Fluid chemistry and processes at the Porgera gold deposit, Papua New Guinea

The Porgera gold deposit in Papua New Guinea is a world-class example of an alkalic-type epithermal gold system (stage II), which overprints a precursor stage of magmatic-hydrothermal gold mineralization (stage I). Gas and ion chromatographic analyses of fluid inclusions contained in vein minerals from both mineralization stages have been carried out in order to constrain the compositions of the fluids involved in, and the processes attending, ore deposition. These data indicate the presence of three end-member liquids, the most dilute of which was present throughout the mineralization history and is interpreted to represent evolved groundwater of meteoric origin. Its composition is estimated to have been approximately 500 mM Na⁺, 10 mM K⁺, 5 mM Li⁺, 250 mM Cl⁻, 0.15 mM Br⁻, and 0.01 mM I⁻, plus significant concentrations of dissolved gases. More saline liquids were also present during the two main stages of ore formation, and although their compositions differ, both are interpreted to have been derived at least in part from magmatic fluids, and to have been the media by which gold was introduced into the system. Stage I minerals contain fluid inclusions which decrease in salinity towards this dilute end-member composition through the vein paragenesis, reflecting progressive dilution at depth of the magmatic fluid source by groundwaters. Ore deposition is thought to have been caused largely by simple cooling and/or wallrock reactions, although limited in situ fluid mixing may also have occurred. The most saline fluids, present in early quartz and pyrite, contain at least 810 mM Na⁺, 530 mM Ca²⁺, 130 mM K⁺, 12 mM Li⁺, 87 mM SO₄ ²⁻, 960 mM Cl⁻, 1.1 mM Br⁻, and 0.05 mM I⁻, plus significant but variable concentrations of dissolved gases. Fluid inclusions from stage II hydraulic breccia veins reveal the presence of two distinct liquids with contrasting salinities, which were present at different times during vein formation. A higher salinity liquid appears to have predominated during mineralization, whereas lower salinity groundwaters filled the structures during intervening periods. The ore-forming fluid may have been forcibly injected into the veins from depth during fracturing and depressurization events, displacing the resident groundwaters in the process. The original composition of this fluid is estimated to have been at least 1770 mM Na⁺, 59 mM K⁺, 180 mM Li⁺, 210 mM SO₄ ²⁻, 680 mM Cl⁻, 1.4 mM Br⁻, and 0.09 mM I⁻, plus 1.5 mol% CO₂, 0.19 mol% CH₄, and 0.04 mol% N₂. Gas chromatographic analyses of fluid inclusions from stage II samples show a decrease in total gas content between early unmineralized veins and post-mineralization vuggy quartz (suitable samples could not be obtained from the ore stage itself). Post-mineralization samples plot along an experimental gas-saturation curve in the CO₂-CH₄-H₂O-NaCl system, obtained at conditions similar to those attending stage II ore deposition at Porgera (200–300 bar, ˜165 °C). These results are interpreted to indicate a period of depressurization-induced phase separation during hydraulic fracturing, which resulted in rich ore deposition. Volatile gases such as CH₄ and N₂, in addition to CO₂ in solution, are shown to have a significant negative effect on total gas solubility. This effect may be of critical importance in lowering the temperature and increasing the depth (pressure) at which phase separation can occur in epithermal systems. Received: 28 November 1995 / Accepted: 17 July 1996     

Evidence for fluid phase separation in high-grade ore zones at the Porgera gold deposit, Papua New Guinea

Coexisting, liquid-rich and vapor-rich primary fluid inclusions in quartz provide direct evidence for fluid phase separation in high-grade quartz–roscoelite–gold veins and breccias from the Porgera alkalic-type gold deposit. Vapor-rich fluid inclusions are CO₂-rich, and sometimes contain liquid CO₂ at room temperature. The close spatial and paragenetic relationship between these “boiling assemblage” fluid inclusions and gold suggests that gold was precipitated by phase separation, at least locally. Additionally, the occurrence of carbonate and sulfate minerals in high-grade veins (reflecting pH increase and oxidation of the boiled fluid) and the appearance of hydrothermal breccias, are consistent with the process of fluid phase separation. Liquid CO₂-bearing fluid inclusions are rare in near-surface epithermal deposits, and indicate that the Porgera vein system was formed at greater depths and pressures (our estimates suggest pressures between 250 and 340 bars). It is suggested that alkalic-type gold deposits may be distinguished from other epithermal deposit types by the more gaseous nature of the ore-forming fluids, in addition to their association with alkalic magmas. Received: 24 February 2000 / Accepted: 6 April 2000     

巴布亚新几内亚波格拉斑岩型铜-金矿床富Nb碱性火成岩成因新解

巴布亚新几内亚波格拉(Porgera)斑岩铜-金矿床的侵入杂岩岩石类型为碱性玄武岩→夏威夷岩(粗面玄武岩)→橄榄粗安岩套.微量元素总体特征是富集大离子亲石元素(LILE)(Sr、Ba)和高场强元素(HFSE)(Zr、Nb、Th) .在微量元素蛛网图上显示宽的Th、Nb、U峰和Ti、Hf、Y的谷.该矿床夏威夷岩和橄榄粗安岩是一套板内富Nb碱性玄武岩系列,属于大陆OIB碱性侵入岩,而不是洋岛OIB系列,与地幔柱活动相关.波格拉侵入杂岩形成于弧-陆碰撞环境,为新生代主动大陆边缘板内碱性玄武岩的典型代表之一.     

与碱性岩有关的浅成低温热液型金矿特征与控矿因素——以巴布亚新几内亚波尔盖拉金矿为例

与碱性岩有关的浅成低温热液型金矿在全球特别是环太平成矿带中具有重要意义,波尔盖拉金矿位于新几内亚造山带内较为典型的该类型金矿床。矿床的矿化与碱性的波尔盖拉侵入杂岩体有关,矿化主要发育在岩体与白垩纪Chim组的接触部位,矿化作用分为2期,矿化形态主要为脉状和角砾岩矿化,成矿物质和成矿流体具有明显的岩浆来源的特征。与成矿有关的波尔盖拉杂岩体侵入时代为5.99Ma,与成矿时间一致,并来源于被交代富集型的上地幔,该类碱性岩浆对于金的富集具有重要的意义。通过总结该类矿床的控矿因素和找矿标志为中国企业在该地区寻找同类型金矿提供参考。     

New 40Ar/39Ar dates from the Las Tazas complex,northern Chile: Tectonic significance

The Atacama Fault Zone is a major Mesozoic structure that trends along the Coastal Batholith of northern Chile. Part of the fault zone underwent a kinematic change from dip-slip to strike-slip displacement during the Early Cretaceous. The Las Tazas complex intruded the fault zone during this change. New analyses of country rock protomylonites from the edge of the complex firmly constrain the age of the change to 130 Ma and confirm that the complex was emplaced during active displacement along the fault zone. The intrusion heated its immediate country rocks and allowed localised ductile shearing during emplacement. Upper crustal intrusions like the Las Tazas complex are ideal targets for geochronological studies of major shear zones.     

Calibration of GA1550 biotite standard for K/Ar and 40Ar/39Ar dating

The mineral separate GA1550 biotite has become an international standard for K/Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating studies, although it was prepared as an intralaboratory standard at ANU to monitor tracer depletion from a gas pipette. It is one of a small number of samples that has been calibrated against ³⁸Ar tracers, some of which had been mixed with known amounts of atmospheric argon, so that a so-called primary calibration has been performed. By measuring GA1550 biotite against additional tracers from the same batch we have determined the radiogenic argon content of this sample as 1.342 (± 0.007) × 10^? 9 mol/g, and together with the measured K content of 7.645 (± 0.050) weight percent, we derive a best estimate for the K/Ar age as 98.5 ± 0.5 Ma, where the error is derived from averaging the ages determined relative to the ³⁸Ar tracer.     

40Ar/39Ar dating of the Jiehe gold deposit in the Jiaodong Peninsula,eastern North China Craton: Implications for regional gold metallogeny

The Jiehe gold deposit, containing a confirmed gold reserve of 34 tonnes (t), is a Jiaojia-type (disseminated/stockwork-style) gold deposit in Jiaodong Peninsula. Orebodies are hosted in the contact zone between the Jurassic Moshan biotite granite and the Cretaceous Shangzhuang porphyritic granodiorite, and are structurally controlled by the NNE- to NE-striking Wangershan-Hedong Fault. Sulphide minerals are composed predominantly of pyrite with lesser amounts of chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite. Hydrothermal alteration is strictly controlled by fracture zones, in which disseminated sulfides and native gold are spatially associated with pervasive sericitic alteration. Mineralogical, textural, and field relationships indicate four stages of alteration and mineralization, including pyrite-bearing milky and massive quartz (stage 1), light-gray granular quartz–pyrite (stage 2), quartz–polysulfide (stage 3) and quartz–carbonate (stage 4) stages. Economic gold is precipitated in stages 2 and 3.The Jiehe deposit was previously considered to form during the Eocene (46.5 ± 2.3 Ma), based on Rb-Sr dating of sericite. However, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of sericite in this study yields well-defined, reproducible plateau ages between 118.8 ± 0.7 Ma and 120.7 ± 0.8 Ma. These ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages are consistent with geochronological data from other gold deposits in the region, indicating that all gold deposits in Jiaodong formed in a short-term period around 120 Ma. The giant gold mineralization event has a tight relationship with the extensional tectonic regime, and is a shallow crustal metallogenic response of paleo-Pacific slab subduction and lithospheric destruction in the eastern NCC.     

华北地块中东部中生代侵入杂岩中角闪石和黑云母的40Ar/39Ar定年:对岩石圈减薄时间的制约

华北地块中东部中生代侵入杂岩存在有富闪侵入岩和花岗闪长岩类两套岩石组合.对其中 8个侵入杂岩体中的角闪石和黑云母进行了 40Ar/39Ar定年研究.山西临汾塔儿山正长闪长斑岩、山西长治西安里岩体和河南安阳东冶岩体富闪侵入岩中角闪石的 40Ar/39Ar坪年龄分别为(124.9± 0.3)Ma,(127.7± 0.3)Ma和(127.1± 0.1)Ma;鲁西临朐铁寨正长闪长岩和枣庄流井花岗闪长斑岩中角闪石的 40Ar/39Ar坪年龄均为(124.9± 0.2)Ma;鲁西莱芜铁铜沟辉石闪长岩和蒙阴虎头崖花岗闪长斑岩中黑云母的 40Ar/39Ar坪年龄分别为(132.8± 0.3)Ma和(124.4± 0.3)Ma;皖北管店花岗闪长斑岩中角闪石的 40Ar/39Ar坪年龄为(126.9± 0.2)Ma.上述结果显示华北地块中生代的岩浆活动主要发生在早白垩世.含有丰富幔源捕虏体的富闪侵入岩类和具有地壳成因的花岗闪长岩类岩石的共存,暗示早白垩世华北地块中生代岩石圈减薄达到了峰期.     

桂东南新发现煌斑岩的地球化学特征及黑云母~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar年龄

正华南构造应力场在燕山期由挤压变为拉伸体制,基本已达成共识。但其构造转换过程中伸展的时限仍未确证。以往对华南燕山期构造的研究多集中于花岗岩和碱性杂岩,近年来对基性岩脉的研究也日渐重视。相比之下,对煌斑岩的报道则较少,而对煌斑岩岩脉的地球化学及同位素特征进行综合研究可以很好地限定其研究区的岩石圈拉张特征、构造属性和地幔源区性质,对区域构造演化格     

40Ar/39Ar geochronological constraints on the formation of the Dayingezhuang gold deposit: New implications for timing and duration of hydrothermal activity in the Jiaodong gold province,China

China's largest gold resource is located in the highly endowed northwestern part of the Jiaodong gold province. Most gold deposits in this area are associated with the NE- to NNE-trending shear zones on the margins of the 130–126 Ma Guojialing granite. These deposits collectively formed at ca. 120 ± 5 Ma during rapid uplift of the granite. The Dayingezhuang deposit is a large (> 120 t Au) orogenic gold deposit in the same area, but located along the eastern margin of the Late Jurassic Linglong Metamorphic Core Complex. New ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology on hydrothermal sericite and muscovite from the Dayingezhuang deposit indicate the gold event is related to evolution of the core complex at 130 ± 4 Ma and is the earliest important gold event that is well-documented in the province. The Dayingezhuang deposit occurs along the Linglong detachment fault, which defines the eastern edge of the ca. 160–150 Ma Linglong granite–granodiorite massif. The anatectic rocks of the massif were rapidly uplifted, at rates of at least 1 km/m.y. from depths of 25–30 km, to form the metamorphic core complex. The detachment fault, with Precambrian metamorphic basement rocks in the hangingwall and the Linglong granitoids and migmatites in the footwall, is characterized by early mylonitization and a local brittle overprinting in the footwall. Gold is associated with quartz–sericite–pyrite–K-feldspar altered footwall cataclasites at the southernmost area of the brittle deformation along the detachment fault. Our results indicate that there were two successive, yet distinct gold-forming tectonic episodes in northwestern Jiaodong. One event first reactivated the detachment fault along the edge of the Linglong massif between 134 and 126 Ma, and then a second reactivated the shears along the margins of the Guojialing granite. Both events may relate to a component of northwest compression after a middle Early Cretaceous shift from regional NW–SE extension to a NE–SW extensional regime.     

河南嵩县庙岭金矿地质特征与钾长石40Ar/39Ar定年

河南嵩县庙岭金矿位于华北陆块南缘熊耳山—外方山地区。矿床赋存于中元古界熊耳群火山岩中近南北向断裂带内,矿体呈似层状、透镜状产出,矿石具浸染状、细网脉状构造和微细粒它形粒状晶粒结构、交代结构,围岩热液蚀变有硅化、钾长石化、绢云母化、黄铁矿化等,矿化具有多阶段的特点,属破碎带蚀变岩型金矿。成矿热液蚀变矿物钾长石Ar-Ar法测年的结果：坪年龄为121.6Ma±1.2Ma,等时线年龄为117.0Ma±1.6Ma,表明矿床形成于早白垩世,与熊耳山地区祁雨沟、瑶沟等金矿床形成于同一时期,属与早白垩世构造-岩浆-流体活动有关的产物。     

河南嵩县庙岭金矿地质特征与钾长石40Ar/39Ar定年

河南嵩县庙岭金矿位于华北陆块南缘熊耳山—外方山地区。矿床赋存于中元古界熊耳群火山岩中近南北向断裂带内,矿体呈似层状、透镜状产出,矿石具浸染状、细网脉状构造和微细粒它形粒状晶粒结构、交代结构,围岩热液蚀变有硅化、钾长石化、绢云母化、黄铁矿化等,矿化具有多阶段的特点,属破碎带蚀变岩型金矿。成矿热液蚀变矿物钾长石Ar-Ar法测年的结果：坪年龄为121.6Ma±1.2Ma,等时线年龄为117.0Ma±1.6Ma,表明矿床形成于早白垩世,与熊耳山地区祁雨沟、瑶沟等金矿床形成于同一时期,属与早白垩世构造-岩浆-流体活动有关的产物。     

New 40Ar/39Ar age of granitic rocks and related gold mineralization at the Kirovskoye deposit (southeastern margin of the North Asian craton)

The Kirovskoye gold deposit located in the southern part of the Selenga-Stanovoi superterrane at the southeastern margin of the Siberian craton is one of the largest ore deposits in the eastern regions of the Russian Far East. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronological studies revealed that the age of the quartz-diorite-porphyrite and granodiorite-porphyry dikes is 128?126 Ma. This estimate agrees with the previous U-Pb age of 125 ± 2 Ma for the Dzhalinda granodiorites. The age of hydrothermal ore-forming processes was estimated at ～121?120 Ma. These results allow us to infer that a relationship between Kirovskoye gold mineralization was formed as a result of postmagmatic hydrothermal activity, which accompanied the emplacement of the Dzhalinda intrusion and coeval dikes.     

Apparent partial loss age spectra of Neoarchean hornblende (Murmansk Terrane,Kola Peninsula,Russia): the role of biotite inclusions revealed by 40Ar/39Ar laserprobe analysis

Metamorphic hornblende frequently yields spectra with progressively increasing ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age steps, often interpreted as caused by partial resetting due to thermally activated radiogenic argon loss by solid‐state diffusion. Yet, in many cases rising Ca/K ratio spectra for such samples imply the presence of minor inclusions of K‐contaminant minerals. To avoid parts of grains with mineral inclusions or compositional zoning we drilled tiny discs from thin sections under a petrographic microscope. Laser step‐heating of drilled biotite‐free hornblende discs yielded flat age and ratio spectra. In contrast, furnace step‐heated hornblende separates from the same samples produced apparent loss age spectra. Moreover, biotite‐free samples yielded flat spectra by laser and furnace dating. Consequently, apparent loss spectra result from degassing of included substantially younger biotite before its hornblende host during laboratory step‐heating; c. 2640 Ma hornblende ages constrain the Murmansk Terrane's cooling.     

激光Ar/Ar微区定年的应用及展望

40Ar/39Ar定年中,存在一些使用传统的大样逐步升温技术难以处理的难题,如变质及沉积岩样品常含有多期次矿物而难以获得理想结果,过剩Ar在样品中的分布以及来源问题一直难以有效解决,根据缓慢冷却钾长石的40Ar/39Ar年龄谱提出的热演化模型也因为Ar在矿物中扩散机制的不明确性而不断受到质疑。20世纪90年代将紫外激光（UV-laser）成功引入40Ar/39Ar年代学分析后,为解决这些难题提供了一种思路。借助激光微区     

40Ar/39Ar evidence for the timing of Paleoproterozoic gold mineralisation at the Sandpiper Deposit,Tanami region,northern Australia

At the Sandpiper gold deposit in the Tanami region of northern Australia sericite is intimately intergrown with arsenopyrite in gold-bearing quartz veins and breccias, suggesting sericite crystallisation synchronous with gold-bearing fluid flow. This ore-stage sericite yields a ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau age of 1785 ± 32 Ma (2σ including both analytical and systematic uncertainties). Recalculation using revised and more precise values for the ⁴⁰K decay constants and the age of the Fish Canyon Sanidine standard shifts the age to 1794 ±12 Ma (2σ including all known uncertainties). Given the possibility of post-mineralisation isotopic resetting this age can be conservatively interpreted as a minimum constraint on the timing of gold deposition although, given local geological relationships and estimates for the argon retentivity of white mica, we consider complete isotopic resetting to be unlikely. The preferred interpretation is, therefore, that the sericite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age indicates the timing of gold mineralisation. Thesericite age accords with a limited dataset of ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb xenotime ages of ca 1800 Ma from other gold deposits in the Tanami region, interpreted as mineralisation ages. The agreement between independently derived ages from several gold deposits lends support for a widespread gold-mineralising event at ca 1800 Ma in the Tanami region.     

40Ar/39Ar dating,fluid inclusions and S–Pb isotope systematics of the Shabaosi gold deposit,Heilongjiang Province,China

The Shabaosi deposit is the only large lode gold deposit in the northern Great Xing'an Range. The gold ore bodies are hosted by sandstone and siltstone of the Middle Jurassic Ershi'erzhan Formation, and are controlled by three N–S‐trending altered fracture zones. The gold ore bodies are composed of auriferous quartz veinlets and altered rocks. Fluid inclusion studies indicate that the ore‐forming fluids belong to a H₂O–NaCl–CO₂–CH₄ system, with salinities between 0.83 and 8.28 wt% NaCl eq., and homogenization temperatures ranging from 180 to 320 °C. The δ³⁴S values of sulphides show a large variation from −16.9‰ to 8.5‰. The Pb isotope compositions of sulphides are characterized by a narrow range of ratios: 18.289 to 18.517 for ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, 15.548 to 15.625 for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, and 38.149 to 38.509 for ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb. The μ values range from 9.36 to 9.51. These results suggest that the ore‐forming fluids/materials were mainly of magmatic hydrothermal origin, derived from magmas produced by partial melting of the lower crust. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of auriferous quartz veinlets from the Shabaosi gold deposit is about 130 Ma. The Shabaosi gold deposit has counterparts in similar orogenic gold deposits, and was formed during the post‐collisional setting of the Mongolia–Okhotsk Orogen. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

巴布亚新几内亚利希尔岛拉多拉姆(Ladolam)金矿矿床地质特征及找矿标志

巴布亚新几内亚利希尔岛拉多拉姆金矿处于太平洋板块与印澳板块的板块边界部位,为西南太平洋地区最大的碱性侵入岩有关的低硫型浅成低温热液型金矿。矿床赋存在Luise火山内,成矿与更新世碱性二长闪长岩侵入体有关,该岩体形成于俯冲带环境下被流体交代的上地幔的部分熔融。矿床的矿化可分为三个阶段,在岩体侵入后形成斑岩铜矿化,并在之后逐渐过渡为浅成低温热液型金矿化。该类矿床在成矿过程和矿体的分布明显受到区域性构造、蚀变带和成矿有关角砾岩等成矿结构面的控制,在找矿标志上具有特定的物化探和地质特征,具有较好的找矿远景。     

湘东锡田垄上锡多金属矿床40Ar/39Ar同位素定年研究

垄上锡多金属矿床是湘东锡田锡矿田中的一个大型矿床,矿体赋存在锡田复式花岗岩体与泥盆系中统棋梓桥组的接触带中.笔者以白云母为测试对象,利用40Ar/39Ar同位素定年方法,精确厘定了该矿床的形成时间.结果表明:垄上矿床2个白云母样品的40Ar/39Ar坪年龄分别为(155.6±1.3)Ma、(157.2±1.4)Ma,等时线年龄分别为(155.4±1.7)Ma(MSWD=0.74)、(156.5±1.7)Ma(MSWD=1.4),与该矿田中的荷树下锡多金属矿床的成矿年龄(150 Ma)在误差范围内一致,也与锡田复式岩体早期花岗岩侵入时间(151～165 Ma)吻合.因此得出以下认识:湘东锡田地区主要锡多金属矿床的成矿年龄为150～160 Ma;成矿作用与区内的锡田复式花岗岩体关系密切,它们都是华南燕山早期大规模成岩成矿作用高峰期的产物.