Geology and Mineralogy of the Baolun Hydrothermal Gold Deposit in the Hainan Island, South China

Abstract. The Baolun quartz vein type Au deposit, is located at the southwestern Hainan Island. It occurs next to a Triassic ilmenite-series/S-type syenogranite complex. A ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau age for muscovite from the master orebody is dated to be 219.4±0.6 Ma, suggesting that the gold deposit genetically related to the granite pluton. In the Baolun mining area, orebodies of auriferous quartz vein and wall rock alteration occur in NNW-striking fracture zones hosted by weakly metamorphosed turbidite of the Lower Silurian age. Eight fracture zones, 400～1300 m long and 10～30 m wide, have been identified. The five fracture zones of them form orebodies. The ores are mainly of quartz vein type. More than 20 orebodies in shapes of vein and lens of 195～751 m in length and 0.20～7.49 m in thickness are known, and 14 of them occur in the No. 1 vein belt. Silicification, sericitization and pyritization are closely related to the Au mineralization. The ores exhibit commonly 1.54～29.48 g/t in Au grade, partially >98 g/t. The master orebody is 720 m long and 2.62 m thick in average, with 9.53～29.27 g/t Au. Gold reserves of more than 70 t have been proven by geological exploration. More than 20 metallic minerals including native gold and sulfides such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and others are identified to be formed in four ore-forming stages: (1) Au-coarse grain quartz stage, (2) Au-fine grained quartz stage, (3) Au-bismuthide-bismuth sulfosalt-sulfide-quartz stage, and (4) calcite-sulfide-quartz stage. The Au mineralization in this deposit occurred mainly in the first three stages. A variety of Bi- and Te-bearing minerals is closely associated with native gold suggesting that the mineralization may take place in a relatively high temperature.