Geostatistical study of the gold mineralization of the Nsour region. Reguibat shield, Northern Mauritania

Archean and Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Reguibat shied contain main potential Mauritania's mineral deposits. The western Archean terrane includes significant iron deposits in the Tiris and Tasiast gold deposits, while the eastern Birimian rocks have proved mining indices of gold and uranium. Located on the northeastern edge of the Reguibat shield,  the study area of NSOUR, and OUED EL MA prospects represent a complex shear zone of favorable gold mineralization. Through our drill cores and soil samples analysis, the gold mineralization is proved to be hosted within a series of nearly parallel, steeply dipping quartz veins. Our chemical and geophysical results demonstrate a set of indicators of important tonnage and grade of gold in the quartz veins. Results of chemical analyses obtained on all the analyzed samples show gold concentration between 0.33 to 2.12 g/m. Importantly, in the southern part of the prospect, 62% of the wells samples recorded an interception of at least one gram per tonne over more than one meter. Statistical evaluation of these data established large first-level zones delineating areas favorable to gold resources and important potential gold accumulation in these areas. Such first-level identifications nonetheless make it possible to roughly define the potential zones for orogenic gold deposits and encourage the continuation and the intensification of the works of exploration that favor discovery in these Precambrian rocks.