GOLD PROSPECTING

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1933, Page 2

GOLD PROSPECTING

WARNING:- GIVEN. TO PUBLIC.

GEOPHYSICAL METHODS

The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in its annual report, refers to geologicalsurvey work, in which it warns the public not to pin exclusive faith to geophysical prospecting if they are contemplating investments in a gold-mining venture.

“The. success attending the use of geophysical methods of prospecting for minerals in other parts of the .world has directed attention to- the possibility of using this means of increasing.the output of gold. The geophysical work so far has been confined at attempts to locate deposits of detrital gold. The methods depend on the use of delicate instruments to detect differences in the physical

properties of : material buried beneath the surface. Gold oceurrs i n . such small proportions even in high-grade wash-that its;physical properties cannot be made-: use -of. in this work.

“But since stream's tend to fconcentrate other heavy materials present in the gravels in far greater amounts than gold along with that metal, geophysically detectable deposits of these heavy minerals' are of interest to the gold miner if they occur in goldbearing country. In effect, all that geophysical investigations can do is to direct the miner to the most likely places to prospect. “The cost of such prospecting is thus reduced, but prospecting is by no means rendered unnecessary, arid the public, for their own protection, should take care that the value and amount of the wash of the claim in which they are investing has 'been adequately determined by boring, shafting, driving, or other wellpreed methods.” , '