arte oy NEWSLETTER errs Octouta 012 Tio} NUMBER 9 ‘Mauritania: A Greenfields Exploration ‘Opportunity in Northwestern Africa ‘GD. Toyl'*E.D, Anderson, D.C. Bradley,? 6, Beoudoin? M.A. Cosca,! RG. Eppinger! G,. Ferete,” CA, Finn,” ‘ML. Fede\! S.A, Giles," R. Gldfan J.D. Hoon,” G.K. lee! E.E Marsh,’ J. Mavk,' H.A, Mots? ALY. Oud Ef Joud* ‘S. Ould Soveida A. Quld Taleb Mohamed? ond BW. Rockwell INTRODUCTION ience for Discovery ( ists and SEG Canada Foundation 44 yay Xb September 24-27, 2013 Whistler, BC www.seg2013.0rgSEG NEWSLETTER Not = octosee 2012 HEREEEEDD 0 nents sso py Nem Aes Cit Neverthe, propectiv Aan, Patopotfone tnd Panes st figs ake Maun hgh or 2b are for aro eno, in 195, the Mautanian goer smn, wth aunnce to te Word Bink and ame Beopmen an nba on progam 0 pomote investment ins ner inst The Progam, med Moje deferment Irtatonnet dy Secteur Ms (SN, Sesto improve the mining pa ‘tom and the Dns cat to Prove bslne reife aa that ‘iiaatatemiseral expostion The US Gao Sey O86 has beet ngage bythe Maura oe rumen fo syn lava o> toga and route dna on scout. tte sale ad to prc a et oom 000scate eto nap fhe cour) Alona ctw proach (1) geoph {Rest al wale stromag and taalomete dts flown most a im igh line spacing whe inde 8 derivative dep fo semen map (2) 8 ful GaGC elution, nya, snd tsplay on approx 32 separ maps, “59.00 oem gle Iydogsog map compe anda TR cone tah Sto and ASTER Dinttor th ene county, nd ASTER teas and (9) an ped dase of tinea Gcposts an ocr: The Uc grou ceded any oe impatnt mineral ocuencs and ‘ted spe for getronata Stuy fo suppor the new taping So ant provide abe ats or Shiner! depot formation ents "Te lat go ots opm swat produce er of commty halon mineral epost por oem ‘ping the permis and avr tess ‘Sten coy or expostion Reprs Shd'mape tht dsb known oxtur ‘ence erploaion histor, 3 peri ive logy nae been rene fr ‘any metic nine Sopot types Sd erry of aati be com ‘outs Thy wl pubis in ‘Sy 2013 and he le preener Se ofthe highghts of hector, GEOLOGIC SETTING (OF MAURITANIA, Mauritania comprises four man go Tog provinces) Tie Raut Shed isa NEretng crs lock Ut s the exponed northern part of the ‘West Asean craton (WAC), Ieconalns thewidest rock inthe county and consists of two major subdisions sepa ‘ated by a crstacae shes Zone rope Sentinga major accretionary boundary (anondére ea, 2008; ie etal, 2004; Scho eta, 2012. Thesouih- ‘neste part consists of Mesoarcheah Palcoproterozte rocks tat include high ae ranitegneiss Tits and ‘Ameaga Complexe) and greenstone bet assemblages Tastast-it terran) These rocks ot the Tail gold dept and mos ofthe ron depot, The ‘ot younger Paeopeoteroote (Bian) {o Neoproterorate accession, which Fost many orogenic gold occurrences in the WAC. This tegin Is characte by a series of voleanosedimentary bells ad assclated bathlthiescale granitic intrusive sues of ilerent ages cut by major shea znes. ree bel, located ong the westeen Iain of whe WAC and thought to be tm Arcan continuation of the Appala {hin orogenic belt, representa fold dhru tlt with atocated eae slkaline vleanonedmentary sequences land an ophilte comples. These rocks ‘were deformed epsodially thoughout the atest Neoproverooi to east PalecenePan-Acanaesemdlyof Gondwana and again during the ate Paleozoic Varscan arogey (held et 1, 2000. The Guelb Moghrein copper {gold deposits hosted ur the nose pir ofthe bel, which asa has pote: Hal for voicnogene massive slide (WMS), erogente A, sad magmatic Ne Cu deposits “he geology ofthe Mauritanie belt ‘ave fom nos tosouth The nor ‘ra Maranides extend from western Sahara tothe Aout area in Mauritania and ate characterized by supracrsal ‘apps that are trast fo the est and porthest onto the Archean Tsiat Tit texan (Maurin a, 197, Pel tal, 2004). tn the AKout are, ‘here fa weiter inflction of the Bek net comes in contact wth rock Of the Rguetbat Shield and the Wont Units of the nappestack are thrust onto the Archean basement and te fora ofthe Taoudent basin (hte ea, 2004) The southern Mausianises, Sele extend from cental Maan toto Senegal consist ofa NStrending {rus ple of llocthorows and arsutchonons uns onapond gains the alone rocks ofthe ‘Bowden bai oe Page 988) Wn the bet ae fou parle NS-trenang ones seprite ty es-cectd thes Compan, fom est owes a ie fated ophitte continental margin ‘faces sciatic ‘aline igneous compen, and a western Galeaalne igneous compler (tied a, 2004; Lanondes et a, 2005) ‘The Taouden asin tepreserts oe ofthe anges! Mesopotrovok 0 Patera cntoni mentary Basins Ines he othe est ofthe Maustanie bet andi pr, forms the foreland basin to the Neopoteroole= Paleonse orogens Consting primal tf many thousands of meters of cont ‘ental ndstones 3b well 5 patina Carbonate ec wth ese sales Of Mouton and ax potenti or fetolum and semen ok std Bhse metal depos The ubiguous presence of rst mate ils and kes Toughout the basin the Hkly tour of Ca were caress dnd thee represent theoreti lo tions fr conduittype magmatic N-Cu “he ind bain es along the northern margin of the Ree ld Sd isa major pericatonc basin ipsted eimai in Age, Morocco, fa ester bar, sl snot ios shallow water marine samen {hry rocks oer thin Maan aed Se mainly unexplored Low thermal Iaturty of sure rocks shng the ‘outer margin of he ba ply Potential for Rydocabons. Large {epotsofPranroat oii fon Stoner xt on bth ofthe Algeria Border Gala and Takers, 200; (uel 189) The Cantal an es to he west of ‘he Maude bet and represents 4 sve main envionment rested to {he opening ofthe Antic Oar This Setimentay sequence contains pos piste rpms at pratt, Bodh in [surah and in ober counts slong, {he Alam sesboard ads epee Sent an area pemisive fr semen: tary rock howe bse metal depots seeOCTOBER 2012 + No 91 IRON ORES—MAURITANIA'S CASH COW ighrade hemattic ton oes, on taining 60-45% fe, have bren mined in -Mauntana ftom Superiore ron epost ince 1982, Depletion of the hgh grade ores in recent yar hs resulted in 2 number of mew projects focused lower grade magnetite ors nan Algoma-ype banded ron form. ‘on (BF containing 35% fe. Mausani Is the 15th ages ion price in the ‘word and curently has bast 1.1 ion Tonnes (Bt) of ere ron one eres (USCS, 2012), Production fin om tolled by Societe Natlonal inutile ‘pany that i 788 onmed by te govern ofthe export earings of ‘About 11 mlion tonnes (1) er year fae shipped tr thee mins (Fe 2, hosted in Mesctchean (Gelb hen) {0 Faleoproterozote(Guel and the TO14 pi inthe Ket il) ‘rocks nie Zoerate inthe meer gueiet Shel, to loading alts on the Alani coast at Nousaibou int o0-klongrallway consuicted ext sively forthe purpone. in 200, SNIM formed a join venture wit Asati’, Sphere Investments to sud options for ‘pen pit mining and henefition of the magnetite deposit at Cue EI Adu ‘The depost has measred indicted and inferred resources of 701 Mt of ‘uagette ore wth a grade of 16.396 Fe, Planned production 7 Muy fate eduction grade pellets (sng Jour, 20, In the major ron poduing region surrounding Zouerste,Algomstype Imagnetite-quatateBif deposi re hosted in the Mesoarchea Ts Com ley, which consis of higtazade {nelses and various ganuite bodies, The magnet guarentee wierpead, and ar eatily distinguished by thet Scromagnete response andy thet {endene) to fore low edge an pubs (Chet isthe Aabie word fe "hl" that crop out shove the others at topography ofthe Tiss Complex Tacit ronch ed ange rom & fe centimeter to 10m in hikes (O'Connor etal, 2008) Ezenomsic ‘epost form where thicker BF units ‘are doubled or taped by thrust tack Ing of loding Delineation of sch ta setscan be effectively scconpiised by {tering ofthe aeromagnete data as splayed in Figure 2. Numecous targets, SEG NEWSLETTER RGURE 2. Th Tis compo nr Zasrtenhe weer gp hl hes on egos tecechoan wcll oPcpea es Mae rd Oia ros. Geophys ringing tld og on tows O75 [gee repos wre dah ong bent es hen 1000 dese togt oes whee Bly kad ylang lng. Doth in oterop and under salon over, remain fo be prospected (Taylor tals n pres) “Toth south ofthe Tris Complex, Mesourchean gneiss and rants of ‘the Amsags Complex abo contin ‘hundant small Br hosted depots, 98 fo the Mesoarchean metavolcanie ocks tn the greenstone belts ofthe Tas “Tc feane eo the west, Finally, Late Archean metaveeanie rock ofthe Inch tie near Axjou also ost Prospective BES These rocks hos he ‘Gelb Tamagot and at 1 Khacer rospes curently being evant by Sn Indonesian company QF Burt [Resource Mineral To) tht has obtained an explotation pest Et ade unas intat consists of a goetite cap to an 1OCG prospec se belo). A secon project 48 kn southest of Algo s beng developed ty TansAfla Resourees tthe aouat project. They estate resoure of 370Mé at 30% Fe, based on Gling and aout 1.2 Bolin sta BI based on geologle mapping, gravity, nd magosicsutveys (rani eta tn press, and veterences there, PRECAMBRIAN GOLD IN THE NORTHERN WEST AFRICAN CRATON The gold resources of Mauitania cut rendy iden fe nce to Important depots ana series of poony dled foes sas toni one2 SEG NEWSLETTER [No 91+ OCrORER 2012 Arai: A rms xen Opprty Nerhwen Aico Cote nto production in 2007, is ocd in accuences. These favorable arab would the reestone bel at key of similar ‘he southwestern corner ofthe Rguebatineladerocks ofthe Lower and Upper age tothe gneses. Vounge, vom Shield anda worcasPalecproteso:ishnlan supraceustl rocks that are tous tonalite and granodortes, Dole) erage gold deposit-The prow cated eas ofthe Zednes aut zone. In which for the cores of dome em ‘incing Cue Moghielndepositoceas sition, the selaively NNW-trending utes surtound the basement oes and ‘Song shest sone in Middle Ashean” major fs ctting the eaten half of geenstone belts (Key et aly 2008) an tocks at he bend i the norehem theshleld wre ikl toe puclarly re dated tea 295-287 and 269-265, Mauntanides and is most comsonly permissive hort for gold ores where” Ga, respectively (Schofield et a, 2012), ‘Sssifed sean TOC typeof deposit pret in lomer grade etarioxphie “ihe Tai gld Gepost (Hg 3) isee nent section. Both major deposits oman; magi of igneous ocks located along a N-S-tending shea 59 fhe surounded by numerous prospects shown along some ofthese faults any te in te 70 x 18 kin Chat geen thot show simlar mineralization sys, lower grade exposure should be cate.” stone bl Ic has been mined since ‘ost of the Mescatchean and fay examined Golda ea, tn pres) 2008 frst by Red Back ang and cu alsproterovocrocksof the Reuibat Theat outhwester comer ofthe telly by Kinoss Gold Corp (2012) Shiel in owhesh Masten ae high- Reta Shield (st 20-21 and long, Kings Gold Corp reports a work-lass fade gcse eg, Key eta, 08; 14-167) ste one area inthe Meso. reseve + resource of at least 21 Mot Au SEpoted eral, 2012) which se aot atcheon par ofthe shield with gteen- at 47 git The ine produces just over favorable for gold rescues However, schist ates geenatone belts the seven 20,000 A pee year. The Tait the metamorphic ge inthe eld” defined bes (rae ea in pres 3) epost occurs a sheeted quat-carbon- Sppeis to decreas to ore favorable tend NSin the wes (eg, Char) and ateabitepyehonite wens, gol-bening Reeth facesto the eat and defines NESW in theenst (eg, Tiojt). The quartzcarbonate veilets and adjacent Shares mith pote or orem gold greenstone belts are exposed ithe senated go, hosted In an upper Xpoutsin Paleoproteooic oes, Aven southesn part ofthe Tassie te greenschist to Tower amphitolite fis, Stl gld prospects ea, Concita- rane of Schofield etal 2012). They are Ihagneite-quartate BMP and adjacent Fowence of Nour, El Mesa Oped Et Toated wun a basement ofc ‘okeanilsie rocks, The orebodes a Mav and bin-6s2, now bing explored 24-20 migmatite grees that present within two parallel zones that by brake Resources Limited (Drake were metamorphosed ate 297 Ga; continue fr 6 km along strike (Days, Resoures Lite, 2012), ar 205 tized month fate 21°, gion that ialudes most outcrop fe. 2.1 (a Biman rocks of te sel. Drake Resouces Limited reports highsrace fol sample at Conchita ovence, {Gjscent to a 1404n-ong shes: sone System of anomalous gl termed the ends shear zone Tis roe 0 rep eset the only dint bet of alan ‘nt rocks defied to date inte et er pat ofthe shield (eg, Braey et Sl in pres a} The nigh go samples ko hive anomalous concentrations of ‘Ag, Aw Mo, Sb Te, and W, andare ‘Scited with outcropping godbee Sng quars wins in greenscist aces. metapeltes Sever Ay/ Ar eats on Ihyrothermalsercte fom paipects 0 the southeast along this rend aley et aly in press) suggest hat hese Prospect are Paleopoteroroe Wage. rhe assessment ofthe reo ll require detailed geochemical maps, {ional metamorphic maps snd vas: thon of existing egtonal struct. I permissive areas eit or mora gold esoures in the Rguebat hile, then Such areas are tke be roally Aetined as those of retell meta. RQURE Fadendopte ovomayrote nage o fe seuhary Toe ran, sowieg geo fnorphic ga matnyof eres!” ye nen nn oo arn one nod sts of wage gad {ici They wil ily be newly cogent ont rach, ont of eer bls od poste Neocon facanerts ‘ised metattimenaty rock be silat tpn py fvarga raion eps, Al er NEsorang mode pds orthowe tithes the ConchtaHorence Senses aa osc dh(OcTORER 2012 + No 91 2011) The bile xebotes olow a Sere of estate thus tht inlade ‘he Tas and Pint ale soe Anomalous W, AS, Ag and Sb ae ‘sported atthe deposit, Altered rock ‘neludes ite, Sede and close (Davis, 2011), Reported KA ages on other sence of 88 and 1 50 (Gh (aut etal, 2008) are uns, sstyplally Mesarchesn rocks hot ‘Mestarehean gold depots and Paleo: roteronl rocks hoe Paleoproterococ epost. A major RW string stromag: ‘tc incament (Fina and Andetson, in pres) interacts the Cham) greenstone ‘aay have important implications for explorations (Gola et ln pres Fig 3 and see below), “one prospective ates within a eve tens of omer ofthe deposi ould Ince the sty prospect tote noth est of Tasast, where suniferous quart ‘oi are eid in folded IF and mall vleane rocks. Al prospet C23, orth of Tsast and in the Cham sreenstone bet, gokbearing quanta ‘eis ocut along a seated margin to _Eanodlnte body To the south of {esas in manly sand covered tas, Dake itsoures Limited rept old Snomalies from dil core om ee {luther put ofthe Cham greenstone belt The shove-mensoned aeromag netic anomaly of Pn and Anderson (in pres) also roses the adjacent [reenstone bet othe cst and west of fhe Cham greenstone at and these Toetins ate marked by addtional sll ‘otogene old prospects, These intese tions of renstone bets nd the ine ment, whlch perhaps an ancent ea tom margin boundary oat pall to the boundary just ade the arcent Imargin are considered extemely favor abt tages for ew seennees (Golda etal in pes: Fe 3 ‘More deacon his sou ester par ofthe silk} 10 enti other are tonnage gold re Sourcts, becuse typically exogetc gold eposts do not oceur as seated single ‘epost, bat rather a ters of de posts, Simla orogenic old deposits Be probably present at Ii, which is Tecate inthe Tijet greenstone bell about 120 km ENE ofthe Tass depos Euidence for penta in this rea NNE-tending shea sone containing zurifeous quarts wens that eomtinae for as mach ar 200 mang ste wit asst gab, and schist (Gar et al, in pres SEG NEWSLETTER ‘GUELB MOHGREIN AND ‘THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL 1OCG “The Gueb Moghrein Cu-Au deposit in ‘he northern Mauitanids is coniered “by many tobe an on oxide copper 0K OCG type dost Scand ‘Sa arm 300; Ka et a a8 irschsurn 2011) 1 shares inany -Charcterts with IOC deposit, Inching eeormc Cua, suet “one low ton ote haope ‘nd pyrtotte a he dominant fide and alack of quart veining lomeve, nv othe TOC deposts have Ferch cate hot roc n tt Sense in fst someway of OCG depots (Ksehbaum, 2001) snd {heres posibty thatthe mineral ing tnd of mcamorpi ong (Stel and Meyer, 208, “Guetb Moqhrein i locsted nea Axon ia te Incit ste fa western ‘onan nation, there ae 19 ther copp andor gold occurrences in {he nck dst, inlong the EL oder gos, where the gocthtech {apis erent being contre a5 8 Source ofon ore by P-Bumt Resouces Mines ik Ancent copper workings 21 Guth Map wee ote y he French mliary 0 1951 and sampled by the Brea Miner in 1986. Atepts fine the get started nthe 19808 Sn conto ut he ely 19908, fred five fa (Gunn et a, 2008, it {Geantom Miners Lid stated commer Si proguton m 2006 Mine prod Sonn‘! wae ROL Mat an aera rode of 1h cu, with a sdional Fas peduced Total prove se probable rere at of Decemb 31 Bott, were 2 ME a 1.09% Cuan 079 gh as Mesure and indicted ‘esoutres wine 09 Meo se mint. nation a 1:18% Cu sn 0.77 gt Sn .12 Mofo mincrloation st Som Cu and 130 pt Aw ere in ress a andeferences then, “The About ae nausea smojr beni the Maurtanide bet Tous sage te guts Shit nd heroes consi ofa syste of| ‘retappng tt see Phe aot [Package founded tthe noth and Estoy soethaint contact th he ‘chet Aga terrane ofthe Rguebat Sit (Gur e 2008 Sapracnstal rocks it he Aju area consist of metabasats ane Bi, olan wt Sngular unconformity by hescastc {onetascments capped by a thick see tion of submarine batt and doles Partly migmatized lwogranite sets Sind pogmaies, eich cer it areas of ‘vechat basement inthe Aout ae, Sethe only intrusive aks (My Sind tielland, 200 ‘Geochronolgial sues suggest that whereas the host rest Cl ‘Moggrein are Archean, the oes ate probably east Paleopoteoro: Two types of hydrothermal monacte and atime sociated with piay sue re were dated by Meye et al (2006 ‘ype grains yeded an age of 2402 Ep which wis conclaed tobe the age ff the mineralisation, Tp I gains ‘Showed an age of 1742 Ma, which was interpted to indicate alter genre tlon of hyrothermal thi flow. (Copper gl mintalvation st Gul Moghrein occurs in dsaete abs breeca zones developed paral to Ds ‘Setr zones within sheteabonate rock composed of magreste and dolore The minesiaton and host metaca nate thin atu zone that Separates metarhyoite fom metaasalt (Bred and Martyn, 201; Kalbe al 2000). The ae conse exbonate bee ‘Gath matrix of mally Fe ino Smphitole and magnet with lesser fhaeopyete,pyebotte, and other su fides The mate sulidearenide gold ‘hinerallzaion formed about 10°C nd 2-3 Kars (Kol et, 2008). The tmetaarbonat hos hasbeen variously Interpreted as a metaselment (Kolb et 4, 2006; Kirschbaum, 2011) ands 2 Froth alteration prox (Martyn td Seiad, 2008). The wal rocks ace othe mined metacaon- etnderwentalbttin prior to and ‘hning greenest to amphibole ade fnetaroyphi, ad ts was followed bp {potas lteration event (isebaum, Dit}, Factor anal lock geochemi- {dat show a tong eeelate core lation of Ag A,B Co, Cl Ge In, 5.8 Te and Zn JICA 2008) Reconnaissance fidineosion sad tes of quartz veins tom te loatwal freenathist t Gul Megheln showed polyphase achston containing hale ‘Synale in gash inclusions JIC, 3005) Homogenization temperatures ofthe seasons ranges rom 240" to $320°C and saline from #8 to 39 we Me [NaCl equ, Skelias and Meyer (2008) Indicate sli 98 val scr suner nea zr,SEG NEwsterter Not + ocrosee 2012 KEEEEEED 20200 cet lton Ops in Nowe Aa ei conesponaing to ether magmatic ot ‘tamorpie suf, andthe 4D les ae typeof metamorphic waters The combined oxygen und hydrogen ‘atop composition ofthe fii pts ln the fea of metamexphic wat, leading Sakelars and Meyer (208) 0 Conclude thatthe sullur adore fd $e of metamorphie origi and that the ‘ost ly soures arma were he host metsbacl nt amorous workers (Gunn ea, 2008 Maratant et al, 2008, and veerences: "hres ha here spent for Guelb Moghtein-ype Cuchi ine lation inthe southern Mariani ‘They refer to specie prospects, incl tng Kasay, nice, we Es Na Ding, nd Guida ss 100 ove: rene. Kala sone ofthe mot sgl ant Cu prospects in the Maun batt ands candy being explored by (Guecorp Mauritania SARL, whlch con sides ita VMS anget(OreCorp, 2012), ‘The prospect consis of slecous gos Sanath anomalous Ci nd ves ‘hich overlie lens of led use nth malachite chalcopyrite and pit Salpeter (2008) nots hat the ony ton oxide present at Kr i ematite tnd that magnetite absent, and ths Fhe questions wither Kaa should be Eonsiered an TOCEstype occurences, ‘The Inde 78 prospect engl Wen {ied bys arpling cai 9 5 km-long zone of propyl aeration containing diseminted copper sles ‘and numerous quart veins eich Tecate song the contact tween Ietaandeste snd metarhyoite (Gunn tal, 2008) Within the alteration Ss treulr, coarsely crystalline patches {hat Ted Gu ea 2008) to suggst thatthe Cu mineraiaton might be ‘into Gut Mogheein however, ‘hey conclude tat the minetaeation more tkely of the UMS type "The Gu > Au oscuences i the south cen Naturtanides are all asoiated with crted metamorphic rook, which i ‘Se ltramate bos tat ma suture zones. The lenses ot ntense carbonate atreration sieeation, and quarts ven Ing lten with associated Cech mica ‘retype stent found st mtn ‘Srogeni gold depts. The southern Co fccureness, however, such 3s Digull {hd Gutdmata are iso sisted th Fnplte ed jasper and hematite ana thee ae podionm chromite ociences in he same aes, features that ate com: ron in Cyprutype VMS depots Finally, eh age ofthe county oes in the southern Mastanidess Neopro terzoi (ie tl, 2008), a eontast ith the Archean age ofthe Abou aren Sequence. Based! onthe above #8 con ‘led thatthe Cu 2 Au occurences ia the southern Mustanides sre no 10C (Femete in pes Talon pes). URANIUM EXPLORATION. Mauritania s the site of active uraniun fxpozton and ev dscoeres re being ie, These ae curently a leas Sh companies actively exploring for hosts 8) Known uranium occueences, mainly the Paleoproteosoe pat of the Ret Shiels, which include both {leet ad graniteshoted type In ft, toch ef the northem shield snc Tous in Uas shown by widespread The granterelated occurrences at all ‘within or postal to major NWetrend ‘ng au anes, The anomlous rate soaks provide the source forthe U in ‘the calrete depos (emete in press band erences therein. ‘Thaw ae thee granite hosted and nine eletesype U deposits dened in {he mother shed in Naan. The total combined resource ofthe depos Brigbe Nt, with an average prod of 5310 ppn Usd. Te calerete depts total 1363 Me at 331 pp UO, verus 4465 Mrat 238 ppm UiOy for te gran IRehome! depos. Al ofthe dept ae ed under lense by eter Fore Energy o Aura Ener Foe Energy's fist exploration target vaste bir em Nar aes (Fig. 1), here ‘raniur mineralization was discovered Dy Cogema inthe 1970s (Marte a, 2003). A recent esate forthe Biren Nardyosts incades an inde ond fnferre resource of 1.33 Xt 704 ppm UOy- The granite hosted depots con Sst of tree NW-tvending mineralond ones tat dip moderately tothe non fact "Ro aeration fs common in Inineratzed want although anon To Uvaluce ne also present in wna tezed ganic ook yenite and epsyen- Hep within the shear zone sto hos minesiation (erate, n pres). The AQ and A238 NW deposit are locate 135 hm northwest of ren [Nat ang the same sheat zane. The epost were dcoveted hy felony fof alfborne sadometi omaly that located ranerns excrete. Delling Imterceped wants metalation i 3 ‘hear sone below the elerete roe. Bath epost ae located within atacasi mes slong the mylontized contact Breeween wo graniotd bodies A large area of unmineralze sicher iteration and miler ares of sca thon occur to the northeast of the A238 ‘epost The A238 NW depos occurs On {Spay ofthe main shear tore t the honors ofthe A238 dept Feet, In pes and vleences there PHOSPHATE AND GYPSUM Posphate depots occur in outcrops of phosphatic hmestones, maisones, and Sancstones of Eocene age posed along {he northen ban ofthe Sega River bout 300k fom the cout fo ‘kcposts have been extensiey ste, fone atthe vile of Bolland another fepost at Loubbota, eservts tof are 70 Mt with an average thcknes of 17 2m average rade of 21% DOs and an aera ‘overburden of In comparison, [nubboirs has 29 tof resves with an average thihness of 2m, ae average rade of 19% Os and an were ‘pen tthe non at Bota and tothe Southeast a Lobos tt probable ‘eserves coud exceed 100 6 (Guna et 1, 2008) Resource were ao Went fd in several ther zones othe sox ‘il ae Tess wel known ta the to Panepal aeas The deposits continse 10 km father to he south nto Senoga at Mata, were 3 epi exceed 36 ME a 28.7% POs as been ete: On the opposite bank tthe ive rom Matam, a SWE in Mauritania, resources of abe 150,000 have been idetiieg, wher phoe pate rock beds average 26-28% 70s ‘These deposts have potent or we as iret apptcation frie and focal farmers ae exacting pnsthate rock fortis purpose (Gunn ea, 2008 [angen pes). ‘Additonal occurrences of sscmen- inthe Taoudeal basin altncgh aval ale Information suguess tose discon ‘ed to date ae small and lew rade {Gunn etal, 2000) Furthermore, their femete locations fa aay fom aes of‘OcrouER 2012 + No 91 farming and food production, suggest that hey are uni tobe igh-prioe ky exploration targets The host rocks ote ofthese stata to hos co Unknown, but the Neoprotrezle-Etly Cambrian ime perio an important ‘depositional inter, wth sgn resources of thi age oct se res Possibly one of dhe largest gypsum depot inthe world occurs a ebiha northeast of Nouakchott. Both bedded ‘raporate and unesype deposits are present. The bedded gypsum ceposts {rop out chet along the easter Tank ‘ve pan fst inl ofthe cone that "nd bet hich forme within the ast 4.000 yeas (ied etal, 2008 he thicknes ofthe depos retest decreasing othe west and owth. There Se several fundie millon tonnes of proven eres (Gunn etal, 200), ‘occur about $5 km from the highway that comes Nouakchott and AKO Limited sampling ofthese depos ‘whlch ae secondary accursustion in ate rads of 92-53% CaSO4aH0 2004). provisional tesource estate Suggested about? Mein one small area Fgh = 100,000 efor plaster ant ton closet the mala oad, ogee ress of averbutden make these deposi: sane orem They ie rqulements for plaster and des Droduets (Langer, ness) REE, CRITICAL METALS, ‘AND DIAMONDS IN ALKALINE ROCKS, CARBONATITES, ‘AND KIMBERUITES Resources of U, Th, Nb Ta Be, ae eath ements (REE) and Nore asocated wth allaine rocks, pegmatite, ad ea. Bonattes are know in Mauritania and bve been expoted in te past tthe ou Naga altaline igneous complex Pegmatites and pegmatite veins ate re ‘gcd in several areas of the Archean tnd Paleoproterozoic pars of the gues Shield and are prospective for ‘real element and REETesuscen More hin 150 bey pegmatite are Koown the Khneteat treo the Cham green Sone bel ani additonal concent {ons of pegmatites ate known a Geld [Nich So in the Sebht Nich gue ofthe Amsaga complex (Guns et 2004) Owing to the sll he of hese ‘epost they aeunlly tobe eco fain by pocesing cota mie ‘work depots containing anomalous Th and REE wl the above men ‘WonedU are present partially inthe Paleoproteronoi rock ofthe Revit plex af Tabatanet associated with agaetie a radiometric soomales tnd consists ofa probebleveln-ype ‘epost that exter for $00 m_ The Hypetaldaline granite a Tigunat may have REE enrichments in asoclted Fomic potenti. Two ater aca, tions of resource potential based on soya ds ed ah ioe Another possi for U, Ty REE, tis In sociation wih carbonate best the presence of a cabonait at Gel er Rchat (Wooley ca, 1984 ‘the Pye of Aftica; itis a distinctive land: fc during de Apollo missions (ig. 4). is marked ba comeiden igh Th ‘topayscal anomaly The location of acl er chat in an arcs of prominent ENE-tending structures that ae cone ‘ent wth two swarms of Kimberite intro suggests 4 deep seated struc tres present nthe sob Taouent cr the emplacement of adational carbon. ‘Atel refered to athe Semsiyt ths ineament and may represent an ‘eionalebonatite ntasion 3 pth Th, HE, and assoclatd element re nd endetexpore. Dimond exploration was extensive tn the late 190 and was continuing a leer pace by Ro Tint in the nots mat ofthe Tauden bn 3 the tie Galt Abaeal, Ri Tinto ora commun Diamond project area tothe east and Mining Corp on the Akshar Permit ar in the southwestern Rguetbat Shiela Sind that De Bers ceased ative expr Davond vicing EEE [NGUHE 4 SFTM il aeration ode Gono fia! sce No sma Semi Sone hoheSEG NEWSLETTER Not + OcroseR 2012. owt: AG otin Opin Nh is nnd ‘Conporason was reported to haved: covered a potenti imberte wea in (200s, based on Rombous, 208) tates [NNetrendinglineament withthe “Taoudert asin that as oc the Gln er Rihat sid Semstyat dona features thought to be eatbonaite Intrusions at depth. The west caster located near the Guth er Rast, dome. The pooly located easten elas ter contains 21 Sibert of which ? ate dlamandiferous (ambouts 2003), CONCLUSIONS As a elt ofthe aggresive development ‘ofthe exploration and mining sectors of the economy bythe Maun gov ferament through programs of dita Scqunton and synthesis such a those deserbed above, Mauritania now ean provide a greets exploration oppor uty suppoced by wealth of read Uhable state of the at geinfrmation ‘Additionally te peance of geologial nvronments hat include Archean ‘on, Paleopoteroenic metsedimentsey belts, Pan Arian orogenic belts and major ertonic and cont seiment ay Isis, as well asthe presence a evra worl re depot should get the Sumimarl some othe more exiting Potential sets forgot, 10C6, on, Uranium, gypsum, phosphate RES, x icatmetat ai damon in Mau But we hve not even toxcted on the oe speculate pote fr sede they roehoted base metals, VMS, shoeln place ant, oF vay of indus miners tt Owing tote roxy othe Zouerate Nowa Fala may represent addons ec. ‘omiciy ale commas The raw dat packages ae ava trough the Minty of Pevoeum, Energy and Mines in Nouakehot The denative ‘naps and epots desrbed wl 00m teavalaie onthe USGS Mine Resouces rogram website acesbte se hnipHimineasags gov ACKNOWLEDGMENTS [anger ond David Leach a parti pated in the enly phases ofthe USGS. awrtania project and ae thanked for heir conteibutons Reviews by Karen Kelley and Andree Klick gest proved the manusenpt The Mautanian Minis of Petroleum, Energy, and Son to publish this pape, “uy of ake, pat o fem nas (Sforaescripe purposes ony aa des ‘not inpiyendosemene by he US. ‘REFERENCES ey, DE, Mat HA, Hosen, FD. ad Taso CO, tay. Jae ona fn Ainge Kew UR aA (babar Cuba ehamne of nes inca eatin 907 Roun Ae Siac Va p77 wi es i, 20 mw Sos Oye ep cl a, Hoo 3 meson Rep, See San im et po, As Meg. LCA, 2005, Goel Motrin: Japa Inter ace pon hry ee, thn, pin omg pple yt ougin, SC, espe MDs ‘oa onto, May Crowley" Oks, Dots DP td Pes and He Ph i To Mesure ora ircnblum, ME}. 201% Geology ofthe ‘ecomioatoniopatn as Soe. Suleeai, Lahn By Le Mou J pete, sgque de a some ad de bs Mauritanie, Beernse ten. oneeee nace Fos 9 ti ‘Gucerot, C2005, Notice explicative des ek eee urmial tea evi ofthe Tino Het, 3163 de epetive deserts ‘sale os Mon de turn ok May Jn Slane 2004‘OCTOBER 2012 + No9T 206, ale or depots he amie igi ona ep, ‘Sie Patani bre oe Rechech Majer FM Ko J Statin, Gant Mining mat, 208 Main Landon, goa Spt ton ofConaar, Eels PE, enol ‘Diyas 8; Waster, owe Fd, ie an pe 2, ave expliate der ee toes Biolagus 4/2000 1/00) da recap a 2012, Ou projet lresepcomt opto up. Oupaet feces 21/12. Phi Pt ey Wate CN ‘wis, MP Sebo, Lag Sita Bre noe capa the des ce tongs gop 8 $7300.00 s00 0b cS ce Neutans Volume 1 Gee DMG, aetna rte ecsane vse amen SEG NEWSLETTER SE emmaar, aaa ieee Geneae Sigh cape Sa Se heneumnates Meats Eane oe tees qeasaenae Se hae eee Sa ecko eeenrtet ieeecee te ES Seleehce ctenee Symposia oats yten Appronch to ure Proxpetnity = EGRU: ‘hea ar Soy ot ena on rns wv ‘Seton ores, Ty ed Hyetotheral Sonora Soe ieee eens, eee eee Ee ene "Reena Hemenk Deposits Haid in Catbonatie: inthe islamic Republi of orescence perch Mi oar rh ee Eanes ate tener Ean a http/minerals ps. gow/mineras/pubs! ee ee ree Catbonatit dyke fom i ih 3 domme, Since ots @DSEG