Discovery of the Nalunaq Gold Deposit,Kirkespirdalen, SW Greenland

Results of mineral exploration of the first major gold deposit discovered in far southwestern Greenland are presented. An 800-m-long quartz Main Vein, containing abundant visible gold, was discovered in August 1992 and sampled at 20-m intervals. Geologic mapping and geophysical surveys were under way in 1993 to locate the sources of the deposit, to explore along the trend of the Main Vein (where mineralized extensions are expected to exist), and to determine the pattern of a nearby high-angle fault. Gold is distributed irregularly in discrete domains of the Main Vein and in smaller veins within its hanging wall. The main gold occurrences are found in granulated crush zones, with fine-grained irregular quartz grains within a much coarser-grained matrix. Other than gold there are very few minerals, the most important being lollingite.

Microscopic examination of gravity concentrations during metallurgical testing revealed that free gold varies in size from 5-380 microns. Good recovery appears probable through a combination of gravity and cyanidization methods. A concluding section outlines favorable prospects for the discovery of additional Au-mineralized zones in the Nanortalik area and outlines factors supporting a favorable prognosis for development of an operating mine at the site. It also outlines the program of exploratory drilling conducted in 1993.