kalimantan
Field sampling for petrology. Field sampling for geochemistry and metallurgical testing.
HeliNZ

Helicopter-assisted sampling,
South Island, New Zealand		Channel sampling, Vietnam

Channel sampling of vein nickel sulfides
for metallurgical testing. Ban Phuc
nickel deposit, northern Vietnam
Comprehensive field and laboratory studies of prospects and mine areas, to characterise mineralisation in the context of the evolution of magmatic-hydrothermal systems:
  • Field and drill core mapping and sampling

  • Characterisation of rock types: intrusive and host rocks, alteration mineralogy and styles, and mineralisation, using thin section petrography, and X-ray diffraction identification and electron microprobe analysis of key or unknown minerals.

  • Paragenetic studies: sequence of alteration and mineralisation based on textural relationships in thin section.

  • Thermometry and chemistry of hydrothermal fluids, and definition of prospect wide thermal and fluid compositional zoning in hydrothermal systems, using fluid inclusion microthermometry.

Flui inclusion temperatures

  • Isotopic composition of hydrothermal minerals, and inferred sources of hydrothermal fluids and mineralisation.

  • Hydrothermal evolution and modelling, and vectoring to mineralisation


Skarn drill section

Drill section through proximal mineralisation,
Wabu gold skarn, West Papua

Property and company valuation:
  • Prospect and tenement evaluation

  • Independent consultants report for prospectus
 prospectus

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  • Bulk composition of ore types, from XRF analysis of representative samples.
  • XRF analytical scan for all elements of the periodic table above fluorine, to check for the presence of elements of economic potential that may have been missed during exploration. For example, accessory trace palladium in porphyry copper-gold deposits.
  • Mineralogical hosts of economic elements in ore, using electron microprobe analysis, to assist design of optimal recovery processes. For example, of microscopic or "invisible" gold in sulfide hosts.
  • Mineralogical hosts of unrecovered economic elements in mill waste, using electron microprobe analysis, to assist design of optimal recovery processes.
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Characterisation and definition of geothermal fields:
  • Identifcation of hydrothermal alteration minerals using X-ray diffraction and thin section microscopy.
  • Alteration history based on alteration mineralogy and textural relationships.
  • Definition and characterisation of paleo-hydrothermal systems: thermal and fluid compostional variations using alteration mineralogy, geothermometry, and fluid inclusion microthermometry.
 White Island solfatara, NZ

Solfatara, White Island crater,
New Zealand


Characterisation of factors affecting rock strength and service lifetime:
  • Pervasive alteration e.g of clay minerals (identified in thin section and by XRD).
  • Presence of hydroscopic phases that adversely affect strength and service longevity e.g. laumontite, some clays.
  • Fracture analysis: fracture density and orientation.
  • Vein analysis: vein density and thickness.
  • Vein mineralogy: identification of minerals deleterious to aggregate use.
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  • Prospect acquisition
  • Contract negotiation: joint venture contracts
  • Licence applications: prospecting, mining, and investment licences
  • Project management
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Contact us by for details of services and pricing.

Postal address:
PO Box 32-290, Devonport
Auckland, New Zealand		 Courier address:
42 Aramoana Ave, Devonport
Auckland, New Zealand		 Phone, Fax:
Tel  +64 9 445 8822
Fax +64 9 445 8848

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