A total of 20 outcrop/boulder samples were obtained by the Economic Environmental Geology Laboratory (EEGL) in the summers of 2022 and 2023. Surface samples were selected due to ease of sampling and lack of access to underground areas within these mine sites. The sample locations were taken from two historical mine sites, named the Pictou Mine and Anna Mine. These mine sites were chosen for their excellent preservation of alteration textures within outcrop. 

A total of 13 samples were collected from Pictou mine in 2022, and 7 samples from the Anna mine in 2023. 

Samples were selected based on their mineralogy, proximity to known mineralization, and alteration intensity. The target rock types of the samples are dunite, serpentinite, and listwanite.

Bulk elemental concentrations were measured using a Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t GOLDD+ portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyzer. Samples were analyzed in bench-top mode with the instrument secured in a test stand to ensure a fixed geometry and minimize user error. 

Each measurement was acquired for a total live time of 60 seconds. The analysis method used the "AllGeo" setting, which allows for the device to capture major, minor, and trace element abundances in parts per million (ppm) in geological materials. Repeat analyses were conducted to verify that the anomalous results represented genuine geochemical anomalies rather than analytical/user error. The instrument performed onboard spectral deconvolution and matrix corrections using the manufacturer’s algorithms. 

Quality control included repeated measurements of representative samples to monitor analytical stability; no external reference materials or post-acquisition drift corrections were applied. Reported concentrations are raw pXRF values (ppm) and were used for exploratory geochemical comparison rather than quantitative grade estimation.