Zinc '98 - Zinc Deposits of Europe and North America

This tour visited some of the world's most important zinc resources and producing mines - These deposits were selected in collaboration with a 'core group' of senior managers from Australia's major zinc producers & explorers, reflecting the deposits they would most like their staff to study.

It allowed a comparison between different settings, styles and ages of zinc deposits - The world's major zinc bearing deposits are found in a variety of settings including volcanic arcs, mobile belts, back-arc basins, passive margins, intra-cratonic rift basins and stable shelves. They are hosted by rocks ranging from intermediate to felsic volcanics, volcano-sedimentary successions, thick monotonous clastics, carbonates, intercalated clastics & carbonates, and even arenites, while large deposits are known for rocks ranging in age from Archaean to Mesozoic and Tertiary. The orebodies themselves vary from stratabound sheets and tabular bodies in shear zones, to transgressive accumulations and veins, to contorted masses and rods in high grade metamorphics.

This tour provided the opportunity to see a cross section across the diversity of known major zinc deposits, to look for comparisons and contrasts, the common factors, and thereby gain an insight into the important criteria for discovery.

Fifteen classic ore deposits in five countries, with context setting seminars and workshops. The program included:

EUROPEAN MODULE - 9 days, from 16 July
Seminar in Dublin, Ireland; Expert briefings in Portugal & Spain, and visits to:

Neves Corvo - Portugal
Reocin - Spain
Navan - Ireland
Lisheen - Ireland
Galmoy - Ireland

NORTH AMERICAN SEDIMENT HOSTED MODULE - 10 days, from July 27
Workshop in Vancouver, followed by visits to:

Red Dog - Alaska, USA
Faro/Anvil - Canada
Howards Pass - Yukon and NWT, Canada
Sullivan - BC, Canada
Coeur d'Alene - Idaho, USA

NORTH AMERICAN VOLCANIC HOSTED MODULE - 11 days, from August 7
Field Traverses, Briefings from Local Experts, and visits to:

Flin Flon - Manitoba, Canada
Kidd Creek - Ontario, Canada
Bouchard Hebert - Quebec, Canada
Brunswick #12 - New Brunswick, Canada
Crandon - Wisconsin, USA

The seminars, workshops and briefings were designed to provide an overview of the regional tectonic, geological and metallogenic setting of the regions and deposits visited. They also provided access to international experts and allowed networking with other professionals within the industry.

While the primary focus of the tour was geological, attention is also devoted to the mining, metallurgical and economic aspects of each operation.

All mine visits, seminars, workshops, surface and air travel and accommodation on tour were arranged by PGC for the AMF.

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