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Petrology of Altered Minerals

VHMS : base metal bearing sulfide accumulation in volcanic sequence of submarine extrusion and related sedimentary rocks Very high % sulfides (> 95%), abundant barite and anhydrite

Economic for base metal than gold

Handout - 7 @ Rosana, MF 2007
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Feature Tectonic setting Kuroko type (acidic t pe volcanic host rocks) Volcanic structures

VHMS-Kuroko Back arc rift, calc alkaline volcanics Calderas and submarine stratovolcanoes; locally synvolcanic faulting can be important control on the mineralization Deep, > 3500 m Distinctly bimodal : deposits are associated with both basaltic-andesitic and dacitic-rhyolitic volcanism Fine grained rocks: chemical (siliceous, Fe-rich exhalites), volcano-sedimentary (epiclastics, usually pyritic) and black shales Mounds, stratiform sheets, pipes and stacked lenses
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Water depth Volcanic rock types Cyprus type (ophiolites host rocks) Besshi type (metamorphosed host rocks)

Ore horizon

Ore body shapes

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Resembles to high sulfidation epithermal

Hypogene minerals : pyrite, pyrrhotite, marcasite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena. Common barite & anhydrite

Meteoric fluids from derived seawater (high chloride & sulfate contents)

Alteration : illite-smectite and illite (low T), sericite (higher T), quartz, chlorite and albite. Zeolite present in cooler parts.

Th 175~2350C Pb-Zn rich deposit form on or near seafloor; Th 270~>3500C Cu-rich, deeper part; li iti salinities : 5 20 wt% N Cl eqv. 5~20 t% NaCl

Textures : colloform pyrite, growth-zoned sphalerite and clastic bedding and banding of sulfides. Stockwork Fe and g g Fe-Cu in footwall zones Gold as electrum in baritic deposits, and as inclusion in arsenopyrite associated with sphalerite. In lower part, present as electrum or telluride associated with chalcopyrite and/or pyrite,
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Sulfur sources : volatiles from magma (yellow ore), and leaches from surround volcanic rocks (black ore)
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Ore body shapes : stacked, Cu-stocwork/disseminated, Au-Ag-Pb-Zn -stocwork/disseminated, classic mound, sheet, pipe Typical alteration zonation pattern :
Zone1(outer) : smectite; zeolite, silica (cristobalite), barite, iron oxides Zone 2 : illite-smectite; barite, anhydrite, quartz, chlorite illite, sericite; barite albite, chlorite, Zone 3 : illite sericite barite, albite chlorite anhydrite Zone 4 (Inner) : sericite ; chlorite, quartz, pyrite

Example : Lerokis, Kali Kuning Wetar-Maluku

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Named after carbonate-hosted disseminated gold deposit at Carlin, Nevada

Carlin type different from retrograde zones of carbonate-hosted skarn type

Invisible gold in altered carbonaceous silty limestone or carbonate-rich siltstones

Skarn distinctive feature : calc-silicate minerals some Carlin type occur close to or within alteration halos of skarn deposits adjacent to intrusives Carlin type is unrelated to the intrusiveskarn event
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High concentrations of As, Sb, Hg, Tl, Ba, Mo, and W

Low concentrations Cu, Pb, Zn

Most distinctive feature : disseminated gold hosted in silicified zones

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Dissolution of carbonate

Removed & redistributed Calcite veining Enhancement porosity

tonnage & grades vary : (Messel 7.8 Mt at 7.3 g/t; Carlin 22 Mt at 9.3 g/t; Gold quary 180 Mt at 1.3 g/t) highest grades associated with intermediate zone of carbonate dissolution and silicification of partially silicified rock (calcite is disolved but dolomite still present) mineral noted : pyrite, marcasite, arsenopyrite (rare), native arsenic, arsenic native silver and electrum ore mineral associated with late calcite veins : stibnite, tetrahedrite-tennantite, base metal sulfide, realgar, cinnabar
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Argillisation-sericitisation

Alteration of host rock mineral (detrital K-F & illite) sericite/illite kaolinite/dickite

Silica introduction

In form of quartz & chalcedony Early silicification, fossil & original sedimen features and clay are preserved jasperoid, Final stage produced jasperoid and multiple episodes silica deposition; quartz vein and silicified breccias cutting early formed silicified zones

Calcification
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Calcite (contain barite, tetrahedrite, realgar, stibnite, thallium) veining cut silicified zones

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most importantore mineral:gold

rarelynative(submicronsize,lowbulk y ( , conc,diss) Invisiblegold(presencefromassayvalues) discreteparticles(0.005~0.02mm)in pyrite,cinnabar,quartz freeparticles(upto0.1mm)with sericite/illite g y homogenouslydistributedwithinarsenal pyrite

most importand controls of distribution, alteration patterns and mineralization : structure & host stratigraphy (control permability)

mineralizing fluids source : basinal or metamorphic (carbonate diss ~ argilli stage) and meteoric origin/mixing (ore deposition)

Ore deposition at : Th 200~3000C and 1~8 wt% NaCl), rich in CO2 and H2S, depth formation 2~4 km

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in subducted-related extensional basin mainstyle mineralization: mineralization in altered carbonate rocks adjacent to and beneath andesite body, controlled by steeply deeping fault stratabound replacementwithin carbonateunits ( ) (Carlin)

veinlike

structuralstocwork

highest gold occur at structural intersetions and fault splays

gold hosted in arsenical pyrite ass with realgar, orpiment, stibnite and cinnabar
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Decalcification, Dissolution and Dolomitisation

andesite alteredto:illite smectite alteredto:illitesmectite alterationstages:

Carbonatedissolution Dolomitization Silicification Argillisation

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Geochemicalsignature
DominantlyelevatedCu D i l l dC butZn,Pb,As,AgandGe arekeyindicatorsinrock samples; subtleCustreamsilt geochemicalanomalies occurinproximitytosome deposits. Otherelementswhichmay beusefulpathfindersare Co,Ga,Bi,Cd,V,Moand Ba
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Geophysicalsignature Resistivity,IPandgravity couldbeusefulbutthere arenodefinitivetools.

Tectonicallydisturbedzonesandkarsted areaswithin carbonate/oxidizedclastic coupletsofmajorbasinsare regionaltargets. regionaltargets Dolomitized zonesshouldbecarefullyexamined.Deposits oftenoccurinclustersand/orinproximitytoassociated deposittypes. Depositsoxidizereadilyforminggossanswithsecondary CuandFeminerals;manyothersecondaryproductsand malachitecoatednuggetsofcoppersulphides maybe present. Thermalmaturationanomaliesandclaymineralzoning,as appliedtocarbonatehostedZnPb andunconformity uraniumdeposits,maybeusefultools. Satelliteimageryisusefultoidentifyregionalstructures.
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TobeContinue

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