| Abstract: | The Cu-Zn-Pb-Ag sulphide deposit at Teutonic Bore is a stratiform deposit of apparent volcanogenic origin in Archaean metabasaltic rocks in the Yilgarn Block of Western Australia. The area has moderate topographic relief, and has been weathered to a depth of about 75 m, which is about 40 m below the present water table. Part of the deposit, before mining commenced, was exposed at the surface as a gossan, samples of which contained between 500 and 1000 ppm Zn, Cu and Sb, and in excess of 1000 ppm Pb, Sn and As.The primary ore has weathered to supergene sulphides, then to an oxide assemblage containing abundant secondary ore minerals, then to leached oxides, and finally to surface gossan. The strong geochemical signature of the gossan is attributed partly to elements chemically combined with Fe oxides, partly to the presence of several stable secondary ore minerals, and partly to the presence of unweathered primary minerals. Diagnostic boxwork textures, except for those of pyrite, are not well developed. |
