very interesting, page-16

Hello Bigjig,

You post great conversation and I congratulate you. Your question is not at all daft. To answer your question without making a thesis out of it. You are on the right track.

1 Yes, to your first question, I suspect so and if you want to read on after I answer your questions you may agree with my suspicion.

2 It probably is emanating from the porphyry system which is acting as the source.

3 It probably is and depending what events took place in structural preparation and the dynamics of the porphyry, there might be several more of these veins. It does not mean that they will all be mineralised or contain economic grades. The porphyry itself is low grade but albeit is mineralised

In geological parlance the deep porphyry is possibly responsible in assisting in the genesis / source of most of the mineralisation in the region. These deep seated bodies/magmas are the heat engines if you like of all these igneous systems. Imagine them as a big viscous soup cauldron (like a Minestrone) with all the ingredients bubbling away in a pressure cooker. Only in this case the pressure is applied from the weight of the overlying sediments and the dynamic events of the porphyry at depth. These sediments will fracture periodically and some of the juices/fluids from the porphyry will wend their way to less pressurised levels towards the surface and will start to consolidate from jelly like fluids and gaseous material to solids. (Typically the quartz veins were probably formed in this case.)As pressure is released,other elements migrate through the cracks and openings in fluid or gaseous forms. These ultimately consolidate as veinlets or as solid precipitations referred to as disseminated mineralisation (salt and Pepper.)It is possible that this is how the gold mineralisation was put initially precipitated. As elements of the cauldron are released, other elements become enriched in the soup and as the cauldron cools in time they consolidate and other minerals are formed things such as copper, lead zinc etc etc probably accumulate in this manner.{There are many other ways of economic minerals accumilation. This is one of them}

Alteration of the host rocks and minerals takes place as remnant solutions/fluid and brines flow by convection as the heat engine cools. Many of these fluids are from magma waters and or ground water from rain/meteoric water which ultimately finds its way through to the depths of these heat engines.these fluids dissolve many elements and salts in the rocks, form new minerals and clays and permeate through the peripheral orebodies that were formed earlier.These brines are hot, acidic or alkaline and have the tendency to change/ alter the morphology, or form new minerals in the rocks they permeate. The degrees and types of alteration therefore are used by geologists to zero in on orebodies and are particularly important in the exploration of porphyry copper deposits and epithermal gold mineralisation.

Bigjig, I certainly hope I have not run off at the mouth too much and if I have I apologise. Much of what I have written should be edited, statements reworded and some sentences explained in more detail. I'm sure some of my professors would shoot me down in flames for cramming so much and possibly confusing many readers. I imagine most of them are no longer with us, but I will accept criticism if it will clarify or elaborate on points I've made.

I apologise to readers who are confused. I only meant this to convey the gist of what may be happening on the ABM field. I certainly wish all of you every success with your investment. These deposits I believe are second to none and I believe that the region will yield some magnificent orebodies with time and in years to come. I hope that market raiders don't destroy ABM and all that the excellent management have accomplished todate.

Cheers,

Helmenesh