The Loulo gold and tourmaline-bearing deposit

The stratabound polymorph Loulo gold deposits and occurrences were discovered in sedimentary rocks of the Early Proterozoic Birimian Formation, in the Kéniéba region of SW Mali. Early work showed reserves in the Loulo-0 and Loulo-3 deposits of 28 t of gold in ore averaging 4.43 g/t Au, to depths of 140 m; recent drilling has found mineralization to at least 300 m depth. Early tourmalinization of the sedimentary host rock is indicated by reworked tourmalinite pebbles in non-tourmalinized hanging-wall rocks. Mineralization, restricted to highly tourmalinized zones, occurs as: (a) pre-D1 (deformation) disseminated pyrite with micron-size inclusions of gold particles; (b) syn-/late-D2 stockworks with minor disseminated sulphides and native gold. Gold in the sulphides is small (10–40 gm), and occurs at pyrite-crystal edges, filling cracks and/or as inclusions. Post-D2 stockwork mineralization derived from the pre-D1 one that was emplaced with tourmaline, as is indicated by the small differences between pre-D1 and post-D2 sulphur isotopes, as well as by the type of quartz vein that indicates an almost closed system. In West Africa, the pre-D1 mineralization of Early Birimian age represents the first major introduction of gold into the Proterozoic. It attributes a major metallogenic role to the tourmalinized sandstone that indicates crustal accretion in West Africa during the Early Proterozoic. Editorial handling: D.D. Klemm     

Timing and mechanism of gold mineralization at the Wang'ershan gold deposit,Jiaodong Peninsula,eastern China

The Wang'ershan gold deposit, located in the southern Jiaojia goldfield, is currently the largest gold deposit hosted within the subsidiary faults in Jiaodong Peninsula, with a gold reserve of > 60 t gold at a grade of 4.07 g/t Au. It is hosted in the Late Jurassic Linglong biotite granites and controlled by the second-order, N- to NNE-trending Wang'ershan Fault (and its subsidiary faults) which is broadly parallel to the first-order Jiaojia Fault in the goldfield. Gold mineralization occurs as both disseminated- and stockwork-style and quartz–sulfide vein-style ores, mainly within altered cataclasites and breccias, and sericite–quartz and potassic alteration zones, respectively. Mineralization stages can be divided into (1) the pyrite–quartz–sericite stage, (2) the quartz–pyrite stage, (3) the quartz–sulfide stage, and (4) the quartz–carbonate stage.Two sericite samples associated with the main ore-stage pyrites from pyritic phyllic ores of the deposit with weighted mean plateau ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of 120.7 ± 0.6 Ma and 119.2 ± 0.5 Ma, respectively, were selected for ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology. On the basis of petrography and microthermometry, three types of primary fluid inclusions related to the ore forming event were identified: type 1 H₂O–CO₂–NaCl, type 2 aqueous, and type 3 CO₂ fluid inclusions (in decreasing abundance). Stage 1 quartz contains all three primary fluid inclusions, while stages 2 and 3 quartz contain both type 1 and 2 inclusions, and stage 4 quartz contains only type 2 inclusions. The contemporaneous trapping, similar salinities and total homogenization temperature ranges, and different homogenization phases of type 1 and type 2 inclusions indicate that fluid immiscibility did take place in stages 1, 2 and 3 ores, with P–T conditions of 190 to 85 MPa and 334 to 300 °C for stage 1 and 200 to 40 MPa and 288 to 230 °C for stages 2 and 3. Combined with the H–O–C–S–Pb isotopic compositions, ore-forming fluids may have a metamorphic-dominant mixed source, which could be associated with the dehydration and decarbonisation of a subducting paleo-Pacific plate and characterized by medium–high temperature (285–350 °C), CO₂-bearing (~ 8 mol%) with minor CH₄ (1–4% in carbonic phase), and low salinity (3.38–8.45 eq. wt.% NaCl). During mineralization, the fluid finally evolved into a medium–low temperature NaCl–H₂O system. Au(HS)₂⁻ was the most probable gold-transporting complex at Wang'ershan, due to the low temperature (157–350 °C) and near-neutral to weakly acidic ore fluids. The reaction between gold-bearing fluids and iron-bearing wall-rocks, and fluid-immiscibility processes caused via fluid–pressure cycling during seismic movement along fault zones that host lode-gold orebodies, which led to breakdown of Au(HS)₂⁻, are interpreted as the two main precipitation mechanisms of gold deposition.In general, the Wang'ershan deposit and other deposits in the Jiaojia camp have concordant structural system and wall-rock alteration assemblages, nature of orebodies and gold occurrence conditions, as well as the similar geochronology, ore-forming fluids system and stable isotope compositions. Thus gold mineralization in the Jiaojia goldfield was a large-scale unified event, with consistent timing, origin, process and mechanism.     

The Youga gold deposit,Burkina Faso

The Youga gold deposits are located in southern Burkina Faso, close to the border with Ghana and classified as epigenetic mesothermal orogenic type gold deposits. They are hosted within or adjacent to Tarkwaian-type metasediments of the Youga Basin, composed of a succession of arkosic sandstones, conglomerates and subordinate chlorite schists. The Youga deposits are characterized by two distinct styles of mineralization; the moderately to weakly silicified host rock with quartz stockwork veining and pyrite as the predominant sulphide which generally grades between 0.5 and 2 g/t and the intensely silicified arkose with abundant quartz veins and more diverse sulphides (pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and galena) which generally grades > 3 g/t. The alteration paragenesis associated with the mineralized vein stockwork is characterized by quartz, ankerite, albite, chlorite and pyrite. The first mineralization episode occurred under brittle-ductile conditions during the D1_Y deformation event characterized by E–W trending penetrative to discrete structures. Gold is concentrated in zones affected by irregular fracturing, quartz veining and occasional brecciation. Reworking of these structures during D2_Y, by N–S to NE-trending sub-vertical shear zones, lead to further economic concentration of gold found in eight individual deposits, all localized in or immediately adjacent to Tarkwaian-type sediments (Main, East, West Zone 1, 2, and 3, A2NE, NTV and Zergoré). Absolute age of mineralization is unknown as well as that of the host sediments; however stratigraphic and structural craton-wide correlations suggest that the mineralization occurred after 2110 Ma if not much later. Commercial production was achieved at the Youga Gold Mine in 2008 and as of December 31st, 2014 has produced 537,621 oz of gold.     

内蒙古中部召河庙地区金矿成矿规律及找矿预测

总结了召河庙地区金矿的成矿规律，指出本区所发现的具一定规模的金矿（化）点在区域上主要集 分布于青灰窑子－大井－程二沟－东柜一线，矿体均为含金石英脉。容矿岩系为新太古代变质石英闪长岩、斜长岩花岗岩。成矿物质来源主要为古老的变质中基性深成侵入岩，即所谓广义的绿岩带。矿源岩中金物质的活化受深断裂作用、韧性剪切作用、退变质作用、变质流体以及岩浆热液的多重影响，其中以构造作用和岩浆热液最为重要。金矿的形成时期较长，主成矿时期在元古代。预测程二沟－白音查干－东柜一带为今后进一步寻找金矿的优选靶区。     

Formation of the Campbell-Red Lake gold deposit by H2O-poor, CO2-dominated fluids

The Campbell-Red Lake gold deposit in the Red Lake greenstone belt, with a total of approximately 840 t of gold (past production + reserves) and an average grade of 21 g/t Au, is one of the largest and richest Archean gold deposits in Canada. Gold mineralization is mainly associated with silicification and arsenopyrite that replace carbonate veins, breccias and wallrock selvages. The carbonate veins and breccias, which are composed of ankerite ± quartz and characterized by crustiform–cockade textures, were formed before and/or in the early stage of penetrative ductile deformation, whereas silicification, arsenopyrite replacement and gold mineralization were coeval with deformation. Microthermometry and laser Raman spectroscopy indicate that fluid inclusions in ankerite and associated quartz (Q1) and main ore-stage quartz (Q2) are predominantly carbonic, composed mainly of CO₂, with minor CH₄ and N₂. Aqueous and aqueous–carbonic inclusions are extremely rare in both ankerite and quartz. H₂O was not detected by laser Raman spectroscopic analyses of individual carbonic inclusions and by gas chromatographic analyses of bulk samples of ankerite and main ore-stage quartz (Q2). Fluid inclusions in post-mineralization quartz (Q3) are also mainly carbonic, but proportions of aqueous and aqueous–carbonic inclusions are present. Trace amounts of H₂S were detected by laser Raman spectroscopy in some carbonic inclusions in Q2 and Q3, and by gas chromatographic analyses of bulk samples of ankerite and Q2. ³He/⁴He ratios of bulk fluid inclusions range from 0.008 to 0.016 Ra in samples of arsenopyrite and gold. Homogenization temperatures (T _h–CO₂) of carbonic inclusions are highly variable (from −4.1 to +30.4°C; mostly to liquid, some to vapor), but the spreads within individual fluid inclusion assemblages (FIAs) are relatively small (within 0.5 to 10.3°C). Carbonic inclusions occur both in FIAs with narrow T _h–CO₂ ranges and in those with relatively large T _h–CO₂ variations. The predominance of carbonic fluid inclusions has been previously reported in a few other gold deposits, and its significance for gold metallogeny has been debated. Some authors have proposed that formation of the carbonic fluid inclusions and their predominance is due to post-trapping leakage of water from aqueous–carbonic inclusions (H₂O leakage model), whereas others have proposed that they reflect preferential trapping of the CO₂-dominated vapor in an immiscible aqueous–carbonic mixture (fluid unmixing model), or represent an unusually H₂O-poor, CO₂-dominated fluid (single carbonic fluid model). Based on the FIA analysis reported in this study, we argue that although post-trapping modifications and host mineral deformation may have altered the fluid inclusions in varying degrees, these processes were not solely responsible for the formation of the carbonic inclusions. The single carbonic fluid model best explains the extreme rarity of aqueous inclusions but lacks the support of experimental data that might indicate the viability of significant transport of silica and gold in a carbonic fluid. In contrast, the weakness of the unmixing model is that it lacks unequivocal petrographic evidence of phase separation. If the unmixing model were to be applied, the fluid prior to unmixing would have to be much more enriched in carbonic species and poorer in water than in most orogenic gold deposits in order to explain the predominance of carbonic inclusions. The H₂O-poor, CO₂-dominated fluid may have been the product of high-grade metamorphism or early degassing of magmatic intrusions, or could have resulted from the accumulation of vapor produced by phase separation external to the site of mineralization.Geological Survey of Canada contribution 2004383.     

The Nassara gold prospect,Gaoua District,southwestern Burkina Faso

The Nassara-Au prospect is located in the Birimian Boromo Greenstone Belt in southwestern Burkina Faso. It is part of a larger mineralized field that includes the Cu–Au porphyry system of Gaoua, to the north. At Nassara, mineralization occurs within the West Batié Shear Zone that follows the contact between volcanic rocks (basalt and andesite) and volcano-sediments (pyroclastics and black shales) at the southern termination of the Boromo Belt. Gold is associated with pyrite and other Fe-bearing minerals that occur disseminated within the sheared volcanic and volcano-sedimentary rocks. In particular, highest grades are distinguished in alteration halos of small quartz–albite–ankerite veins that form networks along the shear zone. Here, pyrites are marked by As-poor and As-rich growth zones, the latter containing gold inclusions. Gold mineralization formed during D2_NA. Subsequent shear fractures related to D3_NA related are devoid of gold. Nassara is a classical orogenic gold occurrence where gold is associated to disseminated pyrite along quartz veins.     

胶东玲珑金矿田171号脉深部金矿床特征及构造控矿作用

玲珑金矿田171号脉赋存于招平断裂北段破头青断裂中,在其深部探明金资源储量150余吨,确定其为超大型破碎带蚀变岩型金矿床。为了揭示构造与成矿、深部矿与浅部矿、石英脉型矿与蚀变岩型矿等的关系,为深部找矿提供典型实例和理论依据,文章通过大量矿区地质勘探、野外地质调查和区域地质综合研究,剖析了矿床特征,揭示了构造控矿规律。171号金矿脉深部共有7个金矿体,均为盲矿体。其中,171_1号主矿体埋深120~1700m,呈似层状、大脉状分布,沿走向及倾向显舒缓波状。矿体总体走向60°,倾向SE,倾角36.5~43.5°。矿体长2500m,斜深510~3100 m,平均厚度4.23 m,平均金品位2.71×10~(-6),矿石主要为黄铁绢英岩型(蚀变岩型)。矿脉和矿体受断裂构造控制,矿化、构造、蚀变分带具有一致性。由控矿断裂的主裂面至远离主裂面,构造变形强度由强变弱,蚀变强度和矿化强度也由强变弱。招平断裂是一条切割早期韧性剪切带的脆性断裂,总体呈舒缓波状展布,大部分地段发育于早前寒武纪变质岩系与侏罗纪玲珑型花岗岩之间,断裂上盘脆性变形较弱,下盘脆性变形带宽大,是沿不同时代地质体之间发育的左行铲式正断层,类似于拆离断层,是胶东白垩纪伸展构造的组成部分。玲珑金矿田是典型的石英脉型金矿产地,但大型金矿床多为赋存于断裂构造中的蚀变岩型金矿床,石英脉型金矿床与蚀变岩型金矿床是同一构造系统中不同构造位置的产物;一般在主断裂中赋存蚀变岩型金矿床,在主断裂下盘的次级张裂隙中产出石英脉型金矿床。胶东以正断层为主的伸展构造系统为大规模成矿提供了有利条件,构造、蚀变分带和不同类型金矿床的关系是金矿找矿的重要标志。     

Genetic aspects of gold mineralization in the Southern Granulite Terrain,India

Gold mineralization in Southern Granulite Terrain (SGT) of India has close spatial relationship with the shear zones (Moyar–Bhavani) present in Cauvery Suture Zone. Gold is found to be associated with primary quartz veins, placers and laterites. The gold prospects in SGT can be broadly grouped into three provinces i) Wynad-Nilgiri, ii) Malappuram and iii) Attappadi. The auriferous quartz veins are within the deformed biotite/hornblende bearing gneisses and amphibolite. Wall rock alteration is conspicuous around the mineralized veins and gives an assemblage of muscovite–calcite–ankerite–chlorite–biotite–pyrite related to fluid–rock interaction at the time of vein formation. Fluid inclusion studies of vein quartz gives an idea of the nature of the ore forming fluids, the fluid involved in gold mineralization is of low saline and aqueous-carbonic in composition and quite similar to the orogenic lode gold deposits reported world-wide. Micro-thermometric data indicates fluid immiscibility (phase separation) during trapping of fluid inclusions and this must have played an important role in gold deposition. Geochronological studies of mineral separates from Wynad-Nilgiri province using Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd isochron methods of the auriferous quartz veins gave an age of approximately 450 Ma for the vein formation. The present studies on SGT gold mineralization indicate 1. During the Pan-African orogeny, extensive fluid influx from mantle and metamorphism extracted gold from a mafic source and were focused along major structural discontinuities of Moyar–Bhavani Shear Zone, 2. The aqueous–carbonic ore fluid interacted with rocks of the upper crust and triggered a set of metasomatic changes responsible for the dissolved components such as Ca, Si and Fe and finally precipitating in the veins and 3. The mineralizing fluid with dissolved gold in sulphide complex got destabilized due to fluid immiscibility and wall rock alteration leading to the deposition of gold with associated sulphide minerals in the vein system.     

Geological and Fluid Inclusion Constraints on Gold Deposition Processes of the Dayingezhuang Gold Deposit,Jiaodong Peninsula,China

The Dayingezhuang gold deposit, hosted mainly by Late Jurassic granitoids on Jiaodong Peninsula in eastern China, contains an estimated 170 t of gold and is one of the largest deposits within the Zhaoping fracture zone. The orebodies consist of auriferous altered pyrite–sericite–quartz granites that show Jiaojia-type (i.e., disseminated and veinlet) mineralization. Mineralization and alteration are structurally controlled by the NE- to NNE-striking Linglong detachment fault. The mineralization can be divided into four stages: (K-feldspar)–pyrite–sericite–quartz, quartz–gold–pyrite, quartz–gold–polymetallic sulfide, and quartz–carbonate, with the majority of the gold being produced in the second and third stages. Based on a combination of petrography, microthermometry, and laser Raman spectroscopy, three types of fluid inclusion were identified in the vein minerals: NaCl–H2O (A-type), CO2–H2O–NaCl (AC-type), and pure CO2 (PC-type). Quartz crystals in veinlets that formed during the first stage contain mainly AC-type fluid inclusions, with rare PC-type inclusions. These fluid inclusions homogenize at temperatures of 251°C–403°C and have low salinities of 2.2–9.4 wt% NaCl equivalent. Quartz crystals that formed in the second and third stages contain all three types of fluid inclusions, with total homogenization temperatures of 216°C–339°C and salinities of 1.8–13.8 wt% NaCl equivalent for the second stage and homogenization temperatures of 195°C–321°C and salinities of 1.4–13.3 wt% NaCl equivalent for the third stage. In contrast, quartz crystals that formed in the fourth stage contains mainly A-type fluid inclusions, with minor occurrences of AC-type inclusions; these inclusions have homogenization temperatures of 106°C–287°C and salinities of 0.5–7.7 wt% NaCl equivalent. Gold in the ore-forming fluids may have changed from Au(HS)0 as the dominant species under acidic conditions and at relatively high temperatures and fO2 in the early stages, to Au(HS)2– under neutral-pH conditions at lower temperatures and fO2 in the later stages. The precipitation of gold and other metals is inferred to be caused by a combination of fluid immiscibility and water–rock interaction.     

Compositional characteristics of fluid inclusions as exploration tool for Au-mineralization at Larafella, Burkina Faso

The Larafella Au-prospect (Burkina Faso) lies within dacitic rocks of the Palaeoproterozoic Birimian greenstone belts. Gold mineralization is intimately associated with zones of cataclastic deformation. Whilst the lode-vein mineralization is closely associated with CO₂-rich fluid inclusions, the barren quartz veins are characterized by H₂O ± salt-bearing inclusions. Geochemical studies on the immediate wall-rock of the quartz veins have shown an increase of As in zones of gold enrichment, while alteration overprints such as carbonatization and chloritization cannot be correlated unequivocally with Au-mineralization. Consequently, fluid inclusion studies of quartz veins and As-anomalies constitute important exploration tools for mesothermal gold mineralization, since Au-rich zones can be distinguished from Au-depleted zones.     

黔东南石英脉型金矿床中铁白云石流体包裹体研究

铁白云石是黔东南石英脉型金矿主成矿阶段的主要脉石矿物之一,与金的矿化关系十分密切,在金的运移、沉淀等方面起着重要作用,其流体包裹体特征可以反映成矿流体性质。通过对铁白云石开展系统的流体包裹体岩相学观察、均一法测温和冰点测定,计算出包裹体盐度和密度等数据。结果表明: 铁白云石包裹体较为发育,以含CO₂的包裹体为主; 均一温度集中在240~300 ℃范围内,平均均一温度为267.21 ℃; 成矿流体的盐度为7.31%~21.40%(NaCl),平均为15.31%(NaCl); 成矿流体的密度介于0.72~0.97 g/cm³之间,平均为0.89 g/cm³。认为黔东南石英脉型金矿床属于低盐度、高密度的中温热液矿床。     

Geochemistry and Fluid Inclusions Analysis of Vein Quartz in the Multiple Hydrothermal Systems of Mankayan Mineral District,Philippines

Several high‐sulfidation epithermal gold orebodies in the Mankayan Mineral District were formed in an environment that has been already affected by earlier porphyry‐type mineralization. This study reports the geologic and geochemical characteristics of the Carmen and Florence epithermal orebodies, which are located in the south of the Lepanto main enargite–gold orebody. The gold‐bearing epithermal quartz veins in the Carmen and Florence areas are of two types: (i) the enargite‐rich veins and (ii) the quartz–pyrite–gold (QPG) veins. The two types of veins are mainly hosted by the Cretaceous Lepanto Metavolcanics basement rocks, with minor veins cutting the Pleistocene Imbanguila Dacite Pyroclastics. The mineral assemblages and homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions indicate that the Carmen and Florence orebodies were deposited by fluids varying from high to very high sulfidation state. The enargite and QPG epithermal veins of Carmen and Florence cut porphyry‐type quartz veinlet stockworks and veins that host polyphase hypersaline fluid inclusions that did not homogenize at or below 400°C. These high‐temperature quartz exhibits distinctly different mineral chemistry from the quartz of the QPG and enargite‐rich epithermal veins. In particular, the Ti content of quartz of the porphyry‐type veinlet stockwork is elevated (>100 ppm), whereas the Ti concentration of the epithermal vein quartz crystals are below detection limits. The Fe concentration of quartz is high in epithermal vein quartz (>300 ppm), whereas nearly undetected in the porphyry‐type stockwork veinlet quartz. Multiple generations of quartz with different mineral chemistry, fluid inclusions morphology, temperature, salinity and bulk gas compositions, and stable isotopic ratios indicate the variable hydrothermal conditions throughout the mineralization history of the Mankayan District. The temperature, pH, sulfidation state, oxidation state, and fluid composition vary among the orebodies in Carmen and Florence areas. Furthermore, the characteristics of earlier alteration affected the apparent characteristics of subsequent mineralization.     

胶东唐家沟金矿床独居石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb同位素年代学及其地质意义

唐家沟金矿床是胶东地区牟平-乳山金矿带内一典型石英脉型金矿床。矿体产出于昆嵛山岩体与古元古代荆山群变质岩接触带附近的昆嵛山岩体中,受唐家沟断裂及其次级北东向断裂控制。矿体呈串珠状等间距分布,沿走向分支复合、膨胀夹缩现象明显。围岩昆嵛山二长花岗岩锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb测年结果为157.57±0.82Ma,含金石英脉中热液独居石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb测年结果为122.1±2.8Ma,代表了金矿的成矿时代。结合近年来已有成果,认为昆嵛山岩体是陆陆挤压碰撞环境下,地壳部分熔融形成的,与金成矿无直接关系,为成矿前构造-岩浆活动的产物;早白垩世,古太平洋板块向欧亚板块俯冲,构造体制由挤压向伸展转换,形成一套壳幔混合型花岗岩,成矿作用发生于岩浆作用晚期,时代集中于117～122Ma,为牟平-乳山成矿带成矿期构造-岩浆活动的代表;110～120Ma,胶东地区岩石圈强烈减薄,在伸展的构造环境下发育的三佛山岩体,与成矿无直接关系。     

Geology and inclusion studies on the genesis of the Baolun gold deposit in Hainan Province,South China

The late Triassic Baolun gold deposit hosted by Silurian phyllites is a large‐scale high‐grade gold deposit in Hainan Island, South China. The ores can be classified into quartz‐vein dominated type and less altered rock type. Three mineralization stages were recognized by mineral assemblages. The early stage, as the most important mineralization stage, is characterized by a quartz–native gold assemblage. The muscovite?quartz?pyrite?native gold assemblage is related to the intermedium mineralization stage. In late mineralization stage, native gold and Bi‐bearing minerals are paragenetic minerals. Microthermometry analyses show that the early mineralization stage is characterized by two types of fluid inclusions, including CO₂‐rich inclusions (C‐type) and aqueous inclusions (W‐type). C‐type inclusions homogenize at 276–335°C with an averaged value of 306°C and have salinities of 1.0–10.0 wt% NaCl equivalent (mean value of 4.9 wt% NaCl equivalent). W‐type inclusions homogenize at 252–301°C (mean value of 278°C) with salinity of 4.0–9.7 wt% NaCl equivalent (mean value of 7.4 wt% NaCl equivalent). In intermedium mineralization stage, C‐type and W‐type inclusions homogenize at 228–320°C (mean value of 283°C) and 178–296°C (mean value of 241°C), with salinities of 2.4–9.9 wt% NaCl equivalent (mean value of 6.5 wt% NaCl equivalent) and 3.7–11.7 wt% NaCl equivalent (mean value of 7.7 wt% NaCl equivalent), respectively. No suitable mineral, such as quartz or calcite, was found for fluid inclusion study from late mineralization stage. In contrast, only aqueous inclusions were found from post‐ore barren veins, which yielded lower homogenization temperatures ranging from 168–241°C (mean value of 195°C) and similar salinities (2.6–12.6 wt% NaCl equivalent with averaged value of 7.2 wt% NaCl equivalent). The different homogenization temperatures and similar salinities of C‐type and W‐type from each mineralization stage indicate that fluid immiscibility and boiling occurred. The Baolun gold deposit was precipitated from a CO₂‐bearing mesothermal fluid, and formed at a syn‐collision environment following the closure of the Paleo‐Tethys.     

Mineralogical and sulfur isotopic characteristics of Archean greenstone belt-hosted gold mineralization at the Tau deposit of the Mupane gold mine,Botswana

The Mupane gold deposit, which is one of the numerous gold occurrences in the Tati Greenstone Belt in the northeastern part of Botswana, consists of four orebodies, namely Tau, Tawana, Kwena, and Tholo deposits. The present research, which focuses on the genesis of the Tau deposit, was based on ore petrography, mineral chemistry of sulfides, and sulfur isotope data. Mineralogical characteristics of the host rocks indicate that banded iron formation at the Tau deposit includes iron oxides (magnetite), carbonates (siderite and ankerite), silicates (chlorite and amphibole), and sulfides (arsenopyrite and pyrrhotite). The deposit features arsenopyrite-rich zones associated with biotite-chlorite veins, which are indicative of the precipitation of arsenopyrite concomitant with potassic alteration. The replacement of magnetite by pyrrhotite in some samples suggests that sulfidation was likely the dominant gold precipitation mechanism because it is considered to have destabilized gold-thiocomplexes in the ore-forming fluids. Based on textural relationships and chemical composition, arsenopyrite is interpreted to reflect two generations. Arsenopyrite 1 is possibly early in origin, sieve textured with abundant inclusions of pyrrhotite. Arsenopyrite 1 was then overgrown by late arsenopyrite 2 with no porous textures and rare inclusions of pyrrhotite. Gold mineralization was initiated by focused fluid flow and sulfidation of the oxide facies banded iron formation, leading to an epigenetic gold mineralization. The mineralogical assemblages, textures, and mineral chemistry data at the Tau gold deposit revealed two-stage gold mineralizations commencing with the deposition of invisible gold in arsenopyrite 1 followed by the later formation of native gold during hydrothermal alteration and post-depositional recrystallization of arsenopyrite 1. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric analysis of arsenopyrite from the Tau deposit revealed that the hydrothermal event responsible for the formation of late native gold also affected the distribution of other trace elements within the grains as evidenced by varying trace elements contents in arsenopyrite 1 and arsenopyrite 2. The range of δ³⁴S of gold-bearing assemblages from the Tau deposit is restricted from +1.6 to +3.9‰, which is typical of Archean orogenic gold deposits and indicates that overall reduced hydrothermal conditions prevailed during the gold mineralization process at the Tau deposit. The results from this study suggest that gold mineralization involved multi-processes such as sulfidation, metamorphism, deformation, hydrothermal alteration, and gold remobilization.     

胶东-朝鲜半岛中生代金成矿作用

华北克拉通东部与朝鲜半岛相接,是中朝克拉通的重要组成部分。在华北克拉通东部的胶东半岛和朝鲜半岛内皆产出有不同规模的金矿床,并具有显著的地域特色。胶东半岛已发现金矿床(点)近200处,其中三山岛、焦家、新城、玲珑等为世界级金矿,它们为石英脉型和受构造控制的蚀变岩型,成矿时间主要集中在~120Ma,说明金成矿作用是在相当短的时间内,在同一成矿背景下和同一构造-岩浆-流体成矿系统下完成的。成矿流体主要来自幔源岩浆以及幔源岩浆与地壳相互作用产生的地质流体,就位环境与地壳/岩石圈在早白垩世强烈伸展构造变形有关,为克拉通破坏型金矿;与我国辽东相邻的朝鲜半岛北部平安北道等地金矿储量较大,成矿类型与特征辽东五龙金矿类似,为石英脉型矿化,也可能为早白垩世与华北克拉通岩石圈减薄、破坏相关的金矿床;朝鲜半岛南部的韩国金(银)矿床分成侏罗纪中温热液型和白垩纪浅成低温热液型两类,其中侏罗纪热液脉状金矿成矿特征虽与胶东金矿类似,但成矿时代(峰期~160Ma)有显著差异。而白垩纪浅成低温热液型金-银矿化主要发生在100~70Ma,与太平洋板块俯冲作用相关,为典型的环太平洋斑岩-次火山活动有关的浅成低温贱金属成矿系列。胶东和朝鲜半岛金矿床类型、特征及成矿时间的异同,与区域中生代地质演化及地球动力学背景密切相关。     

河北金厂峪金矿控矿构造特征与成矿物质来源

金厂峪金矿是我国华北板块北缘大型金矿床之一,矿床产在晚太古宙褶皱绿岩带中,矿石类型主要包括含金钠长石脉和含金石英脉两种.控矿构造研究表明,在两期区域性褶皱作用下,形成的金厂峪复背斜及与之相关的北北东向挤压片理化带是金厂峪金矿的主要控矿构造.在片理化和蚀变过程中围岩斜长角闪岩的Fe2O3、CaO、MgO等成分被明显带出,...     

新疆西南天山金矿床主要类型、特征及成矿作用

文章在总结前人研究成果的基础上,综合论述了西南天山金矿的成矿地质背景、金矿床的时空分布和基本特征。根据矿床地质特征和控矿因素,将西南天山的金矿划分为与剪切带有关的金矿床、与侵入岩有关的金矿床(包括斑岩型)、石英-重晶石脉型金矿床、与火山岩有关的金矿床和矽卡岩型金矿床5类,其中与剪切带有关的金矿床是最重要的矿床类型。探讨了西南天山金矿的成矿时代、成矿物质和成矿流体来源,以及成矿地球动力学机制。提出与剪切带有关的金矿床成矿物质主要来源于岩浆和海相碳酸盐岩,成矿流体主要来源于岩浆水或主要来自大气降水,混合少量岩浆水。石英-重晶石脉型金矿床成矿物质来自容矿地层,成矿流体主要来源于沉积建造水。与剪切带有关的金矿、与侵入岩有关的金矿、石英重晶石脉型金矿和矽卡岩型金矿成矿时代主要集中在二叠纪—三叠纪,形成于后碰撞构造演化阶段。斑岩型和浅成低温热液型金矿床形成于岛弧挤压环境。     

祁吕贺兰山字型构造控金研讨

祁吕贺兰山字型构造在古生代末期开始活动，中生代成形，新生代定形。与金成矿关系极为密切，金矿分为岩金和砂金矿。岩金包括含金石英脉型、构造蚀变岩型、岩浆岩型、浸染型、硅铁型及氧化铁帽型。祁吕贺兰山字型构造的各组成部分均发现有金矿床，以弧顶遥居首位，依次为前弧、砥柱、反射弧、反射弧脊柱，马蹄形盾地及脊柱。该构造区内分布着小秦岭、陕甘川金三角，还有燕山和晋东北金矿区，熊耳山金矿密集区等。大多数岩金矿形成于燕山期，砂金形成于第四纪。     

辽东地区金矿床类型、成矿特征及找矿潜力

辽东地区是我国重要的金矿集区之一,中生代构造、岩浆活动强烈,并伴生强烈的金成矿作用。根据金矿床时空分布及成矿特征,将辽东地区划分为三个金矿集区:青城子、五龙、猫岭。矿集区内金矿包括石英脉型金矿和蚀变岩型金矿这两种类型,并分别受高角度断裂和低角度断裂构造体系控制。辽东地区金矿成矿时代主要为早白垩世,少量早侏罗世。已有H-O同位素、成矿流体及地质研究表明:(1)区内金成矿与中生代岩浆活动有关、受断裂构造控制,并以强烈硅化-绢云母化为特征标志;(2)区内金矿床属于岩浆热液型矿床;(3)充填作用和混合作用可能是辽东地区金矿床成矿物质沉淀的机制。辽东地区金矿成矿系统按其产出环境及特点,可分为两个亚系统:产于中生代花岗质岩体内岩浆热液金成矿系统(五龙式)及产于古元古代变质岩中岩浆热液金成矿系统(青城子式、猫岭式)。结合区域找矿进展和近期研究工作,建立了辽东地区金矿找矿预测地质模型,认为本区具有与胶东地区相似的金矿成矿条件,成矿潜力巨大,研究工作对区域矿产勘查部署工作有指导意义。