Comprehensive geogas anomalies in the Hongling area of Hami, Xinjiang: Characteristics and implications for prospecting

In recent years, several pegmatite veins have been discovered in the Hongling area of Hami, Xinjiang, suggesting a promising prospect for pegmatite-type rare metal deposits. In this study, two long profiles crossing the main pegmatite veins were deployed in the area, and the integrated geogas prospecting technology was applied to evaluate the ore-bearing properties of the main pegmatite veins. Rapid soil X-ray fluorescence measurements performed by a handheld X-ray fluorescence instrument were used to evaluate the ore-bearing properties of the top or exposed parts of the pegmatite veins. The dynamic geogas prospecting method was employed to obtain the deep mineralization information of the pegmatite veins for evaluating their deep ore-bearing properties. The results show that many pegmatite veins in the Hongling area exhibit mineralization manifestations on their surfaces and in deep parts. Therefore, they are worthy of further prospecting work.