Distribution of platinum-group elements in the Platreef at Overysel,northern Bushveld Complex: a combined PGM and LA-ICP-MS study

Detailed mineralogical and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry studies have revealed the physical manifestation of the platinum-group elements (PGE) within the Platreef at Overysel, northern Bushveld Complex, South Africa. The PGE in the Platreef were originally concentrated in an immiscible sulfide liquid along with semi-metals such as Bi and Te. As the sulfide liquid began to crystallize, virtually all the Os, Ir, Ru and Rh partitioned into monosulfide solid solution (mss), which on further cooling, exsolved to form pyrrhotite and pentlandite with Os, Ir and Ru remaining in solid solution in both phases with Rh prefentially partitioning into pentlandite. Platinum, some Pd and Au were concentrated in the residual sulfide liquid after mss crystallization, and were then concentrated in an immiscible late stage melt along with semi metals, which was expelled to the grain boundaries during crystallization of intermediate solid solution (iss) to form Pt and Pd tellurides and electrum around the margins of the sulfide grains. Tiny droplets of this melt trapped in the crystallizing mss and iss cooled to form Pt–Bi–Te microinclusions in all sulfide phases, whilst the excess Pd was accommodated in solid solution in pentlandite. Minor redistribution and recrystallization by hydrothermal fluids occurred around xenoliths and at the very base of the mineralized zone within the footwall, however, the overall lack of secondary alteration coupled with the volatile-poor nature of the gneissic footwall have allowed the preservation of what may be the most ‘primary’ style of Platreef mineralization. The lack of PGM inclusions within early liquidus phases suggests very early sulfur saturation in the Platreef, lending support to theories involving S saturation occurring prior to intrusion of the Platreef, possibly within a staging chamber.     

Petrology, geochemistry and the mechanisms determining the distribution of platinum-group element and base metal sulphide mineralisation in the Platreef at Overysel, northern Bushveld Complex, South Africa

Platinum-group element (PGE) mineralisation within the Platreef at Overysel is controlled by the presence of base metal sulphides (BMS). The floor rocks at Overysel are Archean basement gneisses, and unlike other localities along the strike of the Platreef where the floor is comprised of Transvaal Supergroup sediments, the intimate PGE–BMS relationship holds strong into the footwall rocks. Decoupling of PGE from BMS is rare and the BMS and platinum-group mineral assemblages in the Platreef and the footwall are almost identical. There is minimal overprinting by hydrothermal fluids; therefore, the mineralisation style present at Overysel may represent the most ‘primary’ style of Platreef mineralisation preserved anywhere along the strike. Chondrite-normalised PGE profiles reveal a progressive fractionation of the PGE with depth into the footwall, with Ir, Ru and Rh dramatically depleted with depth compared to Pt, Pd and Au. This feature is not observed at Sandsloot and Zwartfontein, to the south of Overysel, where the footwall rocks are carbonates. There is evidence from rare earth element abundances and the amount of interstitial quartz towards the base of the Platreef pyroxenites that contamination by a felsic melt derived from partial melting of the gneissic footwall has taken place. Textural evidence in the gneisses suggests that a sulphide liquid percolated down into the footwall through a permeable, inter-granular network that was produced by partial melting around grain boundaries in the gneisses that was induced by the intrusion of the Platreef magma. PGE were originally concentrated within a sulphide liquid in the Platreef magma, and the crystallisation of monosulphide solid solution from the sulphide liquid removed the majority of the IPGE and Rh from it whilst still within the mafic Platreef. Transport of PGE into the gneisses, via downward migration of the residual sulphide liquid, fractionated out the remaining IPGE and Rh in the upper parts of the gneisses leaving a ‘slick’ of disseminated sulphides in the gneiss, with the residual liquid becoming progressively more depleted in these elements relative to Pt, Pd and Au. Highly sulphide-rich zones with massive sulphides formed where ponding of the sulphide liquid occurred due to permeability contrasts in the footwall. This study highlights the fact that there is a fundamental floor rock control on the mechanism of distribution of PGE from the Platreef into the footwall rocks. Where the floor rocks are sediments, fluid activity related to metamorphism, assimilation and later serpentinisation has decoupled PGE from BMS in places, and transport of PGE into the footwall is via hydrothermal fluids. In contrast, where the floor is comprised of anhydrous gneiss, such as at Overysel, there is limited fluid activity and PGE behaviour is controlled by the behaviour of sulphide liquids, producing an intimate PGE–BMS association. Xenoliths and irregular bands of chromitite within the Platreef are described in detail for the first time. These are rich in the IPGE and Rh, and evidence from laurite inclusions indicates they must have crystallised from a PGE-saturated magma. The disturbed and xenolithic nature of the chromitites would suggest they are rip-up clasts, either disturbed by later pulses of Platreef magma in a multi-phase emplacement or transported into the Platreef from a pre-existing source in a deeper staging chamber or conduit.     

Laser ablation ICP-MS study of platinum-group elements in sulphides from the Platreef at Turfspruit,northern limb of the Bushveld Complex,South Africa

The Platreef unit of the northern Bushveld Complex comprises a diverse package of pyroxenites, peridotites and mafic lithologies with associated Ni–Cu–platinum-group element (PGE) mineralisation. Base metal sulphides (BMS) are generally more abundant in the Platreef than in other Bushveld PGE deposits, such as the Merensky Reef and the UG2 chromitite, but the Platreef, though thicker, has lower overall PGE grades. Despite a commonly held belief that PGEs are closely associated with sulphide mineralisation, a detailed study by laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) on a core through the Platreef at Turfspruit suggests that this is not strictly the case. While a significant proportion of the Pd, Os and Ir were found to be hosted by BMS, Pt, irrespective of its whole-rock concentration, was not. Only at the top of the Platreef is Pt directly associated with sulphide minerals where Pt–Pd–(±Sb)–Te–Bi-bearing inclusions were detected in the chalcopyrite portions of large composite sulphides. In contrast, Pd, Os, and Ir occur in solid solution and as discrete inclusions within the BMS throughout the core. For Os and Ir, this is usually in the form of Os–Ir alloys, whereas Pd forms a range of Pd–Te–Bi–(Sb) phases. Scanning electron microscope observations on samples from the top of the core revealed the presence of ≤0.2-mm-long (PtPd)₂(Sb,Te,Bi)₂ michenerite–maslovite laths within the chalcopyrite portions of large composite sulphides. Additional Pt-bearing minerals, including sperrylite and geversite, and a number of Pd(–Te–Bi–Sb) minerals were observed in, or close to, the alteration rims of these sulphides. This textural association was observed throughout the core. Similar platinum-group minerals (PGMs) were observed within the felsic assemblages composed of quartz, plagioclase, alkali feldspar and clinopyroxene produced by late-stage felsic melts that permeated the Platreef. Many of these PGMs occur a significant distance away from any sulphide minerals. We believe these features can all be linked to the introduction of As, Sb, Te and Bi into the magmatic system through assimilation of sedimentary footwall rocks and xenoliths. Where the degree of contamination was high, all of the Pt and some of the Pd formed As- and Sb-bearing PGM that were expelled to the edges of the sulphide droplets. Many of these were redistributed where they came into contact with late-stage felsic melts. Where no felsic melt interactions occurred, the expelled Pt- and Pd-arsenides and antimonides remained along the margins of the sulphides. At the top of the Platreef, where the effects of contamination were relatively low, some of the Pt remained within the sulphide liquids. On cooling, this formed the micro-inclusions and blade-like laths of Pt–Pd–(Sb)–Bi–Te in the chalcopyrite.     

Chalcophile and platinum-group element (PGE) concentrations in the sulfide minerals from the McCreedy East deposit,Sudbury, Canada,and the origin of PGE in pyrite

Magmatic sulfide deposits consist of pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite (± pyrite), and platinum-group minerals (PGM). Understanding the distribution of the chalcophile and platinum-group element (PGE) concentrations among the base metal sulfide phases and PGM is important both for the petrogenetic models of the ores and for the efficient extraction of the PGE. Typically, pyrrhotite and pentlandite host much of the PGE, except Pt which forms Pt minerals. Chalcopyrite does not host PGE and the role of pyrite has not been closely investigated. The Ni–Cu–PGE ores from the South Range of Sudbury are unusual in that sulfarsenide PGM, rather than pyrrhotite and pentlandite, are the main carrier of PGE, probably as the result of arsenic contribution to the sulfide liquid by the As-bearing metasedimentary footwall rocks. In comparison, the North Range deposits of Sudbury, such as the McCreedy East deposit, have As-poor granites in the footwall, and the ores commonly contain pyrite. Our results show that in the pyrrhotite-rich ores of the McCreedy East deposit Os, Ir, Ru, Rh (IPGE), and Re are concentrated in pyrrhotite, pentlandite, and surprisingly in pyrite. This indicates that sulfarsenides, which are not present in the ores, were not important in concentrating PGE in the North Range of Sudbury. Palladium is present in pentlandite and, together with Pt, form PGM such as (PtPd)(TeBi)₂. Platinum is also found in pyrite. Two generations of pyrite are present. One pyrite is primary and locally exsolved from monosulfide solid solution (MSS) in small amounts (<2 wt.%) together with pyrrhotite and pentlandite. This pyrite is unexpectedly enriched in IPGE, As (± Pt) and the concentrations of these elements are oscillatory zoned. The other pyrite is secondary and formed by alteration of the MSS cumulates by late magmatic/hydrothermal fluids. This pyrite is unzoned and has inherited the low concentrations of IPGE and Re from the pyrrhotite and pentlandite that it has replaced.     

Archaean lode gold mineralisation in banded iron formation at the Kalahari Goldridge deposit, Kraaipan Greenstone Belt, South Africa

The Kalahari Goldridge Mine is located within the Archaean Kraaipan Greenstone Belt, about 60 km southwest of Mafikeng in the North West Province, South Africa. The ore body thickness varies from 15 to 45 m along a strike length of about 1.5 km within approximately N–S striking banded iron formation (BIF). The stratabound ore body is hosted primarily by BIF, which consists of alternating chert and magnetite–chlorite–stilpnomelane–sulphide–carbonate bands of millimetre- to centimetre scale. A footwall of sericite–carbonate–chlorite schist underlain by mafic amphibolite occurs to the west and carbonaceous metapelites in the hanging wall to the east. Overlying the hanging wall, carbonaceous metapelites, units of coarse-grained metagreywackes fining upwards, become increasingly conglomeratic up the stratigraphy. Small-scale isoclinal folds, brecciation, extension fractures and boudinage of cherty BIF units reflect brittle-ductile deformation. Fold axial planes have foliation, with subvertical plunges parallel to prominent rodding and mineral lineation in the footwall rocks. Gold mineralisation is associated with two generations of quartz–carbonate veins, dipping approximately 20° to 40° W. The first generation consists of ladder-vein sets (group IIA) preferentially developed in centimetre-scale Fe-rich mesobands, whereas the second generation consists of large quartz–carbonate veins (group IIB), which locally crosscut the entire ore body and extend into the footwall and hanging wall. The ore body is controlled by mesoscale isoclinal folds approximately 67° E, orthogonal to the plane of mineralised, gently dipping veins, defining the principal stretching direction and development of fluid-focussing conduits. The intersections of the mineralised veins and foliation planes of the host rock plunges approximately 08° to the north. Pervasive hydrothermal alteration is characterised by chloritisation, carbonatisation, sulphidation and K-metasomatism. Gold is closely associated with sulphides, mainly pyrite and pyrrhotite, and to a lesser extent, with bismuth tellurides and carbonate minerals. Mass balance transfer calculations indicate that hydrothermal alteration of BIF involved enrichment of Au, Ag, Bi, Te, S and CO₂ (LOI), MgO, Ba, K and Rb, but significant depletion of SiO₂ and, to a lesser extent, Fe₂O₃. Extensive replacement of magnetite and chlorite in BIF and other pelitic sedimentary rocks by sulphide and carbonate minerals, both on mesoscopic and microscopic scales, is evidence of interaction of CO₂- and H₂S-bearing fluids with the Fe-rich host rocks. The fineness of gold grains ranges from 823 to 921, similar to that of other epigenetic Archaean BIF-hosted gold deposits, worldwide.     

Tsumoite (BiTe) and associated Ni-PGE mineralization from Gondpipri mafic-ultramafic complex,Bastar Craton,Central India: mineralogy and genetic significance

This paper reports the occurrence of Tsumoite (a bismuth telluride) in the Heti Cu-Ni-PGM prospect, Gondpipri mafic-ultramafic complex, Central India. The Gondpipri complex consists of several tectonically dismembered gabbronorite-gabbro-anorthositic gabbro — olivine gabbro -websterite disposed in ～10 km long tonalite-trondhjemitegranodiorite (TTG) and charnockite-enderbite suite of rocks. The mineralization occurs in the sulphide zone hosted by gabbro variants. The host rocks have been deformed and metamorphosed to granulite grade and subjected to various degrees of hydrothermal alteration. The mineralization comprises chalcopyrite, pentlandite, pyrrhotite, cubanite, millerite, and pyrite. In addition to these, occur (1) tsumoite (2) PGM in the form of moncheite, merenskyite, Pd-mellonite, and Pt-Pd-Te-Bi-Fe-S alloy. The present study indicates that the mineralization occurs in two stages related to: (i) magmatic and (ii) hydrothermal remobilization and transport of Cu-rich sulphides, tsumoite and PGM, and their re-deposition in hydrosilicate alteration zones. It is possible that the mineralization at Heti formed at different stages of bismuth activity under variable fS₂, T, and fTe₂ conditions due to change in total concentration of Te and S and /or cooling. Since the role of S is limited, Te and cooling are important factor influencing mineralogy and composition of tsumoite and associated mineralization. Mineralization occurs in two different modes of occurrences. The early mineralisation occur as blebs, specks and dissemination of sulphides, viz. pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, pentlandite and minor pyrite ± PGM, whereas later mineralisation occur as stringers, minor veins of sulphides viz. pyrite, millerite, cubanite, sijenite, tsumoite and ± PGM. Mineral assemblages and textural relationships at Heti has indicated precipitation of tsumoite and associated PGM along fractures and secondary silicates, which confirms their hydrothermal origin.     

Petrography, mineralogy and geochemistry of the Zarshuran Carlin-like gold deposit, northwest Iran

Gold mineralisation at Zarshuran, northwestern Iran, is hosted by Precambrian carbonate and black shale formations which have been intruded by a weakly mineralised granitoid. Granitoid intrusion fractured the sedimentary rocks, thereby improving conditions for hydrothermal alteration and mineralisation. Silicification is the principal hydrothermal alteration along with decalcification and argillisation. Three hydrothermal sulphide mineral assemblages have been identified: an early assemblage of pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite; then widespread base metal sulphides, lead-sulphosalts and zoned euhedral arsenical pyrite; and finally late network arsenical pyrite, massive and colloform arsenical pyrite, colloform sphalerite, coloradoite, and arsenic–antimony–mercury–thallium-bearing sulphides including orpiment, realgar, stibnite, getchellite, cinnabar, lorandite and a Tl-mineral, probably christite. Most of the gold at Zarshuran is detectable only by quantitative electron microprobe and bulk chemical analyses. Gold occurs mainly in arsenical pyrite and colloform sphalerite as solid solution or as nanometre-sized native gold. Metallic gold is found rarely in hydrothermal quartz and orpiment. Pure microcrystalline orpiment, carbon-rich shale, silicified shale with visible pyrite grains and arsenic minerals contain the highest concentrations of gold. In many ways Zarshuran appears to be similar to the classic Carlin-type sediment-hosted disseminated gold deposits. However, relatively high concentrations of tellurium at Zarshuran, evidenced by the occurrence of coloradoite (HgTe), imply a greater magmatic contribution in the mineralising hydrothermal solutions than is typical of Carlin-type gold deposits. Received: 13 May 1999 / Accepted: 2 February 2000     

Geochronological and isotopic constraints on Palaeoproterozoic skarn base metal mineralisation in the central Gawler Craton, South Australia

The mineralisation potential of Palaeoproterozoic strata from the central Gawler Craton, South Australia, is poorly known. This study defines the timing of Zn-rich skarn formation within Palaeoproterozoic calcsilicate and highlights this as a new mineralisation style for the Gawler Craton. Sulphides within the garnet–diopside skarn in the No. 17 Bore Prospect are predominantly in the form of sphalerite, associated with galena, minor chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and pyrite. Sulphide is present in disseminated form and as a coarse-grained sulphide within a sericite-rich cavity-fill. Mineralisation is inferred to have formed at 1710 ± 16 Ma through a Sm–Nd isochron from garnet and diopside aliquots. A weakly mineralised and altered granite immediately below the calcsilicate skarn crystallised at 1729 ± 13 Ma (LA-ICPMS U–Pb zircon), within error of the skarn mineralisation. The skarn is interpreted to have formed through the initiation of fluid circulation as a result of high-level granite emplacement within the Palaeoproterozoic strata. Exploration for skarn Zn–Pb deposits such as the No. 17 Bore Prospect is assisted by their geophysical properties.     

A Study of the Strathcona Mine and Its Bearing on the Origin of the Nickel-Copper Ores of the Sudbury District, Ontario

The Strathcona iron-nickel-copper sulfide ore deposit lies atthe base of the Sudbury Nickel Irruptive along the north rimof the Sudbury basin. In the vicinity of the deposit the mainbody of the Nickel Irruptive consists of an upper unit of 3700ft (1200 m) of granophyre (the ‘micropegmatite’)and a lower unit of 1500 ft (500 m) of augite norite (the ‘felsicnorite’) separated by 300 ft (100 m) of transitional rock(the ‘transition zone’). Two augite norite intrusions(the ‘mafic norite’ and the ‘xenolithic norite’)that are younger than the felsic norite occur along its lowercontact. The xenolithic norite is relatively rich in xenolithsand grades downwards into a unit known as the ‘hanging-wallbreccia’. The breccia resembles the xenolithic noritebut contains a higher proportion of xenoliths. A quartz-plagioclase-augite gneiss (the ‘footwall gneiss’)underlies all units of the Nickel Irruptive. A cataclastic breccia(the ‘footwall breccia’) which formed as a resultof comminution of both gneiss and overlying Irruptive rocksis present in most areas between the gneiss and the Nickel Irruptive.The ore body occurs partly as a dissemination of sulfides inthe matrix of the hanging-wall breccia (‘hanging-wallore’), partly as a fine dissemination and massive stringersof sulfide in the footwall breccia matrix (‘main-zoneore’), and partly as massive stringers of sulfide in thefootwall gneiss (‘deep-zone ore’). Xenoliths in the xenolithic norite and hanging-wall brecciarange from dunite to olivine gabbro. Olivine in the xenoliths(composition estimated by an X-ray method) varies from Fo73to Fo85, and hypersthene and augite (composition estimated byelectron microprobe analysis) vary from Fs25 to Fsi3, and Fsi3to Fs5, respectively. The iron content of the mafic mineralsshows a positive correlation with the proportion of felsic mineralsin the xenoliths, suggesting that the xenoliths have been derivedfrom a cryptically layered body of mafic and ultramafic rock.The wide distribution of xenoliths around the margin of theNickel Irruptive coupled with the absence of any obvious externalsource is strong evidence that the xenoliths are cognate, supportingWilson's (1956) proposal that the Irruptive is a funnel-shapedintrusion with a zone of ultramafic rocks towards its base. Hypersthene ranges from Fs33 to Fs28 in the felsic norite, fromFs28 to Fs22 in the mafic norite, and from Fs28 to Fs20 in thexenolithic norite. Augite ranges from Fsl6 to Fs14 in the felsicnorite and from Fs14 to Fsn in both the mafic and xenolithicnorites. The distribution coefficient for iron and magnesiumbetween coexisting augite and hypersthene ranges from 1-0 insome of the xenoliths to 1-5 in some samples of felsic norite,indicating that the two pyroxenes equilibrated at, or near,magmatic temperature. The composition of plagioclase in thefelsic norite, mafic norite, and xenolithic norite is aroundAn65-70 but decreases to An44 in those Irruptive rocks closestto the footwall breccia. The composition of plagioclase withinthe breccia varies between An32 and An43. Sodium metasomatismappears to have affected the breccia and to have spread outto affect adjacent rocks. The concentration of nickel and copper in the sulfides variessystematically across the ore deposit. The nickel content ofiron-nickel sulfides varies between 2-5 and 3 per cent in thehanging-wall ore but increases regularly from 3 per cent to5 or 5-5 per cent from hanging wall to footwall across the main-zoneore. Copper concentration shows a similar but more erratic variation.The variation is attributed to thermal diffusion of nickel andcopper within the main-zone ore along a gradient induced bythe overlying, hot, Nickel Irruptive. The principal opaque minerals in the ore body are, in the orderof their abundance, pyrrho-tite of at least two types, magnetite,pentlandite, chalcopyrite, and pyrite. All of the sulfides inthe hanging-wall ore are the result of exsolution from a high-temperature,pyrrhotite solid solution. Pyrite started to exsolve below 700C, chalcopyrite below 450 C, and pentlandite below 300 C.Monoclinic pyrrhotite formed from the host hexagonal pyrrhotiteprobably between 300 and 250 C. The temperature of formationof the sulfides in the main-zone ore has been obscured by reworkingof the ore after its first emplacement. The principal ore sulfides, pyrrhotite and pentlandite, arecommon throughout the mafic norite, xenolithic norite, and hanging-wallbreccia, occurring in amounts around 5 per cent in most samples.Pyrrhotite and pentlandite are extremely rare in the overlyingfelsic norite where pyrite is the most common sulfide. It occursin amounts between 01 and 0-5 per cent, commonly together withsecondary amphibole after pyroxene. The sulfides in the maficand xenolithic norites and in the hanging-wall breccia occupyspaces interstitial to the silicates, and little or no replacementof silicates by sulfides has occurred. In the main-zone ore,evidence of small-scale replacement of silicates by sulfidesis common. The high percentage of pyrrhotite and pentlandite in the maficand xenolithic norites in contrast to the felsic norite, texturalrelations between sulfides and silicates, and the high temperaturesindicated by the pyroxene distribution coefficients lead tothe conclusion that the hanging-wall sulfides (including thehanging-wall ore) at Strathcona were introduced with these youngernoritic intrusions. Data on the solubility of sulfides in silicatemagmas rule out the possibility that the bulk of the sulfideswere in solution in the noritic magmas; the data support thehypothesis that during intrusion the sulfides were held in suspensionin the in the magmas as droplets of immiscible sulfide-oxideliquid. Calculations on the rate of settling to be expectedfor such sulfide droplets are consistent with this hypothesis.The manner of emplacement of the main-zone ore is less certain;our explanation is that this ore consists of sulfides that originallysettled out of, or collected along, the base of the hanging-wallbreccia zone and were subsequently incorporated in the brecciationthat gave rise to the footwall breccia. The origin of the sulfides at Strathcona is clearly connectedclosely with the origin of the younger noritic intrusions. Asimilar connexion exists between sulfides and young marginalintrusions at many other Sudbury deposits. Jt is possible thatboth sulfides and intrusions are portions of the Nickel Irruptivemagma that lagged behind the main body of magma and were intrudedat a later stage. Alternatively, the young intrusions may haveassimilated sulfides from a sulfide-rich zone within or at themargin of the deeper layers of the Irruptive.     

The geology and mineralisation at the Golden Pride gold deposit,Nzega Greenstone Belt,Tanzania

The Golden Pride gold deposit (∼3 Moz) is located in the central part of the Nzega Greenstone Belt at the southern margin of the Lake Victoria Goldfields in Tanzania. It represents an inferred Late Archaean, orogenic gold deposit and is hosted in intensely deformed meta-sedimentary rocks in the hanging wall of the approximately E–W striking Golden Pride Shear Zone. The hanging-wall sequence also includes felsic (quartz porphyritic) to mafic (lamprophyric) intrusions, as well as banded iron formations. Hydrothermal alteration phases associated with mineralisation are dominated by sericite and chlorite. Two main ore types can be distinguished, chlorite and silica ore, both occupying dilational sites and structural intersections in the hanging wall of the main shear zone. Sulphide minerals in both ore types include pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, pyrite and accessory sphalerite, galena, sulphosalts and Ni–Co–Bi sulphides. Gold and tellurides are late in the paragenetic sequence and associated with a secondary phase of pyrrhotite deposition. Sulphur isotope compositions range from −6 to 7 per mil and are interpreted to reflect contributions from two distinct sources to the mineralising fluids in the Golden Pride gold deposit. A redox change, potentially induced by the intrusion of mafic melts, together with structural elements in the hanging wall of the Golden Pride Shear Zone, are interpreted to be the main controls on gold mineralisation in this deposit.     

New mineralogical and isotopic constraints on Main Zone-hosted PGE mineralisation at Moorddrift, northern Bushveld Complex

The northern limb of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa contains a number of occurrences of platinum-group element (PGE) mineralisation within Main Zone rocks, whereas the rest of the complex has PGE-depleted Main Zone units. On the farm Moorddrift, Cu–Ni–PGE sulphide mineralisation is hosted within the Upper Main Zone in a layered package of gabbronorites, mottled anorthosites and thin pyroxenites. Our observations indicate that a 10-m-thick, ‘reef-style’ package of mineralisation has been extensively ‘disturbed’, forming a mega breccia which in some localities may distribute mineralised rocks over intersections of over 300 m. The sulphides are made up of pyrrhotite, pentlandite and chalcopyrite, heavily altered around their margins and overprinted by secondary pyrite. Platinum-group mineral assemblages typical of primary magmatic deposits, with Pt and Pd tellurides and sperrylite, are present in the ‘reef-style’ package, whereas there is a decrease in tellurides and an increase in antimonides in the ‘disturbed’ package, interpreted to be related to hydrothermal recrystallization during veining and brecciation. Sulphur isotopes show that all sulphides within the mineralised package on Moorddrift have a crustal signature consistent with local country rock sediments of the Transvaal Supergroup. We interpret the mineralisation at Moorddrift as a primary sulphide reef, likely produced as a result of the mixing of crustally contaminated magmas in the Upper Main Zone, which has been locally disrupted post-crystallisation. At present, there are no firm links between Moorddrift and the other known PGE occurrences in the Main Zone at the Aurora and Waterberg projects, although the stratigraphic position of all may be similar and thus intriguing. Nonetheless, they do demonstrate that the Main Zone of the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex, unlike the eastern and western limbs, can be considered a fertile unit for potential PGE mineralisation.     

The Wyoming gold deposits: volcanic-hosted lode-type gold mineralisation in the eastern Lachlan Orogen,Australia

The eastern Lachlan Orogen in southeastern Australia is noted for its major porphyry–epithermal–skarn copper–gold deposits of late Ordovician age. Whilst many small quartz vein-hosted or orogenic lode-type gold deposits are known in the region, the discovery of the Wyoming gold deposits has demonstrated the potential for significant lode-type mineralisation hosted within the same Ordovician volcanic stratigraphy. Outcrop in the Wyoming area is limited, with the Ordovician sequence largely obscured by clay-rich cover of probable Quaternary to Cretaceous age with depths up to 50 m. Regional aeromagnetic data define a north–south trending linear belt interpreted to represent the Ordovician andesitic volcanic rock sequence within probable Ordo-Silurian pelitic metasedimentary rocks. Drilling through the cover sequence in 2001 to follow up the trend of historically reported mineralisation discovered extensive alteration and gold mineralisation within an andesitic feldspar porphyry intrusion and adjacent volcaniclastic sandstones and siltstones. Subsequent detailed resource definition drilling has identified a substantial mineralised body associated with sericite–carbonate–albite–quartz–(±chlorite ± pyrite ± arsenopyrite) alteration. The Wyoming deposits appear to have formed as the result of a rheological contrast between the porphyry host and the surrounding volcaniclastic rocks, with the porphyry showing brittle fracture and the metasedimentary rocks ductile deformation. The mineralisation at Wyoming bears many petrological and structural similarities to orogenic lode-style gold deposits. Although the timing of alteration and mineralisation in the Wyoming deposits remain problematic, a relationship with possible early to middle Devonian deformation is considered likely.     

Relationship between footwall composition,crustal contamination,and fluid–rock interaction in the Platreef,Bushveld Complex,South Africa

In the northern limb of the 2.06-Ga Bushveld Complex, the Platreef is a platinum group elements (PGE)-, Cu-, and Ni-mineralized zone of pyroxenite that developed at the intrusion margin. From north to south, the footwall rocks of the Platreef change from Archaean granite to dolomite, hornfels, and quartzite. Where the footwall is granite, the Sr-isotope system is more strongly perturbed than where the footwall is Sr-poor dolomite, in which samples show an approximate isochron relationship. The Nd-isotope system for samples of pyroxenite and hanging wall norite shows an approximate isochron relationship with an implied age of 2.17 ± 0.2 Ga and initial Nd-isotope ratio of 0.5095. Assuming an age of 2.06 Ga, the ɛNd values range from −6.2 to −9.6 (ave. −7.8, n = 17) and on average are slightly more negative than the Main Zone of the Bushveld. These data are consistent with local contamination of an already contaminated magma of Main Zone composition. The similarity in isotope composition between the Platreef pyroxenites and the hanging wall norites suggests a common origin. Where the country rock is dolomite, the Platreef has generally higher plagioclase and pyroxene δ ¹⁸O values, and this indicates assimilation of the immediate footwall. Throughout the Platreef, there is considerable petrographic evidence for sub-solidus interaction with fluids, and the Δ _{plagioclase–pyroxene} values range from −2 to +6, which indicates interaction at both high and low temperatures. Whole-rock and mineral δD values suggest that the Platreef interacted with both magmatic and meteoric water, and the lack of disturbance to the Sr-isotope system suggests that fluid–rock interaction took place soon after emplacement. Where the footwall is granite, less negative δD values suggest a greater involvement of meteoric water. Consistently higher values of Δ _{plagioclase–pyroxene} in the Platreef pyroxenites and hanging wall norites in contact with dolomite suggest prolonged interaction with CO₂-rich fluid derived from decarbonation of the footwall rocks. The overprint of post crystallization fluid–rock interaction is the probable cause of the previously documented lack of correlation between PGE and sulfide content on the small scale. The Platreef in contact with dolomite is the focus of the highest PGE grades, and this suggests that dolomite contamination played a role in PGE concentration and deposition, but the exact link remains obscure. It is a possibility that the CO₂ produced by decarbonation of assimilated dolomite enhanced the process of PGE scavenging by sulfide precipitation.     

Geochronological and isotopic constraints on Palaeoproterozoic skarn base metal mineralisation in the central Gawler Craton,South Australia

The mineralisation potential of Palaeoproterozoic strata from the central Gawler Craton, South Australia, is poorly known. This study defines the timing of Zn-rich skarn formation within Palaeoproterozoic calcsilicate and highlights this as a new mineralisation style for the Gawler Craton. Sulphides within the garnet–diopside skarn in the No. 17 Bore Prospect are predominantly in the form of sphalerite, associated with galena, minor chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and pyrite. Sulphide is present in disseminated form and as a coarse-grained sulphide within a sericite-rich cavity-fill. Mineralisation is inferred to have formed at 1710 ± 16 Ma through a Sm–Nd isochron from garnet and diopside aliquots. A weakly mineralised and altered granite immediately below the calcsilicate skarn crystallised at 1729 ± 13 Ma (LA-ICPMS U–Pb zircon), within error of the skarn mineralisation. The skarn is interpreted to have formed through the initiation of fluid circulation as a result of high-level granite emplacement within the Palaeoproterozoic strata. Exploration for skarn Zn–Pb deposits such as the No. 17 Bore Prospect is assisted by their geophysical properties.     

Cu-Ni-PGE mineralisation at the Aurora Project and potential for a new PGE province in the Northern Bushveld Main Zone

The Aurora Project is a Cu-Ni-PGE magmatic sulphide deposit in the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. Since 1992 mining in the northern limb has focussed on the Platreef deposit, located along the margin of the complex. Aurora has previously been suggested to represent a far-northern facies of the Platreef located along the basal margin of the complex and this study provides new data with which to test this assertion. In contrast to the Platreef, the base metal sulphide mineralisation at Aurora is both Cu-rich (Ni/Cu < 1) and Au-rich. The sulphides are hosted predominantly in leucocratic rocks (gabbronorites and leucogabbronorites) with low Cr/MgO (< 30) where pigeonite and orthopyroxene co-exist as low-Ca pyroxenes without cumulus magnetite. This mineral association is found in the Upper Main Zone and the Aurora mineral chemistry is consistent with this stratigraphic interval. Pigeonite gabbronorites above the Aurora mineralisation have high Cu/Pd ratios (> 50,000) reflecting the preferential removal of Pd over Cu in the sulphides below. Similarly high Cu/Pd ratios characterise the Upper Main Zone in the northern limb above the pigeonite + orthopyroxene interval and suggest that Aurora-style sulphide mineralisation may be developed here as well. The same mineralogy and geochemical features also appear to be present in the T Zone of the Waterberg PGE deposit, located under younger cover rocks to the north of Aurora. If these links are proved they indicate the potential for a previously unsuspected zone of Cu-Ni-PGE mineralisation extending for over 40 km along strike through the Upper Main Zone of the northern Bushveld.     

Architecture and emplacement of the Nebo–Babel gabbronorite-hosted magmatic Ni–Cu–PGE sulphide deposit,West Musgrave,Western Australia

The Nebo–Babel Ni–Cu–platinum-group element (PGE) sulphide deposit in the West Musgrave Block, Western Australia, is the largest nickel sulphide discovery in the last 10 years. The deposit is hosted within a concentrically zoned, olivine-free, tube-like (chonolithic), gabbronorite intrusion associated with the, approximately, 1,078-Ma Giles Complex-layered intrusions in the Warakurna large igneous province. Emplaced into sulphide-free amphibolite facies orthogneiss, the fault-offset Nebo–Babel chonolith extends for 5 km and has a cross-section of 1 × 0.5 km. Igneous mineralogy, fabrics, and textures are well preserved. The lithostratigraphy includes variably textured leucogabbronorites (VLGN) that form an outer shell around mineralised gabbronorite (MGN), with barren gabbronorite (BGN) and oxide–apatite gabbronorite (OAGN) in the middle and lower parts of the chonolith. Mineral and whole-rock geochemistry indicate that the units become progressively evolved in the order: VLGN, MGN, BGN, and OAGN, and that incompatible trace-element concentrations increase downwards within the MGN and BGN. The mineralisation, which is confined to the early, more primitive units (VLGN and MGN), occurs as massive sulphide breccias and stringers and as disseminated gabbronorite-hosted sulphides. The massive sulphides were emplaced late in the intrusive sequence, have different PGE chemistry and Cu tenor to the disseminated sulphides, and have undergone sulphide fractionation. The distribution of disseminated sulphides, which are primary magmatic in origin, is related to chonolith geometry and magma flow regimes, rather than to gravitational settling. Sulfur-bearing country rocks are absent in the Nebo–Babel deposit area, and thus, local crustal S addition was unlikely to have been the major mechanism in achieving sulphide immiscibility. The Nebo–Babel intrusion is part of an originally continuous magma chonolith with multiple and related magma pulses. The parental magma was medium- to low-K tholeiite with 8–9 wt% MgO. The initial magma pulse (VLGN), the most primitive and sulphide saturated, was probably emplaced along a linear weakness in the country rock. After crystallisation of VLGN, marginally more fractionated, sulphide-saturated magma was injected through the thermally insulated core of the conduit, forming the MGN. Successive pulse(s) of more fractionated magma (BGN) were emplaced in the core of the intrusion. After magma flow ceased, closed system crystal fractionation produced consistent mineral and chemical fractionation trends within BGN and OAGN. After crystallisation, the intrusion was overturned and then offset by the Jameson Fault resulting in the apparent ‘reverse’ chemical and mineral trends in Nebo–Babel.     

Petrogenesis of base metal sulphide assemblages of some peridotites from the Kaapvaal craton (South Africa)

Thirty-two peridotite xenoliths from kimberlitic pipes of the Kaapvaal craton were analysed for S and studied in reflected light microscopy and electron microprobe. Correlation between whole-rock S concentrations and sulphide modal abundances has been obscured by kimberlite-related sulphur within the mantle and by low-temperature contamination processes during emplacement. Mantle-derived base metal sulphides (BMS) occur as solitary inclusions (SI) and intergranular blebs. Unfractured SI encloses intergrowths of Ni-poor and Ni-rich monosulphide solid solution (Mss) phases, coexisting with pentlandite (Pn) and Cu-rich sulphides. Textural relationships between Mss phases and Cu-sulphides are consistent with fractional crystallization of Mss from a Cu–Fe–Ni sulphide melt. Pn-rich euhedral SI may have crystallized from a more metal-rich sulphide melt. However, the opaque mineral assemblages of both fractured sulphide inclusions and intergranular BMS point to a progressive desulphurization of Mss, yielding Pn-rich grains, often replaced by Fe-poor heazlewoodite and abundant magnetite, while Cu-sulphides are replaced by native copper. This trend is consistent with reducing conditions generated by low-temperature serpentinization. A residual origin cannot be ruled out for the Mss enclosed in the most refractory peridotites, although their Ni/Fe ratios are too low to be consistent with an equilibration with olivine at magmatic temperatures. Modal abundances of mantle-derived BMS increase in the Fe-enriched metasomatized peridotites. At least two BMS precipitation processes can be recognized: (1) precipitation of Fe–Cu-rich immiscible sulphide melts in phlogopite-(ilmenite–rutile) peridotites and (2) sulphidation reactions from an H₂S-rich fluid phase in phlogopite-K richterite peridotites.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Precious and base metal geochemistry and mineralogy of the Grasvally Norite–Pyroxenite–Anorthosite (GNPA) member,northern Bushveld Complex,South Africa: implications for a multistage emplacement

The Grasvally Norite–Pyroxenite–Anorthosite (GNPA) member within the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex is a mineralized, layered package of mafic cumulates developed to the south of the town of Mokopane, at a similar stratigraphic position to the Platreef. The concentration of platinum-group elements (PGE) in base metal sulfides (BMS) has been determined by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. These data, coupled with whole-rock PGE concentrations and a detailed account of the platinum-group mineralogy (PGM), provide an insight into the distribution of PGE and chalcophile elements within the GNPA member, during both primary magmatic and secondary hydrothermal alteration processes. Within the most unaltered sulfides (containing pyrrhotite, pentlandite, and chalcopyrite only), the majority of IPGE, Rh, and some Pd occur in solid solution within pyrrhotite and pentlandite, with an associated Pt–As and Pd–Bi–Te dominated PGM assemblage. These observations in conjunction with the presence of good correlations between all bulk PGE and base metals throughout the GNPA member indicate the presence and subsequent fractionation of a single PGE-rich sulfide liquid, which has not been significantly altered. In places, the primary sulfides have been replaced to varying degrees by a low-temperature assemblage of pyrite, millerite, and chalcopyrite. These sulfides are associated with a PGM assemblage characterized by the presence of Pd antimonides and Pd arsenides, which are indicative of hydrothermal assemblages. The presence of appreciable quantities of IPGE, Pd and Rh within pyrite, and, to a lesser, extent millerite suggests these phases directly inherited PGE contents from the pyrrhotite and pentlandite that they replaced. The replacement of both the sulfides and PGM occurred in situ, thus preserving the originally strong spatial association between PGM and BMS, but altering the mineralogy. Precious metal geochemistry indicates that fluid redistribution of PGE is minimal with only Pd, Au, and Cu being partially remobilized and decoupled from BMS. This is also indicated by the lower concentrations of Pd evident in both pyrite and millerite compared with the pentlandite being replaced. The observations that the GNPA member was mineralized prior to intrusion of the Main Zone and that there was no local footwall control over the development of sulfide mineralization are inconsistent with genetic models involving the in situ development of a sulfide liquid through either depletion of an overlying magma column or in situ contamination of crustal S. We therefore believe that our observations are more compatible with a multistage emplacement model, where preformed PGE-rich sulfides were emplaced into the GNPA member. Such a model explains the development and distribution of a single sulfide liquid throughout the entire 400–800 m thick succession. It is therefore envisaged that the GNPA member formed in a similar manner to its nearest analogue the Platreef. Notable differences however in PGE tenors indicate that the ore-forming process may have differed slightly within the staging chambers that supplied the Platreef and GNPA member.     

Mineralogical and stable isotope studies of gold–arsenic mineralisation in the Sams Creek peralkaline porphyritic granite, South Island, New Zealand

At Sams Creek, a gold-bearing, peralkaline granite porphyry dyke, which has a 7 km strike length and is up to 60 m in thickness, intrudes camptonite lamprophyre dykes and lower greenschist facies metapelites and quartzites of the Late Ordovician Wangapeka formation. The lamprophyre dykes occur as thin (< 3 m) slivers along the contacts of the granite dyke. δ¹⁸O_magma values (+5 to +8‰, VSMOW) of the A-type granite suggest derivation from a primitive source, with an insignificant mature crustal contribution. Hydrothermal gold–sulphide mineralisation is confined to the granite and adjacent lamprophyre; metapelite country rocks have only weak hydrothermal alteration. Three stages of hydrothermal alteration have been identified in the granite: Stage I alteration (high fO₂) consisting of magnetite–siderite±biotite; Stage II consisting of thin quartz–pyrite veinlets; and Stage III (low fO₂) consisting of sulphides, quartz and siderite veins, and pervasive silicification. The lamprophyre is altered to an ankerite–chlorite–sericite assemblage. Stage III sulphide veins are composed of arsenopyrite + pyrite ± galena ± sphalerite ± gold ± chalcopyrite ± pyrrhotite ± rutile ± graphite. Three phases of deformation have affected the area, and the mineralised veins and the granite and lamprophyre dykes have been deformed by two phases of folding, the youngest of which is Early Cretaceous. Locally preserved early-formed fluid inclusions are either carbonic, showing two- or three-phases at room temperature (liquid CO₂-CH₄ + liquid H₂O ± CO₂ vapour) or two-phase liquid-rich aqueous inclusions, some of which contain clathrates. Salinities of the aqueous inclusions are in the range of 1.4 to 7.6 wt% NaCl equiv. Final homogenisation temperatures (Th) of the carbonic inclusions indicate minimum trapping temperatures of 320 to 355°C, which are not too different from vein formation temperatures of 340–380°C estimated from quartz–albite stable isotope thermometry. δ¹⁸O values of Stage II and III vein quartz range from +12 and +17‰ and have a bimodal distribution (+14.5 and +16‰) with Stage II vein quartz accounting for the lower values. Siderite in Stage III veins have δ¹⁸O (+12 to +16‰) and δ¹³C values (−5‰, relative to VPDB), unlike those from Wangapeka Formation metasediments (δ¹³C_{bulk carbon} values of −24 to −19‰) and underlying Arthur Marble marine carbonates (δ¹⁸O = +25‰ and δ¹³C = 0‰). Calculated δ¹⁸O_water (+8 to +11‰, at 340°C) and (−5‰) values from vein quartz and siderite are consistent with a magmatic hydrothermal source, but a metamorphic hydrothermal origin cannot be excluded. δ³⁴S values of sulphides range from +5 to +10‰ (relative to CDT) and also have a bimodal distribution (modes at +6 and +9‰, correlated with Stage II and Stage III mineralisation, respectively). The δ³⁴S values of pyrite from the Arthur Marble marine carbonates (range from +3 to +13‰) and Wangapeka Formation (range from −4 to +9.5‰) indicate that they are potential sources of sulphur for sulphides in the Sams Creek veins. Another possible source of the sulphur is the lithospheric mantle which has positive values up to +14‰. Ages of the granite, lamprophyre, alteration/mineralisation, and deformation in the region are not well constrained, which makes it difficult to identify sources of mineralisation with respect to timing. Our mineralogical and stable isotope data does not exclude a metamorphic source, but we consider that the source of the mineralisation can best be explained by a magmatic hydrothermal source. Assuming that the hydrothermal fluids were sourced from crystallisation of the Sams Creek granite or an underlying magma chamber, then the Sams Creek gold deposit appears to be a hybrid between those described as reduced granite Au–Bi deposits and alkaline intrusive-hosted Au–Mo–Cu deposits.     

The origin of rhythmic sulphide bands from the Permian sandstones (Weissliegendes) in the footwall of the Fore-Sudetic “Kupferschiefer” (Poland)

Rhythmic copper sulphide bands occur in the Weissliegendes sandstones, in the footwall of the Kupferschiefer in the mining district of SW Poland. The δ ³⁴S values of sulphides vary from −39 to — 44‰ (6–7‰ lighter than Kupferschiefer sulphides). The copper sulphides are represented mainly by digenite and chalcocite. According to microprobe results their Pb, Ni, Zn and Ag contents are similar to those in the Kupferschiefer. The bands are assumed to be formed by diffusion of bacterially produced hydrogen sulphide from the Kupferschiefer into the porous volume of the white sandstones containing dissolved copper. The sulphides were precipitated in almost equidistant bands, from top to bottom, probably according to the Ostwald-Prager supersaturation theory. The increase of isotopically heavier sulphur towards the lower levels in the sandstone might be explained by closing of the bacterial sulphate reduction system. Contribution to the IGCP Project No. 254