New tools for interpreting GEOTEM and MEGATEM airborne EM data for deposit discovery and definition

Richard Smith, Michael OConnell, Yuri Kroupoderov, Jean Lemieux and Michael Pearson. Fugro Airborne Surveys, Ottawa

Fixed wing airborne EM systems GEOTEM

MEGATEM

MEGATEM/GEOTEM PHYSICAL SIZE

Wing span 29m

Wing span 19m

Dash 7 is a more stable platform in turbulence, thus less system noise.

Dipole moment ( million Am2)

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

500000

Input (1970s) Input (1980s) GEOTEM 150 Hz GEOTEM 90 Hz GEOTEM 30 Hz MEGATEM I 90&30 Hz MEGATEM II 90 Hz MEGATEM II 30 Hz

0 0

Improvements in the system

NORANDAS SYSTEM COMPARISON CABER NORANDAS OVER SYSTEM COMPARISON

SPECTREM weak response on X and Z components.

After Gingerich and Allard (2001)

NORANDAS SYSTEM COMPARISON CABER NORANDAS OVER SYSTEM COMPARISON

NORANDA Inc. concluded that MEGATEM is most effective system.

After Gingerich and Allard (2001)

PERSEVERENCE DISCOVERY

NORANDA had a MEGATEM survey of the Matagami area flown in late 1999. Perseverence discovery was made in March, 2000. Located beside road and 6km from the existing mill.

5.0 M tonnes 16.8% Zn and 1.3% Cu

After Gingerich and Allard (2001)

Dipole moment ( million Am2)

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

500000

Input (1970s) Input (1980s) GEOTEM 150 Hz GEOTEM 90 Hz GEOTEM 30 Hz MEGATEM I 90&30 Hz MEGATEM II 90 Hz MEGATEM II 30 Hz

0 0

MEGATEM II

Dipole moment ( million Am2)

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

500000

Input (1970s) Input (1980s) GEOTEM 150 Hz GEOTEM 90 Hz GEOTEM 30 Hz MEGATEM I 90&30 Hz MEGATEM II 90 Hz MEGATEM II 30 Hz

0 0

GEOTEM 1000

Improvements in processing and interpretation for deposit discovery and definition

Example Area

Sub section from the recent Discover Abitibi Survey: MEGATEM II data

Ontario Geological Survey 2002 Ontario airborne geophysical surveys, magnetic and electromagnetic data, profile data, Geosoft format, Timmins area MEGATEM ; Ontario Geological Survey, Geophysical dataset 1041d

Topography

Magnetics

Z-component on-time

T-component 1st moment

M = t n I (t ) dt
n 0

Decay rate (dBx/dt)

Decay Rate (Bx)

X-component 6th moment

Z-component 6th moment

T-component 6th moment

Anomaly picks

ID

ppm

blackness~channels

Anomaly picks All anomalies are vertical plates 600 m wide 300m deep All plates strike perpendicular to the flight line All plates are centered below the flight line Only X component data used

surficial features

Z component not used!

X component

Sensitivity to depth

0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 -0.2 -0.4 4000

dip = 2 tan (ratio) = 63 , 52 , o 44
o -1 o

Z component /Energy Envelope

375 m

=> depth = 220 m below aircraft

4250

4500 distance (m)

4750

5000

Offset variation

Effect of offset

(nV/m )

40 20 0 -20 40 20

Flight direction Z component

(nV/m )

Y component

0 -20 -40 80 60 40 20 0 3500 4000

azimuth = tan (Y/Z) = - 32

-1

(nV/m )

X component 4500 5000 distance (m) 5500 6000

Strike variation

Effect of strike

100 80 60 40 20 0 -20 60 40 20 0 -20 -40 -60 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 -20 3500

Flight direction

(nV/m )

Z component

(nV/m )

Y component

Strike = 90 -tan (Y/X) = 70

-1

(nV/m )

X component
4000 4500 5000 distance (m) 5500 6000

Plates 600 m by 300m, now with DIP Plates have variable strike Plates can be offset from the flight line
dip

strike offset dip ID depth S

Plates 600 m by 300m, now with DIP Plates have variable strike Plates can be offset from the flight line
dip

strike offset dip ID depth S

dip ID depth S

dip ID depth S

dip ID depth S

Example Area

Reid Mahaffy test site : MEGATEM data

Reid Mahaffy

Bedrock geology map

Conductivity estimation

Reid Mahaffy test site

Old anomaly picks ID S

ppm

blackness~channels

New plate anomaly picks

dip ID depth S

New plate anomaly picks on Conductivity

New sphere anomaly picks on Conductivity ID depth S/m

radius

tau

size~confidence blackness~channels

 Anomaly picking is an automatic procedure We also require interactive modelling capability

EM modelling: EmQ

EM modelling

EM modelling

New tools for deposit discovery and definition

MEGATEM II and GEOTEM 1000 New moment images for bringing out conductive features: X, Z, T Moments can be used to generate conductivity images New anomaly picking routines => dip, strike, offset, conductance, depth, radius Developing a new interactive modelling capability: EmQ