Statistical Investigation of the Relationship between Gold and Associate Minerals: A case Study of Kagara Area of Niger State Nigeria Soil (Published)
In the Kagara region of Niger State, north-central Nigeria, an investigation was conducted into the gold occurrence and availability of other economic-benefit associate minerals. 39 samples from the study area were subjected to fire assay analysis and multi-element analysis to determine the gold and other mineral recovery in the case study formation. Statistical examination Methods of Pearson correlation and R-mode varimax rotated factor analysis were used to interpret the results. The analysis revealed that the recovered gold (Au) had a grade between 0.01g per tonne and 0.19g per tonne. Li was also identified as the associate mineral with the lowest quantity, with a range of 1-20% and a mean value of 8.49%, whereas Manganes displayed some skewness with a minimum value of 156 and a maximum value of 3080 ppm. According to the Pearson correlation analysis, Lithium and Magnesium have a moderately positive correlation, indicating that they come from the same source. In addition, Mo and Ni have a strong positive correlation whereas Au and Na have a weak positive correlation. The factor analysis performed on the gold and associated mineral occurrences revealed that the deposit had been significantly altered by both environmental and mineralization factors in the study area’s soil. Importantly, the study demonstrates that an associated mineral with gold has substantial economic value. Considering the capital and operating costs required for the exploration and exploitation of gold-bearing soil and rock, it has been determined that the refining of other associate minerals to improve the cost-benefit ratio is highly advantageous.
Keywords: Factor analysis, Nigeria, gold occurrence, mineral economics, soil geochemical data, statistical analysis