2.2.4 Geochemical Surveys

The use of chemical survey methods in Quebec dates from the mid 1960s. The Department of Natural Resources’ geological service began to systematically collect, in paper bags, samples of sediment from small rivers and streams encountered by geological teams.

Geochemical sample bag. Source

Geochemical sample descriptive card. Source

Handmade shovels for collecting geochemical samples. Source

At the end of the summer exploration campaigns, the small bags were sent to the Department’s laboratory for analysis.

In the early 1970s, the quantity of results was so great that they had to be processed by computer. It was also decided to use this method on a local and regional scale, for example, to search for uranium in the Lac Kipawa area (Témiscamingue region) or to locate new potential deposits in the Abitibi region, thus providing work for local unemployed miners.

While geochemical methods are neither as direct nor as effective as traditional sampling methods and geophysical surveys, they provide very useful complementary information. They allow mining companies to check for the presence and distribution of heavy metals near their deposits.

		Geochemistry kit.
	Source