The Kumtor gold deposit in the Middle Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan, and the application of 3-D modeling in Seequent’s Leapfrog Geo software for the geological exploration

Abstract

The Kumtor deposit is one of the largest gold deposits in the Tien Shan. The ore zones are localized in rocks of the black shale formation, in an amagmatic gently dipping structure. Distinctive features of the ore deposit in a line of gold objects localized in black shales are the predominance of ores of pyrite-(feldspar)-carbonate composition and the almost complete absence of arsenic in the ores. Kumtor is a typical representative of orogenic type deposits. The use of 3D modeling of the geological structure of the ore deposit with the Leapfrog Geo software allows one to quickly correct the model when new drilling and operational exploration data are received, to optimize the exploration work, and to forecast new sites for the exploratory drilling.

Keywords

• gold
• black shale
• kumtor
• middle tien shan
• 3d modeling
• leapfrog geo