The Boyongan and Bayugo porphyry Cu-Au deposits formed during the Late Pliocene in a convergent margin setting in northern Surigao, Mindanao, Philippines. Magmatic-hydrothermal activity occurred episodically over a few hundred thousand years in a dynamic geological environment. After magmatic-hydrothermal activity ceased, the deposits underwent extremely rapid uplift, resulting in deep erosion of the Boyongan deposit and development of a 500m+ thick supergene enrichment profile. The deposits were then buried under a lake, and also for a brief period under the ocean, before being further buried beneath a recent, unrelated, terrestrial volcano. These changes in the local environment at Boyongan and Bayugo illustrate how rapidly geodynamic settings can evolve in oceanic island arc settings. Exploration for porphyry deposits in such settings therefore needs to consider whether conditions were favourable for the preservation of porphyry deposits, or if they were likely to cause continued rapid exhumation and erosion, resulting in orebody destruction.
This lecture forms part of a series of 2018 Haddon Forrester King Medal lectures being given by the 2018 Medal recipient Professor David Cooke and which will also be detailed on the events pages of this website as dates and times are confirmed.
The Haddon Forrester King Medal and lecture is one of the Australian Academy of Science’s prestigious career awards for life-long achievement and outstanding contribution to science.
The award recognises the contributions of the late Haddon Forrester King whose work applied the geological and related sciences to the search for mineral deposits in Australia and elsewhere. Haddon King joined Zinc Corporation as its Chief Geologist in 1946, became Director of Exploration for the merged Conzinc Rio Tinto of Australia (CRA) in 1962 and continued in this capacity until his retirement in 1970. He was a consultant at CRA until 1986.
The award is made to scientists for original and sustained contributions to Earth and related sciences of particular relevance to the discovery, evaluation and exploitation of mineral deposits, including the hydrocarbons. The award includes a $3000 honorarium and up to $7000 towards a short lecture tour.
The Academy acknowledges the support of family and friends of Haddon King, and CRA Limited (now Rio Tinto).
ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits
University of Tasmania
Professor David Cooke’s main research theme is the geological, chemical and fluid processes that produce the world’s major copper–gold deposits, known as ‘porphyry copper deposits’. His recent research has focused on documenting changes in the chemistry of minerals surrounding these magmatic copper–gold deposits. Particular minerals retain trace elements in relative abundances which vary in patterns set by the temperature gradient and wall rock compositions. Systematic, rapid sampling of a prospective area can define mineral chemical vector techniques that companies can employ to assist targeting of drill holes designed to discover deeply buried deposits.
The importance of this work has been recognised by many companies that now employ the techniques as a routine procedure in exploration for magmatic copper–gold deposits. Professor Cooke’s other significant contribution has been the mentoring of a large number of PhD students who have gone on to fill important geoscience roles in many mineral exploration companies worldwide.
More information on this seminar
The Boyongan and Bayugo porphyry Cu-Au deposits formed during the Late Pliocene in a convergent margin setting in northern Surigao, Mindanao, Philippines. Magmatic-hydrothermal activity occurred episodically over a few hundred thousand years in a dynamic geological environment. After magmatic-hydrothermal activity ceased, the deposits underwent extremely rapid uplift, resulting in deep erosion of the Boyongan deposit and development of a 500m+ thick supergene enrichment profile. The deposits were then buried under a lake, and also for a brief period under the ocean, before being further buried beneath a recent, unrelated, terrestrial volcano. These changes in the local environment at Boyongan and Bayugo illustrate how rapidly geodynamic settings can evolve in oceanic island arc settings. Exploration for porphyry deposits in such settings therefore needs to consider whether conditions were favourable for the preservation of porphyry deposits, or if they were likely to cause continued rapid exhumation and erosion, resulting in orebody destruction.
This lecture forms part of a series of 2018 Haddon Forrester King Medal lectures being given by the 2018 Medal recipient Professor David Cooke and which will also be detailed on the events pages of this website as dates and times are confirmed.
The Haddon Forrester King Medal and lecture is one of the Australian Academy of Science’s prestigious career awards for life-long achievement and outstanding contribution to science.
The award recognises the contributions of the late Haddon Forrester King whose work applied the geological and related sciences to the search for mineral deposits in Australia and elsewhere. Haddon King joined Zinc Corporation as its Chief Geologist in 1946, became Director of Exploration for the merged Conzinc Rio Tinto of Australia (CRA) in 1962 and continued in this capacity until his retirement in 1970. He was a consultant at CRA until 1986.
The award is made to scientists for original and sustained contributions to Earth and related sciences of particular relevance to the discovery, evaluation and exploitation of mineral deposits, including the hydrocarbons. The award includes a $3000 honorarium and up to $7000 towards a short lecture tour.
The Academy acknowledges the support of family and friends of Haddon King, and CRA Limited (now Rio Tinto).
ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits
University of Tasmania
Professor David Cooke’s main research theme is the geological, chemical and fluid processes that produce the world’s major copper–gold deposits, known as ‘porphyry copper deposits’. His recent research has focused on documenting changes in the chemistry of minerals surrounding these magmatic copper–gold deposits. Particular minerals retain trace elements in relative abundances which vary in patterns set by the temperature gradient and wall rock compositions. Systematic, rapid sampling of a prospective area can define mineral chemical vector techniques that companies can employ to assist targeting of drill holes designed to discover deeply buried deposits.
The importance of this work has been recognised by many companies that now employ the techniques as a routine procedure in exploration for magmatic copper–gold deposits. Professor Cooke’s other significant contribution has been the mentoring of a large number of PhD students who have gone on to fill important geoscience roles in many mineral exploration companies worldwide.
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