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The Harz Mountains region is located in two (2) states, Niedersachsen (Westharz licence) and Sachsen Anhalt (Eastharz licence), central Germany.
Harz Minerals GmbH (HM), a fully owned subsidiary of Scandinavian Highlands Holding A/S, has obtained an exploration licence for a large part of the Harz Mountains covering c. 1250 km2. This region has been known for more than two millennia for its lead, zinc and copper mineralisations.
The Harz Mountains form an uplifted massif of Paleozoic rocks of the Variscan belt that transects much of Europe. The Harz Mountains have a long history of mining, and contain several large mineralisations, including wide-spread vein type mineralisations e.g., Clausthal-Zellerfeld lead-zinc mines, the Rammelsberg massive sulphide deposit (SEDEX) and the Elbingerode massive pyrite deposit (volcanic hosted exhalative mineralisation). Al three deposits are included in the Harz Minerals GmbH concession area.
The TEM survey of the middle Devonian Goslar Basin in the west Harz, resulted in the discovery of a set of strong anomalies with tops at c. 100 m depth, occurring two kilometres west of the famous, historic Rammelsberg mine. The Rammelsberg mineralisation is a world class massive sulphide deposit with over 25% Pb+Zn+Cu, occurring in Middle Devonian shales.
The main northern anomaly, comprised by a series of anomalies, collectively named the Gosetal anomaly, is separated from a smaller southern one by an extensive oblique-normal fault system. The anomaly footprint area has a strike length of up to 1 km, with two large satellite anomalies of c. 500 m and 300 m in length to the northeast and south. Previous exploration drilling and mine galleries have not penetrated the anomaly. Preliminary 3D Maxwell modelling of the geophysical data indicate the existence of a cluster of smaller conductors, in accordance with the intense folding of the rocks in this particular area.
The Gosetal anomaly, which follows the sedimentary bedding, occurs in the same stratigraphic position as the Rammelsberg deposit. The present position of the Gosetal anomaly would fit approximately with a fold limb between a syncline-anticline pair in the same stratigraphic horizon which carries the ore at the Rammelsberg mine (Lager Horizont, or ore-equivalent horizon). Similar to the Rammelsberg deposit, the Gosetal anomaly lies near the E−W striking southern shelf edge. Furthermore, there is evidence for an extensional fault, causing some mineralisation, at the present location of the Gosetal.
The Harz Mountains are also known for their extensive vein type base metal mineralisations, mainly in the Carboniferous strata. A prominent example is the now closed Bad Grund lead-zinc mine. Another target is the Middle Devonian Elbingerode complex in the East Harz, a large volcanic hosted exhalative pyrite mineralisation in the top of a keratophyre, capped by a limestone reef. More regionally, the limestone caped thin iron-oxide deposits have been mined for many centuries. The pyrite deposit was mined in DDR times. Perspectively, the Middle Devonian shales in the East Harz that are correlated with those hosting the Rammelsberg mineralisation are generally under-explored.
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