SMEDG – Notice of Meeting

DATE: Thursday 23rd October 2003 – 5.30pm for 6pm

VENUE: The Gallipoli Club – 12 Loftus Street – Sydney Rugby Club unavailable due to World Cup Check the SMEDG web site

SPEAKER: Patrick Highsmith

TOPIC: “The Use of ICP-MS in Mineral Exploration – From Fringe to Mainstream”

Since approximately 1994, explorers have been benefiting from the ICP-MS. The ICPMS offers much better sensitivity than conventional ICP – Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) or atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Since the mass spectrum is much simpler than the light spectrum, interferences are also dramatically reduced. It also offers an improved array of elements that can be determined quantitatively.

Using examples from several types of ore deposits, this presentation will highlight the value of adding elements to the geochemical fingerprint of a mineralizing system. Elements such as tellurium, selenium, and rhenium are often not available by ICP-AES, and the detection limits for bismuth, thallium, and tungsten are too high by ICP-AES to identify subtle anomalies. Adding elements to our geochemical toolbox may give us the ability to use the differing geochemical mobility of the elements and their zoned abundance to vector towards mineralization.

In the ICP-MS we see the relatively rapid “mainstreaming” of a technology because it has quickly shown practical benefits. In recent years ICP-MS has been one of the few growth areas in exploration geochemistry. It is clear from market demand that this will likely continue.

Patrick Highsmith is chief geochemist for ALS – Chemex and is based in Reno, Nevada.

Future November 27 – Doug Kirwin – Title not yet finalised meetings:

Web page: Check the SMEDG web page for more details http://smedg.org.au

Organising Committee:

Steve Collins 9489 6836

Vicki Diemar 9488 7573

Lindsay Gilligan 9901 8301

Phil Hellman 9858 3863

Kim Stanton-Cook 0411 504512

Chris Torrey 9482 8833