New service : Petrographical and mineralogical studies

Petrographical examination of ore mineralogy, textures, and mineral associations, in conjunction with rock protolith and alteration determination, can significantly improve the understanding of the paragenesis of mineralisation. Identifying rock-forming and ore minerals, their textures, and their relative abundances aids in interpreting geochemical data and allows distinguishing geological processes and appropriate petrogenetic models to support exploration activities.

Mineral chemical characterisation and scanning provide further knowledge on ore minerals, their constituent elements, grain size distribution, and their association. For instance, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) allows the detection of microscopic minerals, such as PGMs, rarely observed with conventional methods. In addition, detailed mineralogical studies bring essential background information for beneficiation and mineral processing studies. 

GeoPool offers a variety of techniques to analyse rock specimens for their detailed mineralogy, including optical (polarised/reflected light) microscopy for petrographical descriptions and different microanalytical methods for mineral chemical analyses and characterisation. Depending on the desired outcome, we can tailor a service to specific needs and requirements.

Our analytical services for mineral exploration include the following:

• petrographical descriptions and photomicrographs of rock specimens, ore mineralogy, textures, and associations within a commercial timeframe for reporting
• textural and grain size analyses (SEM); mineral compositional analyses (SEM-EDS/EPMA); XRD/SEM-based automated mineralogy for mineral quantification analyses (or other suitable microanalytical techniques) *
• data processing and interpretation
• planning and execution of a sampling campaign for a mineralogical study
• sample preparation (polished thin section, rock chip, or grain mount). *

* For essential equipment/service, we use a commercial service provider.