Exploration Methods at Fosterville

Fosterville Gold Mine employs various exploration techniques to explore for gold mineralisation within its exploration tenements. An overview of exploration methods used to date is provided below.

Passive Seismic Survey

Passive Seismic Survey

Seismometers measure ambient seismic noise generated from road traffic, wind or earthquakes to map contrasting density of sediments, rocks and faults in the subsurface.


Air Core Drilling

Air Core Drilling

Air Core Drilling - Air Core (AC) drilling is a rotary type of drilling in which broken rock from the cutting face passes to the surface inside a separate tube within the drill stem using compressed air.


Airborne Electromagnetic Survey

Airborne Electromagnetic Survey

The survey is completed using a helicopter with electromagnetic equipment which measures electrical conductivity of subsurface geological features.


Airborne Gravity Gradiometry Survey

Airborne Gravity Gradiometry Survey

The survey is completed using a fixed wing aircraft to fly over regions of interest to measure extremely small natural variations in the Earth’s gravity field.


Airborne LiDAR Survey

Airborne LiDAR Survey

Airborne Lidar Survey - LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging and utilises pulsed laser light to produce very detailed digital terrain models of the land.


Airborne Magnetic Survey

Airborne Magnetic Survey

Airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys (AMR) measure the Earth’s magnetic field and naturally occurring radiation. These surveys are typically conducted using a fixed wing aircraft.


Diamond Drilling

Diamond Drilling

Diamond drilling utilises a hollow drill bit encrusted with industrial diamonds to produce a ‘stick’ of core that preserves details of geology, ground conditions and mineralogy.


Ground Gravity

Ground Gravity

This non-invasive technique measures the density of subsurface rocks and structures without the need to disturb the ground.


Induced Polarisation Survey

Induced Polarisation Survey

Induced Polarisation Survey - IP surveys are an invasive ‘remote sensing’ technique that measures how electrical current flows through the ground.


Magnetic Survey

Magnetic Survey

This non-invasive technique measures the magnetic response of subsurface rocks and structures without the need to disturb the ground


RC Drilling

RC Drilling

RC Drilling is used to look for increased geological information at depth. It helps to determine the quantity and extent of potential gold mineralisation in a fast time frame


Seismic Survey

Seismic Survey

Seismic surveys are commonly used to detect large contrast differences between rock types at depth. The concept uses an energy source that is put into the ground that travels through the rock until there is a change in density, causing some of the energy to be reflected at the interface


Soil Sampling

Soil Sampling

Soil sampling is an early-stage exploration technique used to understand the distribution of gold and gold related minerals on the surface.