A consortium of South African and European experts will be developing new seismic, electromagnetic and magnetic methods for deep exploration targeting.

The project team includes researchers from universities, geological surveys, equipment manufacturers and mining companies from both continents and will support the exchange of knowledge and experiences across zones.

The consortium is made up of experts from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), gold miner Gold Fields, and the University of Venda, in conjunction with European counterparts, including Uppsala University in Sweden, Polito University in Italy, seismic equipment manufacturer Sercel in France, Swedish government agency Geological Survey of Sweden and Swedish iron-ore mining company Nordic Iron Ore.

In a statement issued by Wits earlier this week, it was claimed that the methodologies being developed would have “unprecedented penetration, sensitivity and resolution”.

The project aims to advance high-resolution imaging and modelling of the host rock and any mineralisation between tunnels and the surface, and in the down-dip direction.

Uppsala University's Professor Alireza Malehmir noted that the consortium would employ fibre-optic sensing technologies and unmanned aerial vehicle- (UAV-) based magnetic and electromagnetic surveys for high-definition target generation and subsurface imaging.

The project, named “Future: Fiber-optic sensing and UAV-platform techniques for innovative mineral exploration”, will start in April and will continue for about two years.

The project has a total budget of R21-million and will be funded by the South African Department of Science and Innovation, Swedish government agency Vinnova, the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research and the French National Agency for Research through pan-European research funding organisation network ERA-NET Confund on Raw Materials.

Wits said the discovery of new metal and mineral resources was necessary to supply raw materials for emerging technologies, and that these technologies were required to meet the public expectations and demand for higher living standards.

The university noted that the geological conditions of Africa and Europe suggest that various critical metals and minerals may be found in these regions, but that their discovery would require nondestructive, high-resolution and deep exploration techniques.

Wits Seismic Research Centre director and Future project leader Dr Musa Manzi said the project sought to develop innovative, environment-friendly and cost-effective technologies for deep exploration, primarily in the challenging mine environment.

EXPLORATION SITES

The Blötberget iron mine in Ludvika, Sweden, was identified as one of the two target sites for research owing to the wealth of information available from previous studies. The mine has significant iron-oxide deposits.

There continued to be high demand for iron-ore products in maturing economies – including Europe, Japan, China, Africa and, increasingly, in the Middle East and India, Wits said.

Higher iron-ore grades are needed to facilitate improvements in the automotive sector, the construction sector, as well as other demanding types of specialised infrastructure. Other technology developments are driving increased demand for sophisticated forms of steel.

The second site identified for research is Gold Fields’ South Deep mine, in Gauteng, where mining at depth increasingly requires an improved understanding of potential resources deep below surface and the relevant host rock structures.

At more than 2.5 km deep, South Deep is one of the deepest and largest gold-producing mines globally. Given the deep nature of the mining operation and the prevailing rock stress fields, the mine is geologically complex and subjected to comparatively high levels of mining-induced earthquakes.

Wits said South Deep was ideal because the Future project might improve the life of the mine by mapping the mineralisation between the surface and tunnels, as well as protect miners working underground by mapping zones of weaknesses. That would be important for mine planning and safety.

“We envisage that innovative technologies that will be used at South Deep would make a good case study on how one can maximise the value of the mining infrastructure – such as tunnels and boreholes – using geophysics for mineral exploration, especially at deep mines in South Africa, and future deep mines in Europe,” Manzi said.

Several field surveys are planned, with new prototypes and solutions also planned to make them more cost-effective in hard rock settings.

The project will also incorporate a training and educational component to capacitate master's and doctoral students, Wits noted.