Abstract Structural data is vital for the understanding of the geometry and evolution of a deposit and feeds into geologic, structural, resource, and geotechnical models. Accurate models are critical for targeting, resource estimation, and geotechnical design and, if rapidly available, support real-time decisions on drilling and grade control. Structural drill core data add a high-resolution data set to traditional data from mapping or the structural interpretation of remote sensing and geophysical data and, therefore, add indispensable information to any integrated model. In this paper we propose standardized workflows for data collection, review technological advances and quality control processes accelerating structural data collection from both oriented drill core and televiewer techniques, and provide an overview of structures that may be observed in drill core and discuss their significance to record for the geometry of the deposit. Critical to the data collection process is an interpretative process that recognizes and identifies domain-based structures that ultimately are fundamental to developing 3-D structural models.

Abstract The Money Knob deposit is a major new, bulk-tonnage, gold discovery located 110 km northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska, within the Tintina gold belt. The deposit was discovered in 2007 and by the end of 2009 contained a combined indicated and inferred resource of 389 metric tons (t) of gold at a grade of 0.85 g/t gold using a 0.5 g/t gold cutoff grade. Gold mineralization is hosted within a fold and thrust sequence of Cambrian and Devonian rocks intruded by 90 Ma dikes and sills, which are contemporaneous with the main-stage gold event. Gold mineralization occurs as shallowly dipping, east-west–trending, tabular bodies within permeable sedimentary and volcanic rocks, with higher grade zones related to north-northwest–trending crosscutting structural zones. The discovery of the Money Knob deposit evolved from a series of exploration programs conducted by eight different companies during a 30-year-long period. An examination of the successes and failures during the exploration history outlines three key concepts that were important in the discovery: (1) the need to operate with multiple, working exploration models that are driven by high-quality data and observations; (2) recognition that large mineral systems are rare and should be fully evaluated in light of potential long-term changes in commodity price, technology, and deposit characteristics; and (3) successful exploration requires a champion and a talented team with vision and perseverance.