Development of 3-D seismic exploration technology for deep nickel-copper deposits - A case history from the Sudbury basin, Canada

Following extensive petrophysical studies and presite surveys, the Trill area of the Sudbury basin was selected for conducting the first 3-D seismic survey for mineral exploration in North America. The 3-D seismic experiment confirms that in a geological setting such as the Sudbury Igneous Complex, massive sulfide bodies cause a characteristic seismic scattering response. This provides an excellent basis for the direct detection of massive sulfides by seismic methods. The feasibility study suggests that high-resolution seismic methods offer a large detection radius in the order of hundreds to thousands of meters, together with accurate depth estimates.