Application of Multi-Element Soil Geochemistry and Particulate Gold Exploration in the Kambele Plain, Batouri Gold District, Southeast Cameroon

Etutu, Mary Ewokolo Molua Mbua; Mafany, George; Suh, Cheo Emmanuel

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-72547-1_80

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

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“…Rather, the redistribution of gold in the particulate form is evident. This is similar to results by [13] in the Batouri north goldfield and [14] in the Kambélé gold mining area but significantly differs from profiles described by [50] developed on the schist basement in the Bétaré Oya gold district. In soil profiles where Au remobilization and chemical precipitation of authigenic gold is evident, Au is usually dissolved from the higher horizons and reprecipitated from unstable complexes to form mo led zone and saprolite haloes at depth (e.g., [19,59]).…”

Section: Gold Grain Distribution Along the Weathering Blanketsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Gold is either dispersed in the quar matrix or confined as stringers along foliations in the granites [8][9][10]. The gold grades within the granite alteration halo vary from 2 ppm to 103 ppm [8,9,13,14,35,36]. The granites are subduction-related and 640-620 Ma old [10], similar to those farther afield in the AYD [30,31,34,35,37] and southern Chad [38].…”

Section: Regional and Local Geologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, supergene processes such as weathering, erosion and sedimentation can modify primary gold resources [11,12]. Secondary gold resources in particular result primarily from the physical weathering of gold from primary lode sources [13,14]. Deep chemical weathering and laterite formation may further mobilize and concentrate these physically weathered gold particles [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil Geochemistry Combined with Particulate Gold Microchemistry Provides Evidence of Eluvial Gold Genesis and Anthropogenic Hg Use in Eastern Cameroon Goldfields

Vishiti,

Suh,

Ngatcha

et al. 2024

Minerals

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The identification of trace element anomalies in soils has been proven to assist semi-mechanized small-scale gold operations. This study employs soil geochemistry combined with the microchemical signature of particulate gold from the Batouri goldfield to (1) vector possible gold-endowed lithologies introducing particulate gold into the overlying regolith, and (2) assess anthropogenic Hg used in purification of both primary and alluvial/eluvial gold by artisans. The soil geochemistry shows irregularly distributed anomalies of elevated Cu especially in the saprolite soil layer. Whereas in the lateritic soil layer, a Au-Ag-Hg metal association is reported for the first time in this gold district and could be linked to anthropogenic Hg used in gold recovery. Particulate gold recovered from the soil varies in shape from euhedral and irregular to sub-rounded, indicating a proximal lode source. The gold grains range in size from nano-particles to >300 µm and are Au-Ag alloys. The gold particles reveal inclusions such as quartz, silicate, zircon and ilmenite suggesting that the grains were dislodged from quartz veins within the granitic basement. Systematic variation in the microchemical signature of the gold grains is suggestive of spatial and temporal evolution of the mineralizing fluid. These results are consistent with investigations from similar geologic settings worldwide and validate the combined utility of gold fingerprinting and pathfinder elements in soil to examine deposit genesis in other gold districts globally.

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