The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Metal Mining Agency of Japan (MMAJ) have been conducting since 1995 a mineral exploration project in the Batinah Coast area, Sultanate of Oman. During this project, three concealed ore bodies were discovered in Ghuzayn, with a total ore reserve of 14 million tons averaging 1.6 % copper.
Based on the survey results obtained during the project, following exploration indicators has been established: (a) massive sulphide deposits show stratigraphic control, (b) the alteration associated with mineralization consists of silicification, chloritization(Mg-rich chlorite) and epidotization, (c) the generation of massive sulphide deposits is closely related to faults, and (d) massive sulphide ore grades laterally into metalliferous sediments.
Since this area is widely covered by Quaternary sediments, the features of mineralization can be rarely seen on the surface and for this reason, the exploration work can be more effective if the following steps are taken into account: (1) select potential areas by geological and airborne geophysical surveys to extract mineralized features along the horizon which may bear massive sulphide ore bodies, (2) delineate the zones of high potentiality in more detail by appropriate ground geophysical methods such as IP method to clarify the mineralized zones and subsequently, TEM method to extract possible ore bodies from the mineralized zones, and (3) carry out a suitable exploratory drilling program to confirm the results.