Gold single-grain microCT scanning: operational constraints and first results in Brazilian alluvial grains

ABSTRACT The present work sought to investigate the applicability of the microCT scanning beyond petrophysics in oil and gas industry. We analysed external features (morphology) with all their nuances, and internal features such as mineral inclusions and vugs, in micrometric alluvial gold grains from one of the largest rivers in Southeastern Brazil. Owing to the complicated X-ray interactions with any metallic material, mainly gold, several imaging protocols were used until obtaining the most appropriate one. The results corroborate that microCT scanning can be a useful tool in provenance studies of detrital gold grains, even in an adverse analytical context and with small gold grain populations.