Author(s)

Fodé Tounkara^1,2*, Jianguo Chen², Mory Sidibe¹, Oumar Soumare³, Adama Youssouf Koné⁴

¹Université de Ségou, Ségou, Mali.
²State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.
³Ecole Nationale d’Ingènieurs Abderhamane Baba Touré, Bamako, Mali.
⁴Laboratoire de Cartographie, Département de Géologie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FST), Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologiques de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the valorization of gold showings in the Seribaya deposit, western Mali. Samples taken from Air Core (AC) boreholes were subjected respectively to the magnetic susceptibility test and the X-ray fluorescence analysis. These results lead to the development of a simple methodology, based on signatures/indicators geochemical to identify lithology or to locate mineralization. We note that, compared to other chemical elements, Arsenic remains the most correlated with gold in the study area. Since this correlation remains weak (r = 0.16), it shows that Arsenic does not always accompany gold. There would be a generation of Arsenic related to mineralization, and other generations that would not be. The observation of the strip logs led to the identification of the lithologies (focusing on the immobile elements, Ti, V, Cr, Y, Zr) and the establishment of the alteration profile. Highly altered levels (Saprolite ± Saprock) are characterized by the disappearance of most mobile elements. A medium to strong correlation between gold mineralization and magnetic susceptibility measurements has been observed, in some places, and at depths. These mineralized intervals typically consist of quartz veins, suggesting that they have structural control over the mineralization. Gold mineralization is believed to be related to quartz veins. In addition, gold would be in paragenesis with a generation of Arsenic hosted in coarse sediments.

Valorization, Gold Index, Strip Logs, Magnetic Susceptibility

Tounkara, F. , Chen, J. , Sidibe, M. , Soumare, O. and Koné, A. (2021) Valorisation of Auriferous Indices: Case of the Siribaya Deposit, Western Mali. Open Journal of Geology, 11, 457-470. doi: 10.4236/ojg.2021.1110024.