Processing, inversion, and multiattribute analysis of the Intrepid seismic line at the St. Ives gold camp, Western Australia

The application of seismic methods in mineral exploration has increased in recent years in Western Australia. However unlike such applications in sedimentary environments, seismic exploration in hard rock environments has proven, to date to be cumbersome. Difficulties commence with issues related to data acquisition including such factors as remote mine site locations, ruggedness of terrain, and environmental restrictions have resulted in seismic lines being misaligned with dominant geological structures. The regolith, which consists of altered, transported, and weathered material up to 150 meters thick, scatters seismic energy and produces variable time delays (static corrections) that could exceed 200 ms in some areas. Complex structures such as dyke intrusions, severe faulting and folding offer further challenges to applications of seismic methodologies. Lack of deep boreholes and a seldom use of sonic make interpretation of seismic data even more difficult.