Prof. Reid Keays

Supervisors: Reid Keays, Simon Jowitt & Peter Jackson (Morning Star Gold)
Field of Study: Economic Geology/ Igneous Petrology
Support offered: Field support, analytical costs

Collaborating Organization: Morning Star Gold
Preferred program: Honours

The Woods Point Dyke Swarm was one of the major gold-producing fields in Victoria. The mineralization is hosted in a series of quartz reefs in a mainly gabbroic host rocks that are strongly altered adjacent to the quartz reefs. The project involves underground and possibly some surface mapping as well as logging of diamond drill core. Laboratory work includes geochemical and petrographical studies of both altered and unaltered diorite as well as fluid inclusion studies to establish the nature (temperature and composition) of the mineralising fluids. One of the projects may involve summer employment. One project will involve a comparison of the Wallaby and Shamrock dykes; the Shamrock dyke consists of ultramafic rocks that host magmatic Cu-PGE sulphides, whereas the Wallaby dyke is a large hornblende gabbro dyke bulge that was a major Au producer. The other project involves a comparison of the Comet and Waverly dykes, both of which are basically composed of hornblende gabbro and both were significant Au producers. 
For further information, contact Reid Keays.
 

Supervisors: Reid Keays & Simon Jowitt
Field of Study: Economic Geology/ Igneous Petrology
Support offered: Analytical costs

Collaborating Organization: Beartooth Platinum Corporation
Preferred program: Honours

The Stillwater Complex is a 5 km thick mafic/ultramafic intrusion that hosts the J-M Reef, the worlds highest grade Platinum Group Element (PGE) Reef. PGE mineralization is also associated with a series of chromitite seams that occur in ultramafic rocks that lie stratigraphically below the J-M Reef; lower grade PGE is associated with disseminated sulphides that occur stratigraphically below some of the chromitite reefs. This project aims to determine the relationships between the different styles of PGE mineralization as well as their genesis. The project will involve a geochemical and petrological investigation of the chromitites, the sulphide mineralization and the ultramafic host rocks. For further information, contact Reid Keays.
 

Supervisors: Reid Keays & Simon Jowitt
Field of Study: Economic Geology/ Igneous Petrology
Support offered: Analytical costs

Collaborating Organization: Anglo American
Preferred program: Honours

The Bushveld Complex is the world’s major Platinum Group Element (PGE) producer, with PGE production coming from three different environments, these being the Merensky and UG-2 Reefs (both “PGE Reefs”) and the Platreef (which is not a “reef” at all, but a “contact”-type disseminated PGE-Cu-Ni deposit). The Platreef is emerging as the world’s most economic PGE producer. PGE mineralization in the Rietfontein area of the Bushveld Complex is similar to that of the Platreef, and may be one and the same. The project involves petrographical and geochemical studies of diamond drill core from both the Rietfontein and Platreef areas. The objective of the project is compare and contrast the rocks from the two areas as well as to establish the controls on PGE mineralization in the Rietfontein area. For further information, contact Reid Keays.