Magnetic and Geoelectrical Prospecting for Gold Mineralisation Within Tsohon-Gurusu Area, Part of Sheet 164 Minna, North-Central Nigeria

Abstract

Total magnetic intensity (TM1) measurements were combined with 2D electrical resistivity measurement in Tsohon Gurusu, with the objective of delineating the subsurface gold mineralisation. The TMI measurements data was acquired by the ground magnetic technique, using Geometric 876X. The traverses for the measurements were eleven, aligned North-South, 500 m long and uniformly spaced 50 m apart. The measurement stations were position East-West, across the traverses at 10 m apart in the mineral foliation direction. The acquired TMI was processed and analyzed using Euler and Analytical signal techniques. The ERT data was collected along two traverses of anomalously high TMI values (30 - 86 nT) and low TMI value. Low electrical resistivity values were found to associate with the high TMI values in an East-West pattern. This anomaly pattern confirms with the major East-West fracture pattern captured in the rose diagram of fracture and joint measurements on the outcrop. This indicates that these fractures are potential mineralization zones for conductive minerals. Local miners have been pitting all over the place in the hope of intercepting gold bearing veins, their effort has occasionally been rewarded.