INTRODUCTION: 

Support by the Chamber of Mines has recently been given for the establishment of a Centre for Applied Mining and Exploration Geology (CAMEG). It is anticipated that further funding will also be made available by the FRD, through the THRIP programme, as well as by the Council for Geoscience.

A shortcoming has been identified in the practical applied fields of mining and exploration geology to meet the needs of industry in the rapidly changing minerals industry of this country. This applies particularly to the increasing complexity and depth of ore bodies now being mined. To ensure their continued viability, one of the important inputs will be more meaningful geological ore body modelling and evaluation and the application of geologically based resource management. The above also applies to the needs of the South African mining industry in Africa with regard to target selection, synthesis and interpretation of exploration data, leading to an understanding of the major and secondary controls of mineralization. Project modelling and evaluation, as well as resource extraction problems related to orebody characteristics will also be addressed. Also of importance to South Africa and the RDP is the technical input and research required to assist small scale mining ventures which are now being widely encouraged.

The Centre will focus on undergraduate and postgraduate mining geology teaching while relevant research in mining geology and applied economic\exploration geology will also be a feature. The teaching component of the Centre is largely in place within the undergraduate mining geology course and the GDE/MSc in mining geology now on offer. It is also planned to develop certain applied exploration courses.

The research and development component will now be developed in close collaboration with the mining industry, on projects of interest and relevance to mining companies. This is where the core staff of a manager with industry experience and computer skills, together with two research workers, are required for the Centre to operate with a critical mass.

Collaboration with the other main groupings of earth scientists within the Department of Geology, together with the departments of Geophysics and Mining Engineering will be important to the effective functioning of the Centre. The Centre will therefore be one of several groupings operating in parallel but collaborating and interacting on various projects.

The fundamental approach of the Centre will be the reassessment and modelling of geological, geochemical and geophysical data of mines and mineral districts. This will be achieved by a thorough bibliographic search, accompanied by data compilation, synthesis integration and interpretation, together with certain field studies as a prerequisite for meaningful modelling and predictive mineral exploration.

The drive will be to understand the fundamental, detailed, semi-regional and regional controls of mineralization by the qualitative and semiquantitative modelling of empirical characteristics of existing mines and mineral districts with an initial focus on Africa. The aim will be to define the regional controlling lineaments and structures and endeavor to understand the sequence of events and processes, leading to ore deposit formation. It is envisaged that this would also include an indication of the nature, origin and evolution of mineralizing fluids that lead to the formation of mineral bonanzas. Empirical models for the controlling features of individual mines and mining districts will be ascertained and highlighted.

Holistic models of the type envisaged should, therefore be of value to individual mines and provide new insights into mineral distribution controls and create conceptual ideas for extensions of known ore bodies. Applied exploration techniques such as geophysical, geochemical and remote sensing applicable to different mineral provinces, will also be researched.

In all cases, a close liaison is envisaged between Geoscience researchers, explorationists and mining geologists such as members of the Ore deposits Research Group at Wits, other Universities and Technikons working on similar problems, the Council for Geoscience, the companies of the Chamber of Mines, MININGTEK, as well as other mining companies where appropriate.

CAMEG PERSONNEL:

• Prof Morris Viljoen - Director
• Tony Jamison - Research Consultant
• Xiao-Xiao Zhao - Administrative Officer

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Prof Morris Viljoen, Centre co-ordinator
Geosciences Building
e-mail: viljoenm@wits.ac.za
tel: (011)71-76563

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES 1998-2000