Heterodyne Method of Sulphide Detection. Latest field results

The Heterodyne Method uses the semiconducting properties of sulphide minerals to produce secondary signals that may be used to map occurrences of those minerals and possibly distinguish between different types of sulphides and graphite. Several field trials of this technique have been run over the Kempfield prospect in eastern NSW. Many of these trials were plagued by logistic and technical difficulties but a considerable amount of valuable data and experience has been obtained. The results indicate show that this technique produces mappable results. However, the response to sulphide minerals has only been sporadic and it is clear that the secondary signals produced by this method are extremely complex. Further work is needed to resolve technical issues and ascertain the geological relevance of the large amount of information contained in the heterodyne signals.
Open-Access Online Publication: May 22, 2023