Statistical evaluation of stream sediment geochemical data from Tchangue-Bikoui drainage system, Southern Cameroon: a regional perspective

Abstract

Stream sediments play a significant role in geochemical exploration by identifying possible sources of anomalous element concentration. In this study, we use a multi-element association analysis to investigate the concentration of gold and associated elements in stream sediment samples from the Tchangue-Bikoui drainage area, Southern Cameroon. The main river and its tributaries were sampled, panned for gold grain recovery and the 100 μm size fractions analyzed for Au and associated elements by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). A total of 50 samples were collected defining an area of ~145 km2 and 20 samples selected for geochemical analysis for a suite of 20 elements. Gold grades estimated by the panning and weighing technique rarely exceed 0.45 g/t and generally erratic while the Au concentrations from chemical analysis range from 0.01ppb to 4.00ppb. R-mode factor analysis produced a five-factor model accounting for 62.4% of the total variance. The Ni-Au-V-Sr association indicated gold mineralization while the others reflect lithologic control. Mo-Cr-Hg-Ag-As-Zr and Pb-Cu show no spatial relationship to Au and point to a typical primary mesothermal sulphide mineralization in the area which can be further investigated. Anomalous gold concentrations clustered mostly in the southeastern part downstream of River Tchangue defining a potential primary gold target.