Drill Core Analysis Using XRF Unlocks Value Faster

Rupert Geologist Manuel Naveiras Villamea explains how the Vanta XRF analyzer is used on the drill core being generated from six rigs turning on their land package as of February 2022.

Six operating rigs result in a lot of meters that require logging, sampling, and lab analysis of samples. The Vanta XRF analyzer is used to obtain quick information from the rocks to help in daily interpretation and logging of drill core. Lab turnaround time in 2022 is at best several weeks but generally several months. In comparison, the pXRF data generated by the Vanta analyzer provides informed geological interpretation in a fraction of the time.

For Rupert’s geologists, the Vanta XRF analyzer mostly helps them understand the protolith of the rocks being logged. This can be difficult to do visually due to deformation and hydrothermal alteration. By measuring elemental chemistry on drill core using the Vanta analyzer, geologists at Rupert can identify many things in seconds that could otherwise take months with lab analysis. Among other applications, the geologists are using zirconium (Zr) and magnesium (Mg) as reported by the Vanta analyzer to inform of the rock’s sedimentary or ultramafic origins.