A preliminary study of PGE in the Late Caledonian Loch Borralan and Loch Ailsh alkaline pyroxenite-syenite complexes,north-west Scotland

The Siluro-Ordovician Loch Borralan (c. 430 Ma) and Loch Ailsh Complexes (c. 439 Ma) comprise a suite of intrusive rocks ranging in composition from clinopyroxenites, through potassic melasyenites to quartz syenites. The rock suite at Loch Borralan also includes nepheline syenite. Geochemical data in the literature indicate that the intrusions are alkaline, with pronounced enrichments in LILE and LREE relative to contemporaneous calc-alkaline magmatic centres further to the south-east, although they share similar high LILE/Nb, subduction-related characteristics. The Loch Borralan Complex is associated with marginal gravity and magnetic anomalies which can be interpreted in terms of a shallow body less than 400 m thick. Analysis of rocks and drill core revealed widespread elevated Pt and Pd values in pyroxenites and syenites in both complexes. The highest concentrations, up to about 900 ppb Pt+Pd, occur in pyroxenites in the Loch Borralan Complex. Extensive archived drill core provides an excellent section through the marginal pyroxenites, which host the PGE at Loch Borralan. The pyroxenites show unusual petrological features; early clinopyroxene is followed by biotite, apatite, magnetite, sphene and plagioclase with later garnet, which might be metasomatic in origin. Sulphides occur in minor amounts. High-temperature shearing produced local granulation and mylonitisation. Later brittle deformation caused extensive micro-fracturing and the introduction of minor carbonate veining. Platinum-group minerals (PGM) were located in a number of samples with high PGE assay values. These occur as clusters of grains around 1–2 m in diameter, and are difficult to identify uniquely. A few grains appear to be magmatic; these are Pt and PtPd sulphides that occur enclosed in clinopyroxene or garnet. All other grains occur in late fractures or along grain boundaries. These include sperrylite (PtAs₂), Pd antimonides and PdBi tellurides, along with hessite (Ag₂Te). They occur in microfractures accompanied by carbonate and barite and fine-grained sulphides and are probably of secondary origin. The PGE in the pyroxenites may have been introduced during the magmatic phase of the intrusion but the observed distribution of PGM results from low-temperature, hydrothermal remobilisation following brittle deformation and introduction of fluids.

Michael T. StylesEmail: Phone: +44-115-9363414Fax: +44-115-9363352