Platinoids in the Kaalamo Differentiated Massif in the Northern Ladoga Region,Karelia, Russia

The Kaalamo massif is located in the Northern Ladoga region, Karelia, on the extension of the Kotalahti Belt of Ni-bearing ultramafic intrusions in Finland. The massif, 1.89 Ga in age, is differentiated from pyroxenite to diorite. Nickel–copper sulfide mineralization with platinoids is related to the pyroxenite phase. The ore consists of two mineral types: (i) pentlandite–chalcopyrite–pyrrhotite and (ii) chalcopyrite, both enriched in PGE. Pd and Pt bismuthotellurides, as well as Pd and Pt tellurobismuthides, are represented by the following mineral species: kotulskite, sobolevskite, merenskyite, michenerite, moncheite, keithconnite, telluropalladinite; Pt and Pd sulfides comprise vysotskite, cooperite, braggite, palladium pentlandite, and some other rare phases. High-palladium minerals are contained in pentlandite–chalcopyrite–pyrrhotite ore. Native gold intergrown with kotulskite commonly contains microinclusions (1–3 μm) of Pd stannides: paolovite and atokite. Ore with 20–60% copper sulfides (0.2–6.0% Cu) contains 5.1–6.6 gpt PGE and up to 0.13–2.3 gpt Au. Pd minerals, arsenides and sulfoarsenides of Pt, Rh, Ir, Os, and Ru are identified as well. These are sperrylite, ruthenium platarsite, hollingworthite, and irarsite; silvery gold and paolovite have also been noted. All these minerals have been revealed in the massif for the first time. The paper also presents data on the compositions of 25 PGE minerals (PGM) from Kaalamo ores.     

The taloveis gold deposit in the precambrian Kostomuksha greenstone belt,Karelia

The Kostomuksha greenstone belt is the main iron district of Karelia. Gold, diamonds, and molybdenum mineralization have been found in this belt over the last two decades. The gold occurrences and deposits pertaining to the gold-sulfide and gold-quartz types were formed at the orogenic stage. The Taloveis deposit and the Faktorny and Berendei ore occurrences are located in the South Kostomuksha area and related to a complex of porphyritic diorite and granite porphyry. The West Ruvinvaara, Niemijarvi, Eastern, and Kurgelampi gold-sulfide and gold-sulfide-quartz occurrences are controlled by metasomatized shear zones and recrystallized sulfide ore hosted in the Shurlovaara and Ruvinvaara formations in the contact aureole of granite of the framework of the greenstone belt near its margin. The gold-arsenopyrite mineralization of the South Kostomuksha open pit is related to shear and metasomatic zones at the contact between the Kostomuksha Formation and helleflinta. Significant concentrations of gold are related to the complex of diorite and granite porphyry and the shear and metasomatic zones formed at the collision stage after emplacement of potassium granite. The small Taloveis deposit is located in the southern portion of the Kostomuksha greenstone belt and related to an intrusion of diorite and granite porphyry dated at 2720 Ma. The gold-sulfide mineral type in beresitized granite is combined with the gold-quartz type in shear zones trending at an azimuth of 20 NNE and coinciding in orientation with shear zones in the Kostomuksha belt. The Au grade varies from 0.5 to 60 g/t.     

Paleoproterozoic gold-bearing copper deposits and occurrences of the Karelian Craton

Doklady Earth Sciences -     

Gold potential of massive sulfide ores in the Kamennoozero structural unit,Eastern Karelia

Two types of massive sulfide ores have been identified in the Kamennoozero segment of the green-stone belt: (1) hydrothermal volcanic-sedimentary strata-bound ores with massive, banded, and disseminated structures and (2) massive, brecciated, and stringer-disseminated Au-bearing base-metal ores, crosscutting the rocks of the Vozhmozero Group. The strata-bound, slightly metamorphosed orebodies are located at several levels along the contact between the Kamennoozero and Kumbuksa groups in the deep fault zones of the same names. These ores are composed of pyrite and pyrrhotite, small amounts of chalcopyrite and sphalerite, and distinguished by low grades of base metals and not higher than 0.06 g/t Au. In the Lebyazhino and Svetloozero areas, close to the sulfide Cu-Ni ore hosted in ultramafic rocks, the strata-bound bodies contain pentlandite and are enriched in Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and up to 2.0–9.2 g/t Au. Brecciated and recrystallized pyrite ores contain up to 0.08–0.4% Sb and As, and up to 0.6–1 g/t Au in the Kumbuksa Fault Zone near Zolotye Porogi. The North Vozhma and Upper Vozhma base-metal massive sulfide occurrences, composed of pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, galena, bornite, and chalcocite, are considered to be promising Au-bearing prospects. Some samples from the North Vozhma occurrence contain up to 1.2–2.8 g/t Au and up to 167 g/t Ag. A gold grade of up to 20 g/t has been detected in the Upper Vozhma occurrence. The potential gold resources of the North Vozhma occurrence are estimated at about 600 kg.     

Metasomatites Developed after Shungite-Bearing Rocks of the Maksovo Deposit (Onega Basin,Karelia)

Lithology and Mineral Resources - The Maksovo shungite-bearing metasapropelite (maksovite) deposit is located in the eastern part of the Onega Basin that was initiated and formed in the...     

The first finds of rhenium minerals in Karelia

Rhenium is one of the rarest elements of the earth crust (abundance ratio 0.7 mg/t). In the Karelian region, Re and accompanying Os were discovered in a copper-molybdenum-porphyry ore formation, represented by the Lobash deposit, the Jalonvaara occurrences etc., and in a noble-metal-Cu-U-vanadium ore formation (Padma Group occurrences). Molybdenites from the above deposits are enriched in Re and Os (Lobash: 13–187 g/t Re, 0.4–6 g/t Os). So far, however, no rhenium minerals proper have been revealed in the Karelian deposits and occurrences of the above formations or elsewhere. As a result of the microprobe study of mineral assemblages of cupreous sandstones from the Voronov Bor deposit (bornite ore) and sulphide-copper-nickel ore from the Rybozero deposit, osmium-cupreous rheniite (Re, Cu, Os, Fe)₁S₂ that contains 56.53–60.25% Re, 4.61–10.99% Cu, 1.52–3.77% Os and up to 4.75% Fe was revealed and studied for the first time.     

Mineralogy of the Precambrian southern Kostomuksha gold prospect in Karelia

The southern Kostomuksha gold-sulfide prospect with a grade of 0.2–30 g/t Au belongs to the gold-pyrrhotite-arsenopyrite mineral type and is localized in the metasomatically altered shear zone at the southern flank of the Kostomuksha iron deposit. The Au-bearing pyrite ore is commonly characterized by a low grade (0.02–1.0 g/t Au). The grade of Au-bearing mineralization composed of arsenopyrite, loellingite, and electrum (4.28–15.31 wt % Ag and up to 0.99–2.16 wt % Hg) is higher; pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, galena, maldonite, aurostibite, and native bismuth are additional components of this mineral assemblage. The ore mineralization is hosted in the near-latitudinal shear zone close to the contact between the folded and metamorphosed banded iron formation (BIF) and hälleflinta. The early stage of collision-related HP-HT metamorphism resulted in the formation of a garnet-amphibole-biotite assemblage (T = 680-750°C) and microcline. After an abrupt drop m pressure, metasomatic alteration and ore mineralization took place. The ore-forming process started at 510–440°C with deposition of arsenopyrite. Galena and electrum were formed at a lower temperature. The temperature continued to decline down to the stage of ore oxidation and deposition of colloform marcasite. Ore minerals precipitated from acid chloride aqueous solutions admixed with methane at the initial stage and from diluted aqueous solutions at the final stage. The character of wall-rock alteration and the gain of K, Rb, and B show that the ore-forming process postdated the emplacement of potassium granite. The occurrence of Cu, Zn, Pb, As, and Ni and other heterogeneous elements indicates a complex metamorphic-metasomatic source and an additional supply of Au, As, Bi, Sb, and Te under conditions of sulfur deficiency. The gold mineralization at the southern Kostomuksha prospect is classified as gold-sulfide (arsenopyrite) ore type related to shear zones in the BIF.