Mineral Exploration

Winter 2013

Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.

Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/225045

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 19 of 119

Tech savvy Local innovations benefit juniors and make B.C. a leader in exploration industry technology By Peter Caulfield O ver the years, a large and varied network of support industries that provide a range of products and services to British Columbia's mineral exploration industry has grown up in the province. For example, there are a number of local technology organizations that provide research and development services, such as Geoscience BC, and products, such as Micromine. AME BC president and CEO Gavin Dirom says B.C.-based scientists and companies have a long history of applying innovation and technology to mineral exploration and development. "Part of today's mineral reality is that the relatively-easy-to-discover deposits have been found," says Dirom. "Organizations such as Geoscience BC and technology firms – many of which are located in Vancouver, and account for over 40 of AME BC's corporate members – are critical for developing information and geoscience tools that help us find new discoveries." Geoscience BC is an independent, industry-led applied geoscience organization. Its mandate is to encourage mineral and oil and gas exploration investment and development in B.C. by collecting, interpreting and distributing 20   p20-23_Technology.indd 20   w i n t e r publicly available geoscience information. Geoscience BC works in partnership with First Nations, industry, academia, government and communities. It operates as a not-for-profit society and, since it was founded in April 2005, has received almost $50 million in funding from the provincial government. On October 1, 2013, Geoscience BC president and CEO Robin Archdekin succeeded 'Lyn Anglin, who had been with the organization since 2006. Geoscience BC is conducting a number of research projects, the newest of which is Targeting Resources through Exploration and Knowledge (TREK). The project is being carried out in partnership with a number of other organizations, including Aeroquest Airborne Ltd., PK Geophysics, Noble Exploration Services Ltd., the BC Geological Survey (Ministry of Energy and Mines), and the University of British Columbia's Mineral Deposit Research Unit. The goal of TREK is twofold: To explore the northern interior plateau of B.C. – an area believed to be highly prospective for mineral resources, but underexplored due to complicated geology and thick overburden – and to generate information that will stimulate 2 013 mineral exploration in the area and bring in new investment. In addition, the TREK program will investigate the potential for geothermal energy in the region. Local First Nations told Geoscience BC they want to find out if there are any geothermal opportunities in the area, particularly around some of their remote, off-grid communities where propane and diesel fuel are the only sources for heat and power. TREK is a multi-year program. Year one of a two- to three-year geochemical sampling program has been completed, as well as geothermal and bio-geochemical sampling. Airborne magnetic survey data is expected to be released in early 2014 and geochemical results in spring 2014. Meanwh ile, Geoscience BC's Porphyry Integration Project (PIP) is developing integrated geological, geophysical and geochemical maps and datasets for several important porphyry districts in B.C. The goal of the project is to develop an integrated model for porphyry discovery that links conceptual geological models with practical field exploration. The project builds on existing public and, where possible, private industry data, as well as research conducted as part of Geoscience BC's Photograph : Sander Geophysics 13-11-27 10:00 AM

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Mineral Exploration - Winter 2013