Geochemical Characterization of Historical Drill Core Throughout Nova Scotia

Abstract

Nova Scotia has been a historical producer of several critical minerals and has the potential to contribute to Canada’s supply of critical minerals. Through the Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data Initiative (CMGD), supported by Natural Resources Canada through the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), the Geological Survey Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources has received funding to analyze drill core from throughout the province. This funding provides the opportunity to identify potential critical mineral prospects that were either overlooked in the past due to lack of economic interest or were not analyzed for the critical minerals of importance today. This geochemical characterization project will enhance the Nova Scotia Mineral Occurrence Database to better assess the critical mineral potential in the province and expand and enhance publicly available geochemical data across Nova Scotia to better support the mineral exploration industry.

Six hundred sixty-seven (667) samples taken from core from 99 drillholes held at the Stellarton Core Library were chosen for geochemical characterization to enhance the data presented in historical drilling records around known mineral occurrences of Nova Scotia. This was done with an emphasis on modernizing some of the province’s drillhole geochemical data and with a focus on highlighting previously unidentified critical minerals that may not have been analyzed by past operators and explorers at that time. Samples were selected to represent diverse geological environments for various mineral deposits found in Nova Scotia.