Geoscience data integration for mineral exploration - an example from Big Trout Lake, Ontario

Although widely used in the oil exploration industry, 3D modeling has only recently begun to take offin the mineral exploration industry. Integration and 3D modeling of newly acquired geoscientific data provided a means for assessing the mineral potential of the Big Trout Lake (BTL) Complex, Northwestern Ontario. The currently accepted model for the BTL Complex suggests localized mineralization rather than a mineralized horizon, such as the Merensky Reef of the Bushveld Complex. An integration of various geoscientific data shows that the previous model is not sufficient to explain the platinum deposition at the BTL Complex and that the Platinum Group Minerals (PGMs) are in fact concentrated in a mineralized horizon that has been subsequently folded and faulted rather than confined to localized mineralization. This paper highlights the benefits of integrating geoscience data and 3D modeling techniques applied to a highly prospective platinum deposit in Northern Ontario.