GROUNDWATER CHEMISTRY – EXPLORATION’S LEADING EDGE

Exploration in Nevada is complicated by the fact that half of the state is comprised of large, gravel-filled valleys where potential gold mineralization is hidden beneath the gravel. Traditional exploration methods do not work well in these covered bedrock settings, and as such, almost all of Nevada's gold deposits (+85%) have been found in the exposed mountain ranges. There is an equivalent amount of gold to be discovered beneath the gravels in Nevada’s valleys, but these discoveries await the introduction of new exploration technology that can see beneath the gravel cover.

Recognizing the need for improved exploration technology, management has spent 8 years and nearly $2,000,000 to develop a unique and proprietary exploration technology to test directly for gold beneath the gravels in Nevada’s valleys – this technology examines a medium that until now, the industry has ignored: groundwater.

Gold deposits impart gold and other trace metals into the surrounding groundwater. NGE has developed a proprietary groundwater chemistry database to analyze the groundwater surrounding 34 of Nevada’s gold deposits and has proved that the chemical signature of a gold deposit can be recognized, measured, and traced back to its source. NGE is now using this proprietary understanding of gold deposit groundwater chemistry to evaluate new areas of exploration interest across Nevada.

Whereas the rest of the exploration community are limited to spending millions to acquire land, complete geochemical surveys, and run drill programs across Nevada’s vast prospective, but covered areas, NGE is using groundwater chemistry to evaluate these areas quickly and cheaply, and to focus exploration resources on targets that contain direct indications of gold in groundwater.

After three years of sampling, NGE has collected over 3,000 groundwater samples from Nevada’s major gold trends and has identified 33 highly prospective targets with direct indications of gold in groundwater. NGE has acquired the mineral rights on many of these targets and is in the process of acquiring several more.

Click to view references to scientific papers on water chemistry.

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