Establishing the mining deposit groups and the gold exploration network patterns in the Attapeu area, Lao PDR

Abstract

This paper initially clarified the context of primary gold mineralization in the Attapeu area, Lao People's Democratic Republic. It proposed the priority for the exploration, using the conventional technique combined with the geological mathematic method. The research essentially summarized that the study area had a complex geological and structural setting; the mineralization zones or gold orebodies most likely formed as a lens shape and/or mineralized single vein or vein zone, extending from a few tens of meters to greater than 500 meters long, within a single dipping angle of 45°÷80°; the geometric of orebodies likely illustrated as small to medium size. The mineralization zone significantly extended following the geological setting, indicating consistent to the strongly inconsistent group (Vm = 8.9÷116.8%). Medium- to high-grade gold ores are commonly found in each ore body and identified as a homogeneous to strongly inhomogeneous group (Vc = 58.3÷785%). Regarding the exploration criteria, exploring primary gold mineralization in the Attapeu area fits well with the mineral exploration group III. To estimate the ore reserve in category 112 significantly requires conducting the parallel exploration grid or rectangular grid with the exploration grid interval of 40÷60 meters within the space of the exploration grid line between 20 to 30 meters. The exploration guidelines proposed in this research are efficiently applicable for exploring other primary gold mineralization elsewhere with the geological settings and mineralogical characteristics identically to the primary gold mineralization in the Attapeu area.