Biography:
Cansu is an M.Sc. student with the Mineral Deposit Research Unit (MDRU) at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Shaun Barker. She previously gained a B.Sc. in geological engineering from Middle East Technical University in Türkiye in 2016 and has also worked for five years, both domestically and internationally, as a project geological engineer on alignment and slope stability projects. Cansu’s research focuses on investigating the potential for platinum group elements (PGEs), particularly palladium (Pd), within the Kwanika Cu-Au±Mo porphyry deposit in British Columbia’s North Central Region. Cansu also works as a graduate research assistant at the MDRU. Her graduate education is fully funded by the Ministry of National Education, Republic of Türkiye.
Project: Platinum Group Elements Deportment in the Kwanika Cu-Au±Mo Porphyry System, British Columbia
The Kwanika porphyry deposit lies along the western margin of the Quesnel island arc terrane. This research aims to determine the primary mineral(s) hosting Pd and Au and to identify associated ore or gangue mineralogy that may influence metallurgical deportment. Additionally, it investigates geological factors controlling the precipitation of Pd and Au in the Kwanika porphyry deposit. The study specifically focuses on examining Pd deportment in the Central Zone, South Zone, and nearby ultramafic rocks through mineralogical characterization, whole-rock lithogeochemistry, and heavy mineral separation methods to determine where Pd resides. This research contributes to an expanding library of Pd deportment studies in porphyry Cu-Au deposits in the northern Canadian Cordillera by providing a comprehensive understanding of Pd deportment. It also contributes to identifying new potential sources in BC for PGEs, which are included in Canada’s critical minerals list.
