Year: 1980
Type: report
Abstract: A program of ground geophysical investigations was carried out during 1974 and 1975 in support of mineral exploration in the vicinity of the Kutam ancient mine, a massive sulfide deposit associated with a northwest-trending shear zone of late Precambrian age in southwestern Saudi Arabia.The work included radiometric, self-potential (SP), Turam electromagnetic (EM), induced polarization (dipole-dipole and mise-a-la-masse), and ground magnetic surveys, in addition to single-point resistivity and self-potential logs of four drill holes that penetrated mineralization.In 1977 the area was also covered by an INPUT airborne electromagnetic survey.The principal area of alteration and mineralization is revealed on the ground magnetic map as a "quiet" zone of subdued magnetic contrasts as a consequence of leaching of magnetite.A be.lt of strong east-west geophysical-anomaly trends intersects the Kutam shear zone at the southeastern termination of the drilled ore deposit.Its significance is not clear, but IP and other geophysical survey data suggests the possibility that a blind mineralized zone is present to the southwest of the ancient workings.Turam and IP data also suggest an exploration target to the north of the workings beneath Wajid sandstone.On the other hand, the only known mineralization occurs in the Kutam shear zone, and this structure probably offers the best chance ,for extending the resources of the mine.Any ore lying at considerable depth beneath the Turam current concentrations would very likely have escaped detection.
DOI: 10.3133/ofr801268
Language: English
Subfield: Geophysics
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W136298425