Minor elements and ore genesis of the Fankou lead-zinc deposit,China

The Fankou Pb-Zn deposit occurs in the Middle-Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous carbonate and argillaceous carbonate formations. In principle, the deposit can be classified as a carbonate-hosted strate-bound deposit. Representative sphalerite, galena, and pyrite separates from Fankou have been analysed. For the purpose of comparison a literature survey on minor elements of other districts have been carried out. The comparison of determined data with the quoted data shows that the Fankou sphalerites are rich in Ga, Ge and Ag, but poor in Se and Te; the Fankou galenas are rich in Ag, Hg, Sb and As, but poor in Se, Te, Tl and Bi; the Fankou pyrites are rich in As, Cd and In, but poor in Se, Te, Co and Ni. Zn/Cd and Se/S×10^–4 ratios for sphalerites, Sb/Ag, Sb/Bi and Se/S×10^–4 ratios for galenas and Co/Ni ratios for pyrites from Fankou and other districts have been calculated. Ga-Ge-Ag atomic ratios in sphalerites, Sb-Bi-Ag atomic ratios in galenas and Co-Ni relations in pyrites have been plotted. The average value (311) of Zn/Cd ratios for sphalerites from Fankou is similar to values of sphalerites from Gaobanhe, Heqing, Accesa and Broken Hill. The average Sb/Ag ratio (0.74) and the Sb-Bi-Ag atomic ratios in Fankou galenas are similar to those in the syngenetic galena from the British Island. The Ga-Ge-Ag atomic ratios for Fankou sphalerites are similar to those for the syngenetic sphalerites and Gorno sphalerites. The average Co/Ni ratio (1.1) for micro to fine-grained pyrites from Fankou laminated-bedded pyrite ore is similar to that (0.8) for the sedimentary pyrites from other districts. As to the fine to medium-grained pyrites from Fankou massive pyritic ores, their higher Co/Ni ratios (1.6–1.8) may relate to the fact that more Ni is lost than Co, during the reformation or recrystallization. Sphalerite, galena and pyrite from Fankou all are rather poor in Se and have very low values of Se/S×10^–4, so they may bear no genetic relation to volcanism. To sum up, the following conclusions can be reached: (1) The Fankou deposit possesses some syngenetic features. (2) Evidently it differs from skarn type, hydrothermal type, and volcanogenic type deposits. (3) Surely it is a reformed sedimentary Pb-Zn deposit.