An electrochemical study of pyrite oxidation in the presence of carbon coatings in cyanide medium

The anodic and cathodic behaviour of pyrite with clay and different carbon coatings of activated carbon, graphite and carbonaceous matter in cyanide medium was investigated using the potentiodynamic method. The presence of clay coating did not change the polarisation curve appearance for either the anodic oxidation of pyrite or the cathodic reduction of oxygen or the potential of the current plateau, but only decreased the plateau current especially at a higher coating thickness. The presence of the carbon coatings marginally shifted the rest potential for pyrite to a more anodic position and slightly changed the polarisation curve appearance for pyrite oxidation. The current density for pyrite oxidation largely increased in the presence of the carbon coatings, the potential at the plateau shifted to more cathodic positions, and the plateau width became smaller. These effects became more noticeable at a higher coating thickness. The activated carbon, graphite and carbonaceous matter coatings performed similarly in affecting pyrite oxidation at a similar thickness. The carbon coatings significantly increased the limiting current densities for oxygen reduction on pyrite, and the limiting current plateau became steeper at a higher coating thickness. The carbon coatings increased the limiting current density for oxygen reduction to a similar extent at a low coating thickness, but increased to varied extents at a higher coating thickness. The carbon coatings also greatly increased the cathodic current density for gold reduction on pyrite. The enhancement of pyrite oxidation and oxygen or gold reduction on pyrite by the carbon coatings was likely attributed to the electrochemical interaction between pyrite and the carbon materials with electron-rich surfaces and high conductivity. The presence of the carbon coatings significantly increased the oxidation of pyrite in aerated cyanide solutions and the preg-robbing of pyrite especially at a higher coating thickness.     

Fluid salinities obtained by infrared microthermometry of opaque minerals: Implications for ore deposit modeling — A note of caution

Infrared microthermometry of opaque minerals has revealed that temperatures of phase changes vary with the infrared light source intensity, resulting in an overestimate of fluid salinities and an underestimate of homogenization temperatures. Failing to recognize this analytical artifact during infrared microthermometry may result in meaningless geological models. A fluid inclusion investigation on enargite from a high-sulfidation epithermal deposit is used as an example to document this. Fluid salinities obtained during an early investigation ranged between 6.3 and 20.4 wt.% NaCl, which were interpreted as intense boiling or as evidence for the involvement of a magmatic brine during ore formation. Fluid inclusion salinities obtained with improved analytical settings, i.e. low light intensities, fall between 1.1 and 1.7 wt.% NaCl and are in better agreement with fluid salinities obtained in quartz from similar deposits, and recent modeling suggesting vapor transport of Au and Cu from deep porphyry-Cu environments to shallower high-sulfidation epithermal deposits.     

Environmental impacts from mining at Taojiang Mn ore deposit, central Hunan, China

The Taojiang Mn ore deposit was exploited in the early 1960s, and waste rocks were developed since then. Because the Mn ores were hosted within the metal-enriched black shales （Peng et al., 2004）, the continuous mining has led to the exposure of an immense quality of black shales, which might cause serious impacts on environments. The present study deals with this environmental issue with samples from the waste rocks, and from the surrounding soils and surface water. The mineralogy of the waste rock was studied using EMPA, then a large number of elements in all waste rock, soil, and water samples were analyzed at a wide range of concentrations with high accuracy using an Elan6000 ICP-MS machine at Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The waste rock is composed mostly of black shales, with minor Mn carbonates. Both black shales and Mn carbonates of the waste rock contain many sulfide minerals, mainly pyrite, with minor galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and others. The waste rocks are enriched in many metals including Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Th, U, Mo, Sb, Sn, Tl, and others, and the metals are mostly hosted within the sulfides. Weathering of waste rocks might cause emission of the following metals： V, Cd, Ni, Th, U, Mo, Sb, Tl, Sc, Cr, Cu, Zn, Sn, and minor Co, and Pb. The surrounding soils are highly enriched in Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, Mo, Cd, Tl, and Pb, with the enrichment factors of 2.67.3.8, 7.26, 7.27, 8.2, 5.7, 13, and 5.4, respectively. The element ratios （Rb/Cs, Fe/Mn, Nb/Zr, Hf/Zr, and Ba/Sr） and REE distribution patterns of the soils are similar to those of the waste rocks and bedrocks.     

The Ore-forming Fluid of the Gold Deposits of Muru Gold Belt in Eastern Shandong, China - a Case Study of Denggezhuang Gold Deposit

Abstract. Denggezhuang gold deposit is an epithermal gold‐quartz vein deposit in northern Muru gold belt, eastern Shandong, China. The deposit occurs in the NNE‐striking faults within the Mesozoic granite. The deposit consists of four major veins with a general NNE‐strike. Based on crosscutting relationships and mineral parageneses, the veins appear to have been formed during the same mineralization epochs, and are further divided into three stages: (1) massive barren quartz veins; (2) quartz‐sulfides veins; (3) late, pure quartz or calcite veinlets. Most gold mineralization is associated with the second stage. The early stage is characterized by quartz, and small amounts of ore minerals (pyrite), the second stage is characterized by large amounts of ore minerals. Fluid inclusions in vein quartz contain C‐H‐O fluids of variable compositions. Three main types of fluid inclusions are recognized at room temperature: type I, two‐phase, aqueous vapor and an aqueous liquid phase (L+V); type II, aqueous‐carbonic inclusions, a CC₂‐liquid with/without vapor and aqueous liquid (LCO₂+VCC₂+Laq.); type III, mono‐phase aqueous liquid (Laq.). Data from fluid inclusion distribution, microthermometry, and gas analysis indicate that fluids associated with Au mineralized quartz veins (stage 2) have moderate salinity ranging from 1.91 to 16.43 wt% NaCl equivalent (modeled salinity around 8–10 wt% NaCl equiv.). These veins formatted at temperatures from 80d? to 280d?C. Fluids associated with barren quartz veins (stage 3) have a low salinity of about 1.91 to 2.57 wt% NaCl equivalent and lower temperature. There is evidence of fluid immiscibility and boiling in ore‐forming stages. Stable isotope analyses of quartz indicate that the veins were deposited by waters with δ^O and δD values ranging from those of magmatic water to typical meteoric water. The gold metallogenesis of Muru gold belt has no relationship with the granite, and formed during the late stage of the crust thinning of North China.     

Stratigraphic evolution of a fluvial–eolian succession: The example of the Upper Jurassic—Lower Cretaceous Guará and Botucatu formations, Paraná Basin, Southernmost Brazil

The Guará and Botucatu formations comprise an 80 to 120 m thick continental succession that crops out on the western portion of the Rio Grande do Sul State (Southernmost Brazil). The Guará Formation (Upper Jurassic) displays a well-defined facies shift along its outcrop belt. On its northern portion it is characterised by coarse-grained to conglomeratic sandstones with trough and planar cross-bedding, as well as low-angle lamination, which are interpreted to represent braided river deposits. Southwards these fluvial facies thin out and interfinger with fine- to medium-grained sandstones with large-scale cross-stratification and horizontal lamination, interpreted as eolian dune and eolian sand sheets deposits, respectively. The Botucatu Formation is characterised by large-scale cross-strata formed by successive climbing of eolian dunes, without interdune and/or fluvial accumulation (dry eolian system). The contact between the Guará and the Botucatu formations is delineated by a basin-wide deflation surface (supersurface). The abrupt change in the depositional conditions that took place across this supersurface suggests a major climate change, from semi-arid (Upper Jurassic) to hyper-arid (Lower Cretaceous) conditions. A rearrangement of the Paraná Basin depocenters is contemporaneous to this climate change, which seems to have changed from a more restrict accumulation area in the Guará Formation to a wider sedimentary context in the Botucatu Formation.     

Gold mining in Ghana's forest reserves: a report on the current debate

This paper examines the debate surrounding a recent decision made by the Ghanaian government to permit gold exploration – and potentially, mining – in 'protected' forest reserves. In 2001, four mining companies were awarded mineral exploration concessions in forested regions of the country, and have since put forward applications to mine for gold. Notwithstanding the sharp divide in opinion on the issue, the continued uncertainty surrounding the implications of the proposed activities makes further research on the ground imperative in the short term. Work aiming to elicit indigenous perspectives on the projects, as well as research that facilitates dialogue between and/or among stakeholder parties, should be prioritized.     

Early Cretaceous U–Pb zircon ages for the Copiapó plutonic complex and implications for the IOCG mineralization at Candelaria, Atacama Region, Chile

Four of the major plutons in the vicinity of the Candelaria mine (470 Mt at 0.95% Cu, 0.22 g/t Au, 3.1 g/t Ag) and a dike–sill system exposed in the Candelaria open pit have been dated with the U–Pb zircon method. The new geochronological data indicate that dacite magmatism around 123 Ma preceded the crystallization of hornblende diorite (Khd) at 118 ± 1 Ma, quartz–monzonite porphyry (Kqm) at 116.3 ± 0.4 Ma, monzodiorite (Kmd) at 115.5 ± 0.4 Ma, and tonalite (Kt) at 110.7 ± 0.4 Ma. The new ages of the plutons are consistent with field relationships regarding the relative timing of emplacement. Plutonism temporally overlaps with the iron oxide Cu–Au mineralization (Re–Os molybdenite ages at ∼115 Ma) and silicate alteration (ages mainly from 114 to 116 and 110 to 112 Ma) in the Candelaria–Punta del Cobre district. The dated dacite porphyry and hornblende diorite intrusions preceded the ore formation. A genetic link of the metallic mineralization with the quartz–monzonite porphyry and/or the monzodiorite is likely. Both of these metaluminous, shoshonitic (high-K) intrusions could have provided energy and contributed fluids, metals, and sulfur to the hydrothermal system that caused the iron oxide Cu–Au mineralization. The age of the tonalite at 110.7 Ma falls in the same range as the late alteration at 110 to 112 Ma. Tonalite emplacement may have sustained existing or driven newly developed hydrothermal cells that caused this late alteration or modified ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and K/Ar systematic in some areas.     

鄂尔多斯盆地北部底河道砂岩型铀矿地质特征

鄂尔多斯盆地北部直罗组中的铀矿,是典型的产于河道中的砂岩铀矿,该矿床发育较好的卷状矿体。通过对该铀矿地质特征的研究,认识到发育卷状矿体的底河道砂岩型铀矿必须具备两大条件:其一是成矿砂体条件,即砂体要有较好的成层性、连通性和渗透性;其二是地层结构条件,即砂体必须存在较好的上、下隔水岩层。就砂体而言,河流相辫状沉积砂体是形成卷状矿体的主要砂体,并且以具有从辫状河向曲流河完整演化的辫状沉积砂体较好。砂体的上、下隔水岩层则有多种表现形式:下隔水层可由不透水的基岩或湖相沉积泥岩等构成;上隔水层由不透水的湖相泥岩、曲流沉积地层或岩浆岩等构成。在层间氧化作用过程上,存在纵横两个方向的氧化,即存在与河道方向一致的纵向氧化和与河道垂直的横向氧化,两种氧化作用成矿常叠加形成复杂的矿体类型;在矿化赋存的部位上,铀砂体通常发育在基底之上或不同建造之间;在古气候演变上,成矿作用发生在干旱气候条件下,或由潮湿向干旱的气候转变阶段。     

深部找铀及湘南-桂北地区深部找铀潜景分析

概述了国内外深部找矿的研究成果,指出深部找矿是当今发展的趋势。国内外重大矿产的成功发掘,其深度均在千米以上,铀矿化垂向分布深度可达4 km以上。综合介绍了国内外勘查深大矿床的特点和条件,认为岩石-构造条件是深部矿化定位的重要因素,复式岩体、成矿系统的垂向变化、构造地球物理-地球化学异常模型是深部找矿的关键依据。综述了中国南方湘南—桂北地区深部找铀的有利地质构造条件和潜力,成矿流体是该区铀矿化的根源,白垩—第三纪重大地质事件是该区深部铀成矿的重要前提,重大地质事件引发的NE-NNE,NW向深大断裂及断陷盆地是铀矿化赋存的重要场所和勘查靶区。在已知铀矿田、成矿带勘查范围基础上,在该区进行深部探索将会获得重大突破。探讨了湘南—桂北地区深部找铀的勘查思路和方法。     

藏南地区金和锑矿床(点)类型及其时空分布特征

本文首次对藏南地区金和锑矿床(点)地质特征、成因类型和空间分布特点进行了总结，对金和锑成矿作用与中新生代构造一岩浆活动的关系进行了论证，对区域地壳演化过程中金和锑成矿动力学机制进行了讨论。该区的金和锑矿床(点)可按容矿围岩划分为：①变质岩为主要容矿围岩矿床(点)，包括金和金一锑矿床(点)；②沉积岩为主要容矿围岩矿床(点)，包括金、锑、金一锑和锑多金属矿床(点)；③火山岩为主要容矿围岩矿床(点)，以金一银矿床为代表。根据金和锑矿床(点)空间分布特点和地质特点，将本区划分为4个矿化集中区：拉昂错一马攸木一帕羊金矿化集中区(A)，然勒金和锑矿化集中区(B)，洛扎一措美锑矿化集中区(C)和邛多江金一锑矿化集中区(D)。各矿化集中区内大多数金和锑矿床(点)与燕山晚期～喜马拉雅早期富碱火成岩具密切时空分布关系，它们是古板块对接碰撞期和碰撞期后大规模构造一岩浆活动的产物。近东西向挤压性和南北向张性断裂交汇部位以及富碱火成岩发育区是寻找金和锑矿床(点)的有利场所。