Recovery and analysis of historical mine data in a three-dimensional environment: A case study - Heath Steele, Bathurst Mining Camp, northern New Brunswick

Abstract

3-D geographic information systems (GIS) provides a powerful tool for visualizing and interpreting the subsurface distribution of geology and hydrothermal parameters that are important in exploring for deposits concealed at depth. For the purpose of this study, restoration of a historical mine data set was undertaken with the goal of migrating information from paper records to fully linked data sets suitable for interpretation in 3-D GIS. Heath Steele, in the Bathurst Mining Camp, northern New Brunswick, is one such deposit with historical records that include the distribution of ore-associated iron formation, massive sulfides and host rocks. Structural and stratigraphic interpretations from previous studies and exploration programs were incorporated in the model, along with fabric measurements, regional geology, drillcore logs and geophysical data. This study shows how revisiting historical mine data in a 3-D environment can generate new knowledge about an ore deposit and particularly the spatial context of hydrothermal features in a complexly deformed setting that may aid future exploration.