Characteristics of the Cibaliung Gold Deposit: Miocene Low-Sulfidation-Type Epithermal Gold Deposit in Western Java, Indonesia

Middle Miocene (11.18–10.65 Ma) low sulfidation‐type epithermal gold mineralization occurred in the Cibaliung area, southwestern part of Java Island, Indonesia. It is hosted by andesitic to basaltic andesitic lavas of the Middle Miocene Honje Formation (11.4 Ma) and is covered by Pliocene Cibaliung tuff (4.9 Ma). The exploration estimates mineral resource of approximately 1.3 million tonnes at 10.42 g/t gold and 60.7 g/t silver at a 3 g/t Au cut‐off. This equates to approximately 435,000 ounces of gold and 2.54 million ounces of silver. That resource resulted from two ore shoots: Cibitung and Cikoneng. Studies on ore mineralogy, hydrothermal alteration, geology, fluid inclusion, stable isotopes and age dating were conducted in order to characterize the deposit and to understand a possible mechanism of preservation of the deposit. The ore mineral assemblage of the deposit consists of electrum, naumannite, Ag‐Se‐Te sulfide minerals, chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite and galena. Those ore minerals occur in quartz veins showing colloform–crustiform texture. They are enveloped by mixed layer clay illite/smectite zone, which grades into smectite zone outward. The temperature of mineralization revealed by fluid inclusion study on quartz in the veins ranges from 170 and 220°C at shallow and deep level, respectively. The temperature range is in agreement with the temperature deduced from the hydrothermal alteration mineral assemblage including mixed layered illite/smectite and laumontite. The mineralizing fluid is dilute, with a salinity <1 wt% NaCl equivalent and has stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen composition indicating a meteoric water origin. Although the deposit is old enough that it would have been eroded in a tropical island arc setting, the coverage by younger volcanic deposits such as the Citeluk tuff and the Cibaliung tuff most probably prevented this erosion.     

Characteristics of Triassic epithermal Au mineralization at the Q prospect,Chatree mining area,Central Thailand

The Chatree deposit is located in the Loei‐Phetchabun‐Nakhon Nayok volcanic belt that extends from Laos in the north through central and eastern Thailand into Cambodia. Gold‐bearing quartz veins at the Q prospect of the Chatree deposit are hosted within polymictic andesitic breccia and volcanic sedimentary breccia. The orebodies of the Chatree deposit consist of veins, veinlets and stockwork. Gold‐bearing quartz veins are composed mainly of quartz, calcite and illite with small amounts of adularia, chlorite and sulfide minerals. The gold‐bearing quartz veins were divided into five stages based on the cross‐cutting relationship and mineral assemblage. Intense gold mineralization occurred in Stages I and IV. The mineral assemblage of Stages I and IV is characterized by quartz–calcite–illite–laumontite–adularia–chlorite–sulfide minerals and electrum. Quartz textures of Stages I and IV are also characterized by microcrystalline and flamboyant textures, respectively. Coexistence of laumontite, illite and chlorite in the gold‐bearing quartz vein of Stage IV suggests that the gold‐bearing quartz veins were formed at approximately 200°C. The flamboyant and brecciated textures of the gold‐bearing quartz vein of Stage IV suggest that gold precipitated with silica minerals from a hydrothermal solution that was supersaturated by boiling. The δ¹⁸O values of quartz in Stages I to V range from +10.4 to +11.6‰ except for the δ¹⁸O value of quartz in Stage IV (+15.0‰). The increase in δ¹⁸O values of quartz at Stage IV is explained by boiling. P_H2O is estimated to be 16 bars at 200°C. The f_CO2 value is estimated to be 1 bar based on the presence of calcite in the mineral assemblage of Stage IV. The total pressure of the hydrothermal solution is approximately 20 bars at 200°C, suggesting that the gold‐bearing quartz veins of the Q prospect formed about 200 m below the paleosurface.     

The Arinem Te‐Bearing Gold‐Silver‐Base Metal Deposit,West Java,Indonesia

The vein system in the Arinem area is a gold‐silver‐base metal deposit of Late Miocene (8.8–9.4 Ma) age located in the southwestern part of Java Island, Indonesia. The mineralization in the area is represented by the Arinem vein with a total length of about 5900 m, with a vertical extent up to 575 m, with other associated veins such as Bantarhuni and Halimun. The Arinem vein is hosted by andesitic tuff, breccia, and lava of the Oligocene–Middle Miocene Jampang Formation (23–11.6 Ma) and overlain unconformably by Pliocene–Pleistocene volcanic rocks composed of andesitic‐basaltic tuff, tuff breccia and lavas. The inferred reserve is approximately 2 million tons at 5.7 g t^?1 gold and 41.5 g t^?1 silver at a cut‐off of 4 g t^?1 Au, which equates to approximately 12.5t of Au and 91.4t of Ag. The ore mineral assemblage of the Arinem vein consists of sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrite, marcasite, and arsenopyrite with small amounts of pyrrhotite, argentite, electrum, bornite, hessite, tetradymite, altaite, petzite, stutzite, hematite, enargite, tennantite, chalcocite, and covellite. These ore minerals occur in quartz with colloform, crustiform, comb, vuggy, massive, brecciated, bladed and calcedonic textures and sulfide veins. A pervasive quartz–illite–pyrite alteration zone encloses the quartz and sulfide veins and is associated with veinlets of quartz–calcite–pyrite. This alteration zone is enveloped by smectite–illite–kaolinite–quartz–pyrite alteration, which grades into a chlorite–smectite–kaolinite–calcite–pyrite zone. Early stage mineralization (stage I) of vuggy–massive–banded crystalline quartz‐sulfide was followed by middle stage (stage II) of banded–brecciated–massive sulfide‐quartz and then by last stage (stage III) of massive‐crystalline barren quartz. The temperature of the mineralization, estimated from fluid inclusion microthermometry in quartz ranges from 157 to 325°C, whereas the temperatures indicated by fluid inclusions from sphalerite and calcite range from 153 to 218 and 140 to 217°C, respectively. The mineralizing fluid is dilute, with a salinity <4.3 wt% NaCl equiv. The ore‐mineral assemblage and paragenesis of the Arinem vein is characteristically of a low sulfidation epithermal system with indication of high sulfidation overprinted at stage II. Boiling is probably the main control for the gold solubility and precipitation of gold occurred during cooling in stage I mineralization.     

Mineralogical and Geochemical Characteristics of the Utanobori Gold Deposit in Northern Hokkaido,Japan

The Utanobori gold deposit is a low‐sulfidation, epithermal vein‐type deposit located in northern Hokkaido, Japan. The deposit is hosted by conglomerate, sandstone, and tuff of the Middle to Late Miocene Esashi Formation. These rocks were hydrothermally altered. Silica sinters and quartz‐adularia veins are common in the deposit. The quartz‐adularia veins either contain a ginguro band, which corresponds to the main gold‐bearing vein (Type 1 Veins), or do not contain a ginguro band but contain minor adularia (Type 2 Veins). Type 1 Veins are divided into three stages with 12–14 substages. Ore minerals identified include electrum, naumannite, chlorargyrite, bromargyrite, an unidentified Fe‐Sb mineral, and an Fe‐(Sb)‐As mineral. These ore minerals formed in the main mineralization stages I (bands I‐b and I‐d) and II (band II‐a). Scanning electron microscopy with cathodoluminescence images show that cathodoluminescence‐dark microcrystalline quartz exhibiting colloform (ghost‐sphere) texture is closely associated with ore minerals in the Type 1 Vein and Type 2 Vein, and the Al and K contents of such quartz are commonly >1000 ppm. This indicates that the ore minerals were crystallized from alkaline, silica‐saturated fluids at temperatures <200°C, which initially deposited amorphous silica that was recrystallized to microcrystalline quartz. The average Au content of electrum is 52.5 at% Au (n = 10), 65.7 at% Au (n = 20), and 55.5 at% Au (n = 5) in bands I‐b, I‐d, and II‐a, respectively, of Type 1 Veins. The δ³⁴S_CDT values of two fine‐grained disseminated pyrites in the altered conglomerate and bedded tuff in the argillic altered zone are ?4.3 and ?4.2‰. Ar‐Ar dating on adularia yielded 13.6 ± 0.06 Ma, 13.6 ± 0.07 Ma, and 13.6 ± 0.06 Ma for the stages I, II, and III of the Type 1 Vein, respectively. K‐Ar ages determined on adularia in the silica sinter and on whole‐rock of glassy rhyolite of the Esashi Formation are 15.0 ± 0.4 Ma and 14.6 ± 0.4 Ma, respectively. These radiometric ages indicate that silica sinter associated with the rhyolitic volcanic rocks formed prior to the main gold mineralization.     

Characteristics of Gold Mineralization at the Ciurug Vein, Pongkor Gold-Silver Deposit, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. The Pongkor Gold‐Silver Mine, Bogor district, West Java, is approximately 80 km southwest of Jakarta. The gold and silver mineralization in the area is present in a deposit consisting of an epithermal vein‐system named individually as the Pasir Jawa, Gudang Handak, Ciguha, Pamoyanan, Kubang Cicau, and Ciurug veins. In the area studied, rocks of basaltic‐andesitic composition are dominated by volcanic breccia and lapilli tuff, with andesite lava and siltstone present locally. The hydrothermal alteration minerals in the Ciurug area are typical of those formed from acid to near‐neutral pH thermal waters, where the acid alteration is distributed from the surface to shallow depth, while the near‐neutral pH alteration becomes dominant at depths. The Ciurug vein shows four main mineralization stages where each discrete stage is characterized by a specific facies; these are, from early to late: carbonate‐quartz, manganese carbonate‐quartz, banded‐massive quartz and gray sulfide‐quartz facies. The major metallic minerals are pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena; they occur in almost each mineralization stage. Bornite was observed only in the southern part of the Ciurug vein at a depth of 515 m, and the occurrence of this mineral is reported here for the first time. Electrum and silver sulfides (mostly acanthite) are minor, whereas silver sulfosalts, stromeyerite and mckinstryite, and covellite are in trace amounts. The silver sulfosalts have compositional ranges of pearceite, antimon‐pearceite and polybasite. Most of the electrum occurs coexisting with other sulfide minerals, as inclusions in pyrite grains, with very little as inclusions in chalcopyrite or sphalerite. Gold grades within the Ciurug vein vary from 1.2 to hundreds of ppm, where the highest gold grade occurs in the latest mineralization stage in a thin sulfide band in vein quartz. Fluid inclusion microthermometry of calcite and quartz indicates deposition throughout the mineralized veins in the range from 170 to 230d?C and from low salinity fluids (predominantly lower than 0.2 wt% NaCl equiv.). Fluid inclusions occur with features of boiling.     

Epithermal Gold Mineralization in the Trenggalek District,East Java,Indonesia

Gold‐mineralized quartz veins at the Trenggalek district of the Southern Mountains Range in East Java, Indonesia, are hosted by Oligo‐Miocene volcaniclastic and volcanic rocks, and are distributed close to andesitic plugs in the northern prospects (Dalangturu, Suruh, Jati, Gregah, Jombok, Salak, and Kojan) and the southern prospects (Sentul and Buluroto). The plugs are subalkaline tholeiitic basaltic‐andesite to calc‐alkaline andesite in composition. ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar dating of a quartz‐adularia vein at the Dalangturu prospect yielded an age of 16.29 ± 0.56 Ma (2σ), and a crystal tuff of a limestone‐pyroclastic rock sequence at the southwest of the Dalangturu prospect was determined as 15.6 ± 0.5 Ma (2σ). Statistic overlap of ages suggests that the gold mineralization in the northern prospects took place in a shallow marine to subaerial transitional environment. Hydrothermal alteration of the host rocks is characterized by the replacement of quartz, illite and adularia. Quartz veins in surface outcrops are up to 50 cm wide in the northern prospects and up to 3 m wide in the southern prospects, showing a banded or brecciated texture, and are composed of quartz, adularia, carbonates with pyrite, electrum, sphalerite, galena, and polybasite. Gold contents of quartz veins are positively correlated with Ag, Zn, Pb, and Cu contents in both the northern and southern prospects. The quartz veins at the Jati, Gregah, and Sentul prospects have relatively lower gold‐silver ratios (Ag/Au = 23.2) compared to those at the Kojan, Dalangturu, Salak, and Suruh prospects (Ag/Au = 66.8). The quartz veins at the Dalangturu prospect are relatively rich in base metal sulfides. Ag/(Au+Ag) ratios of electrum in the Dalangturu prospect range from 45.2 to 65.0 at%, and FeS contents of sphalerite range from 1.2 to 6.4 mol%. Fluid inclusion microthermometry indicates ore‐forming temperatures of 190–200°C and 220–230°C at the Sentul and Kojan prospects, respectively. Widely variable vapor/liquid ratio of fluid inclusions indicates that fluid boiling took place within the hydrothermal system at the Sentul prospect. Salinities of ore‐fluids range from 0 to 0.7 wt% (av. 0.4 wt% NaCl equiv.) and from 0.5 to 1.4 wt% (av. 0.9 wt%) for the Sentul and Kojan prospects, respectively. The boiling of hydrothermal fluid was one of the gold deposition mechanisms in the Sentul prospect.     

Geochemistry and alteration facies associated with epithermal precious metal mineralization in an active geothermal system,northern Lesbos,Greece

Hydrothermal quartz veins associated with gold and silver mineralization and variable amounts of base metal sulfides have been discovered within an active geothermal system in the Megala Therma area of northern Lesbos. This geothermal system is probably a late evolutionary stage in the formation of this mineralization. The veins are hosted in Upper Miocene volcanic rocks of andesitic composition and consist of quartz, adularia, chlorite, sericite, illite, kaolinite, baryte, small amounts of jarosite and alunite, and native gold, pyrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, covellite and goethite. The principal types of alteration which occur in the studied area are: silicification, propylitization, argillic alteration and potassic, phyllic alteration.     

Potassium–Argon Ages of the Epithermal Gold–Silver Mineralization in the Haenam–Jindo Area,Southwestern Korea

The Haenam–Jindo area, located on the southwestern margin of the Korean Peninsula, was the site of vigorous volcanic activity during the Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary periods. Large parts of the area record strong hydrothermal alteration, and there exist many clay–alunite and gold–silver deposits. We undertook potassium–argon (K–Ar) age dating of five mineral samples (including adularia, sericite and alunite) from the Eunsan, Moisan and Gasado epithermal gold–silver deposits in this area. The purities of the samples were confirmed by X‐ray diffraction analysis. The K–Ar ages of adularia from the Eunsan deposit and adularia and sericite from the Moisan deposit (related to gold–silver mineralization) are 75.0 ± 1.6, 74.7 ± 1.6 and 75.1 ± 1.6 Ma, respectively. The similarity of these ages, combined with the close proximity and similar geochemical characteristics of the deposits, indicates that the mineralization occurred as part of a single hydrothermal system. The K–Ar ages of alunite at the surface and adularia at depth within the Gasado deposit are 82.2 ± 1.9 and 70.7 ± 1.9 Ma, respectively, revealing that the clay–alunite and gold–silver mineralization formed at different ages. K–Ar age data indicate that the gold–silver mineralization in this area occurred mainly at 75–70 Ma, resulting from hydrothermal activity in the Haenam–Jindo area (82–70 Ma). This is the first time that the mineralization of precious metals in Korea has been identified during this period.     

First evidence of epithermal gold occurrences in the SE Afar Rift,Republic of Djibouti

The geology of the Republic of Djibouti, in the SE Afar Triangle, is characterized by intense tectonic and bimodal volcanic activity that began as early as 25–30 Ma. Each magmatic event was accompanied by hydrothermal activity. Mineralization generally occurs as gold–silver bearing chalcedony veins and is associated with felsic volcanism. Eighty samples from mineralized hydrothermal chalcedony, quartz ± carbonate veins and breccias were studied from ten sites representing four major volcanic events that range in age from early Miocene to the present. The most recent veins are controlled by fractures at the edges of grabens established during the last 4 Myr. Gold in excess of 200 ppb is present in 30% of the samples, with values up to 16 ppm. Mineralogical compositions allowed us to identify different types of mineralization corresponding to different depths in the hydrothermal system: (1) surface and subsurface mineralization characterized by carbonate chimneys, gypsum, silica cap and quartz ± carbonate veins that are depleted in metals and Au; (2) shallow banded chalcedony ± adularia veins related to boiling that contain up to 16 ppm Au, occurring as native gold and electrum with pyrite, and tetradymite; (3) quartz veins with sulfides, and (4) epidote alteration in the deepest hydrothermal zones. Samples in which pyrite is enriched in As tend to have a high Au content. The association with bimodal volcanism, the occurrence of adularia and the native Au and electrum in banded chalcedony veins are typical of epithermal systems and confirm that this type of mineralization can occur in a young intracontinental rift system.     

Discovery and exploration of the Gosowong epithermal gold deposit, Halmahera, Indonesia

The Gosowong epithermal gold deposit, on the island of Halmahera in eastern Indonesia, is located in an area of primary tropical rain forest with no previous history of gold mining or record of gold mineralisation. The deposit occurs in a newly recognised mineral district which contains a number of epithermal vein systems and at least two centres of low-grade porphyry style Cu–Au mineralisation. Several zones of argillic and advanced argillic alteration have been noted which may be related to additional centres of mineralisation. Gosowong is classified as a low-sulphidation epithermal quartz vein. Bonanza-grade gold–silver mineralisation is developed in shoots over a 400-m strike section of the vein system. Three types of veining are recognized; quartz–adularia veins and breccias; quartz–chlorite–illite veins and breccias; and crystalline or chalcedonic quartz vein stockworks. The area was targetted using a simple geological concept and the deposit was discovered and tested using basic exploration techniques commonly applied in the rugged tropical terrains of Indonesia. Sequential exploration methods comprised reconnaissance drainage sampling of stream sediment, BLEG and float media, ridge and spur soil sampling, prospect scale grid soil sampling, hand trenching and diamond drilling. Lapse time from identification of the initial reconnaissance anomaly to an inferred resource estimate of almost 1 million ounces of gold was less than 3.5 years. This case history illustrates that very detailed exploration is necessary to locate high-grade vein-type gold deposits in a tropical environment, but demonstrates that such resources still remain to be discovered in the relatively under-explored Neogene magmatic arcs of Indonesia.     

Volcanic Activity, Hydrothermal Alteration and Epithermal Gold-Silver Mineralization in the Ryuo Mine Area in the Kitami Metallogenic Province, Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract: Characterization of Neogene magmatism in the Ryuo mine area in the Kitami metallogenic province was carried out on the basis of K-Ar data for felsic–to–mafic terrestrial extrusive and intrusive volcanism from Late Miocene to Early Pliocene. The Ryuo epithermal gold-silver deposit occurs primarily in the felsic volcaniclastic rocks of the Ikutahara Formation and in Ryuo Rhyolite. The Ryuo mineralization age of 7. 7 – 8. 1 Ma coincides well with the hydrothermal alteration age (7. 7 Ma) of Ryuo Rhyolite hosting ore veins. It is concluded that the Ryuo mineralization was essentially accompanied by felsic volcanic activity during the sedimentation of the Ikutahara Formation, and was closely related both temporally and spatially to the intrusive activity of Ryuo Rhyolite. Hydrothermal alteration related to the epithermal gold-silver mineralization of the Ryuo deposit is primarily characterized by early regional and vein-related alterations, and late steam-heated alteration. Early regional alteration consists of a smectite halo (smectite+pyrite±quartz±opal–CT±mordenite°Clinoptilolite–heulandite series mineral). Early vein-related alteration is primarily marked by potassic alteration. This alteration halo can be subdivided into a K-feldspar halo (quartz+adular–ia+pyrite±illite±interstratified illite/smectite±smectite), an illite halo (quartz+illite + chlorite + pyrite ± interstratified illite/smec–tite±smectite) and an interstratified illite/smectite halo (quartz + interstratified illite/smectite+pyrite±smectite). Late steam-heated alteration characterized by kaolinite or alunite locally overprints the early K-feldspar halo. The style of the Ryuo gold-silver deposit is a low-sulfidation epithermal type. The gold–silver–bearing quartz vein precipitates during boiling of ore fluid. The origin of the ore fluid might be meteoric water. The temperature and sulfur fugacity conditions during precipitation of electrum and acanthite are estimated to be 206°– 238°C and 10^-13.5 – 10^-11.6 atm, respectively.     

Mineral Paragenesis of the Lepanto Copper and Gold and the Victoria Gold Deposits, Mankayan Mineral District, Philippines

Abstract: Mineral paragenesis of the alteration, ore and gangue minerals of the Lepanto epithermal copper‐gold deposit and the Victoria gold deposit, Mankayan Mineral District, Northern Luzon, Philippines, is discussed. The principal ore minerals of the Lepanto copper‐gold deposit are enargite and luzonite, with significant presence of tennantite‐tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, native gold/electrum and gold‐silver tellurides. Pervasive alteration zonations are commonly observed from silicification outward to advanced argillic then to propylitic zone. The ore mineralogy of the Lepanto copper‐gold deposit suggests high f_S2 in the early stages of mineralization corresponding to the deposition of the enargite‐luzonite‐pyrite assemblage. Subsequent decrease in the f_S2 formed the chalcopyrite‐tennantite‐pyrite assemblage. An increase in the f_S2 of the fluids with the formation of the covellite‐digenite‐telluride assemblage caused the deposition of native gold/electrum and gold‐silver tellurides. The principal ore minerals of the Victoria gold deposit are sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite and native gold/electrum. The alteration halos are relatively narrow and in an outward sequence from the ore, silica alteration grades to illitic‐argillic alteration, which in turn grades to propylitic alteration. The Victoria gold mineralization has undergone early stages of silica supersaturation leading to quartz deposition. Vigorous boiling increased the pH of the fluids that led to the deposition of sulfides and carbonates. The consequent decrease in H₂S precipitated the gold. Gypsum and anhydrite mainly occur as overprints that cut the carbonate‐silica stages. The crosscutting and overprinting relationships of the Victoria quartz‐gold‐base metal veins on the Lepanto copper‐gold veins manifest the late introduction of near neutral pH hydrothermal fluids.     

Cikidang Hydrothermal Gold Deposit in Western Java, Indonesia

Abstract. The Cikidang gold deposit, discovered in 1991, is located within the Bayah dome, a Tertiary-Quaternary volcanic zone at west end of Java, which is well known as a gold district (e.g., Pongkor and Cikotok mines). Typical low-sulfidation quartz-adularia-sericite(-calcite) vein deposits represent the gold deposit in the district.
The Cikidang vein system comprises four sub-parallel quartz-adularia-sericite(-calcite) veins that are rich in manganese oxide and limonite with very poor amount of sulfides. These vary from 0.5 to 2.7 m thick and extend for up to 1,000 m long. The vein trends roughly N-S and dip 60 to 86° toward west. The ore grades vary from trace to 74.9 g/t Au and 1.2 to 225.0 g/t Ag. A K/Ar age determination on adularia yielded 2.4 Ma for the Cikidang vein.
The ore minerals are represented by electrum, argentite, aguilarite and pyrite. Electrum shows the compositional ranges of Ag (50–65 atom %). The gangue minerals are dominated by quartz with variable amounts of calcite, sericite, adularia, clay minerals, manganese oxide and limonite. The vein textures are so variable as banded, colloform, comb, brecciated and massive. Host rocks, composed of Miocene lapilli tuff and breccia, suffered from pervasive hydrothermal alterations. Wall rocks adjacent to the vein are characterized by argillic and propylitic alteration.
The fluid inclusion study of the Cikidang vein shows homogenization temperatures ranging from 170 to 260°C. Salinities are low, generally below 3 wt% NaCl equivalent. Oxygen isotope results suggest meteoric water in origin for ore fluids responsible for the Cikidang deposit.     

Low potassium hydrothermal alteration in low sulfidation epithermal systems as detected by IRS and XRD: An example from the Co–O mine,Eastern Mindanao,Philippines

Detailed hydrothermal alteration investigations, including petrography, infrared reflectance spectroscopy (IRS) and XRD of the low sulfidation epithermal Co–O mine, located in Eastern Mindanao (Philippines) revealed that both distal and intermediate hydrothermal alteration zones contain dominantly illite and chlorite, whereas the proximal alteration zone comprises mainly illite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. The gold-bearing veins and the proximal hydrothermal alteration zone display a distinct absence of K-rich hydrothermal alteration minerals such as K-feldspar (adularia).Gold mineralization in the Co–O mine is controlled by an extensive quartz-breccia vein system, which is characterized by three distinct stages of vein (incl. breccias) formation. Gold is mainly observed in stages 2 and 3 veins. Stage 1 veins appear as fragments in stage 2 veins and display boiling textures such as quartz pseudomophs after bladed calcite. These veins further display colloform to crustiform banding and contain pyrite, chalcopyrite and minor gold located in the colloform bands and between bladed quartz pseudomorphs. Stage 2 veins comprise mostly banded to massive quartz and contains sulfides parallel to bands or disseminated. These veins are fine-grained with mosaic/jigsaw quartz and contain calcite blebs and/or fragments of stage 1 veins. Gold is in textural equilibrium with chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and locally pyrite. Stage 3 veins consist of quartz and carbonate (locally Mn-rich), and display irregular banded and comb textures. In auriferous veins of this stage gold is in textural equilibrium with chalcopyrite and pyrite (with local abundance of sphalerite). Other sulfide minerals observed with gold in stages 2 and 3 are galena, acanthite and locally jalpaite.The XRD and IRS provide inconsistent results regarding the abundance of K-rich clays (e.g., illite) associated with auriferous veins. Illite, with possibly interlayered swelling clays, such as Al-smectite, was identified in auriferous vein stages 2 and 3 using IRS, but could not be confirmed by XRD. Comparative analysis of the results of these techniques with respect to the ordering of micaceous minerals, suggest less ordered white mica proximal to the veins.Vein textures such as banded quartz, the absence of K-feldspar and the abundance of illite (interlayered Al-smectite) suggest relatively low temperatures of formation of the hydrothermal alteration system and point to a potential boiling horizon located deeper or marginal to the currently exploited levels of the Co–O mine. The absence of K-feldspar may also be related to relatively low temperatures of the hydrothermal fluid, the medium potassium-rich magma series of the host rocks, and/or a relatively low oxidation state of the hydrothermal fluid.     

Hydrothermal Alteration and Cu-Au Mineralization at Nena High Sulfidation-type Deposit, Frieda River, Papua New Guinea

Abstract. The Nena Cu‐Au deposit, located in the Frieda River mineral district of northwestern mainland Papua New Guinea, is a composite structurally‐lithologically controlled high sulfidation (HS) system. Its hydrothermal alteration and Cu‐Au mineralization are presented in this paper. Initially propylitized andesitic volcanics veined by epithermal quartz were pervasively superimposed by zoned HS alteration. The zonation grades from vuggy silica core to sulfur‐rich, pyritic silica‐alunite halo followed by pyrophyllite‐dickite‐kaolinite interval and finally to thin illite‐smectite margin, suggesting progressive decrease in temperature and increase in pH. This zonation is enveloped by chlorite‐epidote‐calcite‐gypsum alteration. The acid altered rocks were then invaded by multiple phases of pyrite, subsequently crosscut by quartz, vein alunite and barite. Then sequential deposition of bladed covellite, enargite, luzonite and stibioluzonite occurred from the NW to the SE portions of the deposit, forming a zonation suggestive of progressive decrease in temperature, sulfur fugacity and sulfidation stage. Most ore mineralization occurs in the vuggy silica core. Gold mineralization commenced from the transition of enargite to luzonite and continued throughout the stibioluzonite stage. Associated with gold deposition are Au‐rich pyrite, tennantite‐tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite‐bornite, native tellurium, electrum, calaverite, bismuthinite and galena. Native sulfur occupied the remaining cavities and represents the waning stage of the hydrothermal system. Fluid inclusions studies distinguished magmatic (>300–350d?C, 9–15 wt% NaCl equiv.) and meteoric (<150–200d?C, 1–2 wt% NaCl equiv.) fluids (Holzberger et al., 1996). Temperatures and salinities of fluid inclusions from barite associated with Cu sulfides show a general decrease from NW (330d?C, 9–15 wt% NaCl equiv.) to SE (172d?C, 10 wt% NaCl equiv.) parts of the deposit, indicating gradual entrainment of ground water (Hitchman and Espi, 1997). Interaction of magmatic fluids with meteoric water accompanied by changes in temperature, salinity, acidity and oxidation state of the resultant fluids is interpreted to have been the main cause of metal precipitation. Finally, supergene processes generated Au zone with an underlying chalcocite‐covellite‐digenite blanket over the primary sulfides at depth. Gold occurs as lattice constituent in scorodite, limonite‐goethite and jarosite. Chalcocite is more abundant and widespread than other Cu sulfides. Acidic fluids deposited powdery alunite and kaolinite, vein alunite and amorphous silica. Weakly secondary biotite‐quartz altered porphyry located below the known HS Cu‐Au deposit contains chalcopyrite‐bornite and is overprinted by quartz‐alunite‐pyro‐phyllite‐pyrite assemblage. This feature indicates close temporal, spatial and genetic relation between the two deposit types.     

Bladed Texture and Exploration Implications. A Case Study from the Kuklitsa Deposit,Krumovgrad Goldfield,SE Bulgaria

This study demonstrates that the bladed texture, which is common in epithermal, low-sulfidation (adularia-sericite) precious metal deposits, can serves as exploration vector towards precious metal mineralization. The paper presents two styles of bladed texture in the Kuklitsa gold deposit (Krumovgrad goldfield, SE Bulgaria) observed at both different altitude and lateral position in respect to regional low-angle detachment fault. The first style has formed as a crackle breccia just above the detachment fault where bladed texture consists of 10–20 vol % pseudorhombic adularia, 90-80 vol % quartz, scarce pyrite, and electrum, which is often observed under optical microscope. The second style is present in steep veins which fill listric faults of sharp tectonic contacts. It is developed at a higher level relative to the detachment fault. Bladed texture there consists of 1–2 vol % pseudorhombic adularia, 99-98 vol % quartz, and scarce both electrum and pyrite. Electrum of the two styles of bladed texture comprises only gold and silver but in different proportions with a higher gold content for the first style: fineness of 765, on average, for the first style vs. fineness of 692 for the second one. In this way, it is found that the adularia abundance correlates positively with the electrum one and negatively with the quartz abundance. The author uses the proportions of adularia, quartz and electrum, the fineness of electrum, and the relative distance to the detachment fault to conclude that the first style of bladed texture has been formed at higher temperature relative to the second style. The author infers that the first style is promising for mineralization of higher grade. Methods used comprise field observations and sampling, optical and electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe analysis.

     

Epithermal Gold-Silver Mineralization of the Asachinskoe Deposit in South Kamchatka, Russia

The Asachinskoe epithermal Au‐Ag deposit is a representative low‐sulfidation type of deposit in Kamchatka, Russia. In the Asachinskoe deposit there are approximately 40 mineralized veins mainly hosted by dacite–andesite stock intrusions of Miocene–Pliocene age. The veins are emplaced in tensional cracks with a north orientation. Wall‐rock alteration at the bonanza level (170–200 m a.s.l.) consists of the mineral assemblage of quartz, pyrite, albite, illite and trace amounts of smectite. Mineralized veins are well banded with quartz, adularia and minor illite. Mineralization stages in the main zone are divided into stages I–IV. Stage I is relatively barren quartz–adularia association formed at 4.7 ± 0.2 Ma (K‐Ar age). Stage II consists of abundant illite, Cu‐bearing cryptomelane and other manganese oxides and hydroxides, electrum, argentite, quartz, adularia and minor rhodochrosite and calcite. Stage III, the main stage of gold mineralization (4.5–4.4 ± 0.1–3.1 ± 0.1 Ma, K‐Ar age), consists of a large amount of electrum, naumannite and Se‐bearing polybasite with quartz–adularia association. Stage IV is characterized by hydrothermal breccia, where electrum, tetrahedrite and secondary covellite occur with quartz, adularia and illite. The concentration of Au+Ag in ores has a positive correlation with the content of K₂O + Al₂O₃, which is controlled by the presence of adularia and minor illite, and both Hg and Au also have positive correlations with the light rare‐earth elements. Fluid inclusion studies indicate a salinity of 1.0–2.6 wt% NaCl equivalent for the whole deposit, and ore‐forming temperatures are estimated as approximately 160–190°C in stage III of the present 218 m a.s.l. and 170–180°C in stage IV of 200 m a.s.l. The depth of ore formation is estimated to be 90–400 m from the paleo‐water table for stage IV of 200 m a.s.l., if a hydrostatic condition is assumed. An increase of salinity (>C_NaCl≈ 0.2 wt%) and decrease of temperature (>T ≈ 30°C) within a 115‐m vertical interval for the ascending hydrothermal solution is calculated, which is interpreted as due to steam loss during fluid boiling. Ranges of selenium and sulfur fugacities are estimated to be logfSe2 = ?17 to ?14.5 and logfS2 = ?15 to ?12 for the ore‐forming solution that was responsible for Au‐Ag‐Se precipitation in stage III of 200 m a.s.l. Separation of Se from S‐Se complex in the solution and its partition into selenides could be due to a relatively oxidizing condition. The precipitation of Au‐Ag‐Se was caused by boiling in stage III, and the precipitation of Au‐Ag‐Cu was caused by sudden decompression and boiling in stage IV.     

Mineralogy and Mode of Occurrence of Gold, Silver and Bismuth of the Caijiaying Lead-Zine-Silver Deposit, Hebei Province

The deposit under study is a hydrothermal filling-metasomatic vein type lead-zinc-silver deposit, in whichgold and silver can be recovered as by-products. These metals mainly occur as microgranular native gold,electrum, stephanite, acanthite, pyraragyrite, freibergite, and native silver. Gold minerals tend to be associatedwith galenobismutite, native bismuth and unnamed Bi_2Te. They are either enclosed in pyrite, marmatite,iron-bearing sphalerite and galens or fill the microfissures of these minerals. Silver minerals usually occur incleavages or fissures of galena, marmatite and pyrite, but are not associated with gold and bismuth minerals.Gold and silver mineralizations occurred later than lead and zinc, while the silver mineralization was precededby that of gold.     

Geological,geochemical, stable isotope,and fluid inclusion characteristics of epithermal gold mineralization,Velvet District,Nevada

Gold mineralization in the Velvet District occurs in an eastward dipping sequence of late Tertiary rhyolitic ash-flow tuffs, flows, and tuffaceous sediments in northwestern Nevada. Minor gold and silver concentrations are associated with irregular zones of brecciation, argillic alteration, and quartz veining along north-northeast trending normal faults. Reaction of mineralizing fluids with wallrock produced an argillic alteration assemblage of illite, mixed-layer clays, smectite, and kaolinite. Illite alteration and highest gold concentrations appear to be associated with zones of high water/rock ratios. Kaolinite, smectite, alunite, and opal are postulated to have formed during a steam-dominated episode of alteration.Fluid inclusion studies indicate that the quartz veins were deposited in the temperature range 230 to 280°C from fluids which had salinities equivalent to 0.2–0.8 weight percent NaCl. δ ¹⁸O of quartz veins varies from ?2.5 to $\text{+6.7 ‰}$ and indicates that the ore fluid must have been Tertiary meteroric water. Stable isotope data appear to define a zone of concentrated fluid flow and potential subsurface mineralization in the southeastern part of the district. Fluid inclusion and isotope studies can be used in combination with more standard geochemical, geophysical, and geological information to provide site-specific targets for epithermal metal concentrations.     

西藏马攸木金矿床金银互化物的赋存状态

马攸木金矿床是西藏近年发现的首例规模较大、矿石品位富、金成色高的岩金矿床.作者通过对马攸木金矿床矿石组构、矿石共生组合及矿物特征研究发现,金银互化物主要有自然金、含银自然金、银金矿、自然银.载金矿物为黝铜矿、针铁矿、脆硫锑铅矿及石英;金银互化物的赋存形式主要为包裹体金、裂隙金及粒间金.金银互化物的形成、富集与热液成矿作用及表生风化作用关系密切.