Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 117 views

    Placers

    Uploaded by

    Faldo Matulessy
    The document discusses placer deposits, which are concentrations of valuable minerals formed through sedimentary processes. It describes different types of placer deposits and environments where they can be found, both on land and offshore in marine settings. It also outlines methods for exploring and mining placer deposits, both through shallow water techniques like diving and dredging, as well as deeper water mining using vessels and equipment. Specific examples are given of placer deposits containing minerals like tin, diamonds, and gold.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Placers

    Uploaded by

    Faldo Matulessy
    117 views34 pages
    The document discusses placer deposits, which are concentrations of valuable minerals formed through sedimentary processes. It describes different types of placer deposits and environments where they can be found, both on land and offshore in marine settings. It also outlines methods for exploring and mining placer deposits, both through shallow water techniques like diving and dredging, as well as deeper water mining using vessels and equipment. Specific examples are given of placer deposits containing minerals like tin, diamonds, and gold.

    Original Description:

    placers

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document discusses placer deposits, which are concentrations of valuable minerals formed through sedimentary processes. It describes different types of placer deposits and environments where they can be found, both on land and offshore in marine settings. It also outlines methods for exploring and mining placer deposits, both through shallow water techniques like diving and dredging, as well as deeper water mining using vessels and equipment. Specific examples are given of placer deposits containing minerals like tin, diamonds, and gold.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    117 views34 pages

    Placers

    Uploaded by

    Faldo Matulessy
    The document discusses placer deposits, which are concentrations of valuable minerals formed through sedimentary processes. It describes different types of placer deposits and environments where they can be found, both on land and offshore in marine settings. It also outlines methods for exploring and mining placer deposits, both through shallow water techniques like diving and dredging, as well as deeper water mining using vessels and equipment. Specific examples are given of placer deposits containing minerals like tin, diamonds, and gold.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 34

    Placer Deposits

    OCN 631/ORE 678

    Gary McMurtry
    Placers Outline
    • Placer Deposit Types
    • Environments of Placer Mineral Occurrence
    • Exploration Methods in Shallow Waters
    • Sand & Gravel, Mineral Aggregates
    – Sources and Uses of Major US Nonmetallic Construction Raw Materials
    – Projected US Sand & Gravel Demand
    – Sources & Fates of Offshore Sand & Gravel Deposits
    • Exploitation (Mining) Methods
    – Dislodgement Needs for Mining Marine Minerals
    – Depth of Marine Minerals & Equipment Capability
    • Marine Diamond Exploration & Mining Areas of Southern
    Africa
    Target Commodities

    Source: IHC Deep Sea Dredging & Mining


    IHC Deep Sea Dredging &
    Mining
    Placer Deposit Types
    From: D. S. Cronan,
    Underwater Minerals (1980)

    Hot Industrial
    Metal

    Future Energy,
    High-Tech Metals

    Industrial,
    Economic

    Where Specific Gravity = Density relative to H2O (=1.00) in cgs units of g/cm3
    Environments of Possible Placer Mineral Occurrence

    Cronan (1980)
    Global Distribution of Continental Shelves, with Extent of Knowledge
    Continental Shelf and Slope off East Florida: The Blake Plateau
    Global Distribution of Placer Deposits circa 1970

    M = monazite (yielding U, Th)


    D = diamonds
    Earth’s Future Resources: The Sea

    Known global coastal distributions of phosphorites (P), heavy minerals, & various
    native metal & diamond placers (from US Minerals Management Service, 1990).
    Exploration Methods in Shallow Waters

    • SCUBA/NITROX Diving

    • Sediment Sampling

    • Geophysical Surveys
    ROV, AUV, shipboard

    With contacts
    interpretation

    Raw
    seismic
    Example of Geology
    Leading to Possible
    Location of Tin (Sn,
    Cassiterite) Placers
    in Indochina (SE Asia)
    Note location of “tin belts”,
    or SnO2-bearing granites
    (source rocks) on land, and
    possible seaward extension
    into Gulf of Thailand
    Seaward extension of cassiterite
    (SnO2) placers formed in streams
    off Sinkep Island, Indonesia

    Can you suggest a simple method of


    delineating potential areas of offshore
    placer deposits?
    Consumption of mineral aggregates by the US construction industry,
    for the periods 1959 and 1972 (in millions of tons)

    Source: Baram et al. (1978)


    US Sources and Uses of Major Nonmetallic Construction Raw Materials

    OPEC Embargo
    Effect

    Source: Morgan (1973)


    Projected US Sand & Gravel Demand

    Source: Cooper (1972)


    Which trend was correct?
    Sources & Fates of Offshore Sand & Gravel Deposits:
    West Coast USA
    Sources & Fates of Offshore
    Sand & Gravel Deposits:
    East Coast USA

    Note formation of longshore


    barrier islands from headland erosion
    Placer Exploitation (Mining) Methods

    Dredging methods
    at different water depths

    Kent (1980)
    Basic Mining
    Strategies &
    Techniques
    Placer Mining on Land Open-Pit Iron Ore Mining,
    Brazil

    Alluvial Diamond Mining, Africa

    Hydraulic Gold Mining, Alaska


    Bolivian Tin Mine
    Placer Mining at Sea

    Source: IHC Deep Sea Dredging & Mining


    Mining Industry Aspects

    Source: IHC Deep Sea Dredging & Mining


    Grade-Volume Curve for Surficial Sediments of Nome, Alaska
    Marine Placers

    High Volume = Low Grade; High Grade = Low Volume!


    Progressive Dredging of a Reserve Block off Nome, Alaska
    Dislodgement Needs for Mining Marine Minerals
    Depth of Marine Minerals & Equipment Capability
    Source: IHC Deep Sea Dredging & Mining
    Marine Diamond Exploration & Mining Areas of Southern Africa

    Historical annual diamond mining


    from Namibian sources
    Diamond-bearing Igneous Pipes

    Interpretive section of a pipe in Australia


    Inner & Middle Shelves of Nambia & South Africa: Diamond Sizes (Carots)

    Along the coastline


    Target Paleo-Features

    Typical diamond accumulation Progressive sampling of a


    features on inner shelf. “diamondiferous”
    feature.
    DeBeers’ High-Tech Seabed
    Mining Machines Now in Use
    It’s Where You Find It.

    Sluice, Alaska

    Oro, Au, Gold

    Gold Pan

    You might also like

    pFad - Phonifier reborn

    Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

    Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


    Alternative Proxies:

    Alternative Proxy

    pFad Proxy

    pFad v3 Proxy

    pFad v4 Proxy