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Gold Prospecting Mapping in the Peninsular Malaysia Gold Belts

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Abstract

Gold-bearing formations are commonly associated with occurrence of chargeability anomalies obtained from induced polarization (IP) methods. However, the gold itself does not significantly contribute to the IP effects, but the sulphide mineralization enhances the chances of the gold minerals being located and detected by these geophysical methods. The results of the geophysical surveys conducted across the selected regions in the Peninsular Malaysian gold belts (PMGB) are presented in this study with applications of a regional-scale geological and geophysical mapping of the study area integrated with a 3D Geographical Information System (GIS) technique. The work allowed a significant reduction in the search areas and identification of new target areas, thus working in partnership on the reduction of costs, time, and risk of mineral exploration. Results obtained showed that significant achievements were made to efficiently understand the geological processes related to the selected PMGB regions with the application of integrated geophysical methods. A gap exists in the subsurface geophysical information concerning the Peninsular Malaysian Central gold belts (PMCGB), which this study seeks to address by bridging the gap with the application of combined electrical resistivity (ER), IP, and 3D GIS methods. The results showed the sulphide mineralized zones as delineated at various points along the survey lines with the massive deposit at greater depths of occurrence at about 200 m ≤ 300 m, with their corresponding values, for a chargeability of about < 45 ms and resistivity of roughly 50 Ωm.

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All the data generated or analysed during this study would be made available upon request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the KGSS Venture Holding SDN BHD, Geo Technology Resources SDN and BHD, Jabatan Malaysia Geosciences (JMG) for the permission to share the data, and all the the people that worked with us during the field data acquisition. Our special thanks go to the anonymous reviewers that greatly improved the readability of this paper. Their inputs and that of the editors are greatly appreciated.

Funding

There was no funding for this project in the form of grants from any agencies in the government, local or federal, public, commercial, or not-for-profit organizations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Nigerian Army University, Biu, No 1, Gombe road, PMB 1500, Biu, Borno State, Nigeria

    John Stephen Kayode

  2. Program Geologi, Jabatan Sains Bumi dan Alam Sekitar, Fakulti Sains dan Teknologi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Mohd Hariri Arifin & Mohd Basril Iswadi Basori

  3. Geophysics Unit, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    John Stephen Kayode & Mohd Nordin Mohd Nawawi

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Contributions

JSK: data acquisition, conceptualization, investigation, writing—original draft, software, formal analysis, manuscript preparation, resources, corresponding author. MHA: site location and selection, data acquisition, investigation, software, formal analysis, funding, resources. MBIB: resource person, investigation and proof reading. MN: resource person and supervisor.

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Correspondence to John Stephen Kayode.

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Kayode, J.S., Arifin, M.H., Basori, M.B.I. et al. Gold Prospecting Mapping in the Peninsular Malaysia Gold Belts. Pure Appl. Geophys. 179, 3295–3328 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-022-03121-w

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