SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA /Marketwire/ -- AIM Resources Ltd. is pleased to announce it has engaged Canadian-based firm Geotech Airborne Ltd. to conduct a helicopter-borne geophysical survey over the Perkoa mine lease and surrounding exploration tenements in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey is scheduled to commence in mid-February, using a geophysical system known as Versatile Time-Domain Electro Magnetics (VTEM).
It is proposed that Geotech will fly a series of lines totaling 3531 meters. Flight lines will be spaced at 100-meter intervals and positioned using a GPS device to accurately locate the proposed flight paths.
The VTEM system is one of the leading airborne geophysical systems in use today and is particularly suited to identifying deeply buried, conductive ore bodies similar to the volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit at Perkoa. The VTEM system is renowned for its deep penetration, high spatial resolution, and ability to detect and differentiate weak electromagnetic anomalies at depths up to 800 meters.
The company has the benefit of initially flying the survey over known mineralization at Perkoa, enabling it to determine the particular signature of the mineralized zone and extrapolating this response to other areas within its exploration leases. This has advantages because VMS deposits tend to occur in pods or clusters, and the company is eager to add further resources to the Perkoa operation.
"It is a particularly good time to conduct the survey as we have the benefit of known zinc mineralization at Perkoa, and mine construction has only just begun, so the influence from machinery and infrastructure will be minimal" said Bill Cash, AIM Resources' Managing Director.
About VTEM
Airborne VTEM surveys use a helicopter, which suspends a high-resolution cesium magnetometer from its cargo hook. The magnetometer is described as a 26-meter transmission coil or loop, which is suspended beneath the helicopter in a tent shaped array. The inner part of the array contains a smaller diameter receiving coil, which measures the period of time it takes for an induced electromagnetic field to dissipate through the ground, using the principal that highly conductive rocks, such as those containing metals, would hold an electric charge for a longer period.
A current is transmitted through the coil, which energizes the ground, creating an electromagnetic field. When the induced current is stopped, sensors on the coil record the time delay for this induced electromagnetic field to disperse. The VTEM system has the ability to generate readings at a rate of 10 samples per second, which are recorded digitally with a GPS log and radar altimeter for accurate navigation.
The VTEM system produces data that is then translated onto maps, which shows regions of conductivity in the earth and EM profiles. The proposed flight paths will be orientated to suit the overall geological trend, and line spacing was designed to ensure maximum coverage.
The company will release further news as results become available.