EXPLORATION 1998 — Greenland aims to attract companies

Eager to attract mining companies to Greenland, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) is using a series of airborne geophysical surveys to promote the island’s mineral potential.

The agency carried out regional aeromagnetic surveys in 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1997, collecting just over 300,000 line km of high-resolution data.

Electromagnetic and magnetic surveys were carried out every year from 1994 to 1997, for a total of 74,000 line km of geophysical data over selected areas.

>From 1998 onwards, GEUS will manage all its airborne surveys as one project, entitled AGS Greenland. For 1998, two prospective regions have been singled out for detailed electromagnetic (EM) and magnetic surveys: Washington Land and J.C. Christensen Land.

Washington Land, in western North Greenland, was the site of a zinc-lead-silver discovery made by GEUS in July 1997. Dolomitic boulders spread over a 2.4-km-long trend striking southwest to northeast, graded as high as 25% zinc, 13% lead and 170 parts per million (ppm) silver. Scattered pyrite-rich lead-zinc mineralization in nearby outcrops appears to be related to one of several regional faults that transect east-central Washington Land.

GEUS will complete a 9,500-line-km transient EM and magnetic survey over the mineralized area, using a line separation of 400 metres and an aircraft altitude of 120 metres.

In J.C. Christensen Land, part of central North Greenland, indications of sandstone-hosted copper mineralization have been found. GEUS has completed a reconnaissance drainage geochemical survey and a heavy mineral sampling program, both of which revealed gossanous areas and copper showings. One chip sample returned 3% copper and 105 ppm silver.

GEUS will cover the area of the showings with a 4,500-line-km transient EM and magnetic survey, similar to the Washington Land survey.

A third survey will involve the 70,000-line-km extension, to the north, of an earlier aeromagnetic survey of the Precambrian craton of West Greenland.

The survey will cover 500 metres between north-south lines, 5,000 metres between control lines and an aircraft altitude of 300 metres. Data from all three surveys will be released in March 1999.

Meanwhile, in southwestern Greenland, Fjordland Minerals (FML-V) has found kimberlite indicator minerals in regional till samples from 24 sites within the company’s 16,588-sq.-km land position.

Fjordland carried out a $2.5-million exploration program in 1997, collecting 1,530 till samples, each weighing 20 kg, and completing 4,500 line km of helicopter-borne geophysical surveys. Heavy minerals were sorted out, and the indicator minerals found were analysed by electron microprobe.

Based on the results of this work, Fjordland has retained its interest in a total of 6,800 sq. km; the balance of the original 16,588-sq.-km area in which it held mineral interests has been relinquished.

The company is currently integrating kimberlite indicator mineral results with airborne geophysical data in order to identify targets for detailed follow-up work. The 1998 exploration program and budget are being formulated. The company’s 1998 exploration objective is to identify drill targets by carrying out airborne and ground geophysical surveys, as well as collecting closely spaced geochemical till samples in high-priority areas.