The Platinova Reef of the Skaergaard intrusion

During the 1980's, Paleogene gabbro intrusions in East Greenland became the targets of platinum group element (PGE) and gold (Au) exploration by Platinova Resources Ltd. This interest was fuelled by an increasing demand for PGE in auto catalysts. At the same time, new petrogenetic models fo r PGE deposits were
developed leading to a better understanding of their geochemical fractionation in mafic intrusions (cf. Boudreau et al . 1986, Naldrett et al . 1987). The subsequent focus of interest was voluminous intrusions with documented episodes of magma replenishment. Such intrusions were assumed potentially to have undergone mineralization analogous to the world-class PGE deposits in the
Bushveld and Stillwater complexes. On East Greenland, the primary target was the 49.4±0.2 to 47.3±0.3 Ma old (Nevle et al. 1994, Tegner et al 1998, respectively) and 400 km2 Kap Edvard Holm complex (Bernstein et al. 1992). During reconnaissance trips in 1986 and 1987, Platinova Resources Ltd. located zones with elevated concentrations of PGE and Au in most Paleogene East Greenland gabbro intrusions ( e.g., Arnason 1995, Nielsen 2002). Of these, the Platinova reef in the 70 km 2 Skaergaard intrusion remains the only major, possibly economic, deposit located to date (Andersen et al. 1998).