Classifying, Distinguishing and Exploring for Intrusion-Related Gold Systems Craig J.R. Hart ‘Yukon Geological Survey P.O. Box 2703 (K-102) Whitghores, Yukon, VIA 206 Canada malt craig hart@aov vk ca Introduction Intrusion-related gold systems (IRGS) are @ neviy-defined (1999) deposit classi- fication (based mainly on well-studied deposits in Alaska and Yukon) that is al- ready mired in confusion, nomenclature uncertainty and misapplication. Increas- ingly, gold deposits are mis-assigned an IRGS classification because: 1) the no- menclature of inision-rlated gold mod- els has been rapily evolving: 2) the char- acteristics of the dassiication are broadly defined to include a wide range of deposit types that overlap with other gold deposit types; and 3) granitoid intusions sre com- mon features of orogenic bets and are an ‘obvious fluid source for any proximal gold ‘Ambiguous, poorly understood _ or pooriy-defined deposit model classifica ‘ions are an economic geologists greatest weakness as they result In ineffective ‘exploration strategies, Deposit classica- ‘tons can be better differentiated from ‘thers by using @ set of distinguishing features and not characteristics that may be common to many hydrothermal depost ‘ypes. Herein, the historical evolution of ingusion-elated gold deposit concepts is briefly presented, folowed by a statement Cf the current stato of intrusion-related ‘gold models, and concluded with a set of Ccharacterisics by which IRGS can be distinguished from ether gold deposit ‘ypesin similar geological settings, Evolution of Intrusion-Related Gold Classifications Inrusionelated gold classifications imply @ genetic connection between gold ‘res and granite plutons. These associa- tions rocks have been long recognized (eg, Agricola, 1586; DeLaunay, 1900; Lindgren, 1933, Spurr, 1923; Niggli, 1929; Emmons, 1928, 1933), but the contempo- raty geological teratur prior to 1990 was essere devoid ofintusion-elated gold ‘models. For example, there is no mention ‘of such mifestone contibuions on mineral deposit types in models such as the 75th ‘Anniversary Volume of Economic Geology (Skinner, 1981), the U.S. Geological Sur- vey’s Ore Deposit Models (Cox & Singer, 1986), GAC Ore Deposit Models volumes, (Roberts and Sheahan, 1988, 1994) or the British Columbia Geological Survey's original Mineral Deposit Profiles. (itp// www: em.gov.be.ca/mining/Geo!Surv/ MetalicMinerals/tineralDepostProfios/ defauithtm). The tack of progress re- ‘sulled, in part, from the dearth of gold deposit research prior fois price increase in 1880, There were of course goldvich ‘skam deposits, which, by their very nature ‘are intusion-elated, and of course, gold was ‘ecognized at Bingham porphyry since mining started in 1908, but Silitoe (1978) was among the first to emphasize ‘2 gold-ich porphyry classication Early inirusionzelated gold classiica- tions were based on a porphyry copper lassifeation. Goldich and. gold-only porphyry copper systems had been fong ‘ecognized and were identiied and docu- ‘mented by Sillioe (1979, 1995). Silitoe (1995) recognized that they represented goldvich end members and were not @ Rew classification The “porphyry” no- ‘menciature was exported to refer to intu- sion-hosted, low-grade, gold-only deposits at Fort Knox (Holster, 1882; Bako, (Continued on page 9)41995) and Dublin Gulch (Hitchins and Ossrich, 1985), These examples however, lack numerous defining features of porphyry deposits, such 88 multidirectional stockworks, disseminations, hydrothermal breccias, and widespread and concentric alteration shells, but served to emphasize the differences in the physical and chemical processes involved in ther formation compared to ‘ypicsi porphyry systems. Most of these distinctions result from their dooper level of infusion compared to porphyry systems. Both Lang et al. (2000) and Rombach and Newberry (2001) recognized that shallower IRGS, such as Shotgun, had characteris- ‘ics more similar to typical porphyry systems, and therefore emphasized the depth contol on intrusion related characteristics, Sites (1991) fist established an intusion-elated classification by defining a "broad spectrum of gold mineralization sles” ‘within epizonal environments. He showed clear evidence of deposit variability and intrrelatonships within an intusion-related environment and identified six classes: porphyry, skam, intusion-hosted, carbonate-replacement, breccia and vein, Most exam= ples were associated with porshyry copper-style mineralization in magnotte-series (oxidized), I-ype inusions in cireum-Pacifc Island are settings. As such, these deposits largely represent an “oxidized” intruson-related gold Glassificstion, Newbery et al, (1995) iniroduced plutonichosted gold deposits emphasizing Bi and Te enrichments and correlations with “intrinsic” or genetically-associated gold deposits. Similarly, McCoy otal. (1897) used the term plutonio-related gold deposits to classify a wide range of gold deposit types from several districts through Alaska, and emphasized magmatic Nuid evolution of, and differences from, porphyry systems. Thei efforts assembled a broad array of characterises inte @ single model over a range: ‘of depths. Wail and Taylor (1990) and Wall (1999) created a Thermal Aureole Gold model that emehasized proximity to plutons ‘38 favourable mineralizng sites duo to stuctures, stoop fluid, tamperature and chemical gradients and other features. The model indicated numerous possible fli sources for the deposits, but didn't specifically imply a direct genetic association withthe plu ton An intrusion-related gold vein classification indloated by Sililoe (1891) was further amplifed by Silitoe and Thompson (1928). ‘The examples used are wide-ranging, and thought to reflect differences in magma chemisty and oxidation state, The broad variations in associated characteristics partly overlap those of orogenic gold veine (Groves et al., 1998) and furher emphasize the need for distnguishing characteristics between these two classifications, as was discussed by Silltos and Thompson (1998) ‘and Groves etal, (2003) ‘Anew intrusion related class intoduced by Thompson etal. (1999) emphasized intusion-related gold mineralization in regions: Jacking copper, but known for W and Sn deposits, and having an associated Bi-Te-As-Mo-Sb metal tenor. The deposite are asco ated with iniusions that are more felsic and more reduced than those highlighted by Silitoe (1991, 1995) and are parly of S- ‘ype character. These systems are dearly distinct from inttusion-elated gold deposits assaciated vith chalcophile oviized mag- mas. In order to diferentiate between the two types, Lang et al. (2000) introduced the term intusion related gold “systems” (IRGS), and provided perhaps the clearest refinement of defining characteristics, “System was emphasized to high light the wide range of associated gold deposit styles within this scheme. The contribution by Thompson and Newberry (2000) {further emphasized the diference between the {wo classifications by caling them “reduced” IRGS to emphasize the importance ofthe reduced oxidation sate ofthe associated granitoids and exsolved fluids. Some examples of reduced IRGS granifoids may ‘ot be strongly reduced, but are significantly less oxid.zed than typical granitoids associated vith porphyry occurrences. Although gold is tradtionally considered to be associated with oxidized intrusions and chalcophile enrichments (e.g. Ishihara, 1981), the reduced character of some gok/-related intrusions had been previously recognized for Alaskan examples by Leveila ot 1. (1588) who also indicated an alklic association, and by Keith and Swan (1887) fr intrusion related gold deposit in the south- ‘westem USA A reduced intusion-related mineral class was also recognized by Rowins (2000) whe introduced "reduced por- Phyry Cu-Au deposits’ using Fort Knox, Shotgun and Telfer as examples, emphasizing them as a base-melal depleted variation ‘of the traditional porptiyry theme. Robert (2001) reintroduced syerite-associated gold deposits as Archean examples, but these ‘appear unrelated to other intrusion elated classifcations, ‘The reduced IRGS model was mainly developed in response to observations, exploration, discoveries, and research on gold ‘systems across central Alaska and Yukon where they are pat ofthe Tintina Gold Province (TGP) (Figs. 1 & 2), and includes well- ‘sudied examples such as Fort Knox (Bakke, 1995), Dublin Gulch (Maloof et al, 2001), Clear Creek (Marsh et al, 2003), and Scheelte Dome (Wair, 2004). The association of the Tintina Gold Province wih intusion-related gold systems was crystalized bby Tucker and Smith (2000) such that TGP gold deposits are broadly considered be entrely intusionelated. This led Hart eta (2002) to emphasize that TGP deposits comprise parts of numerous gold districts that formed at several times during the Meso- 20ic in response to different geological events, ‘They further emphasized that only some of the mineralization is unequivocally inrusion-elated, end that many deposits are better characterized as epizonal or shear-hosted because they lack most intrusion related characteristics and a causal pluton isnot apparent. Hart etal. (2004a) further showed that the TGP is underlain By sev- ral diferent plutonic suites with different metallogenic expressions with the best intrusion related gold systems (e.g, Fort Knox, Dublin Gulch) being related tothe once continuous Fairbanks-Tombstone-Mayo plutonic suite ‘Misclassitied Deposits? Despite the confusion, or perhaps because of i, this recently-developed intrusion-related gold classification is extremely ap- pealing and has been broadly adopted in exploration and research circles. It isthe topic of special volumes (Tucker and Smith, £2000; Lang and Baker, 2001), and intrusion-related models have been called upon to describe the genesis ofan increasing nut ber of gold deposits and dlsticts throughout the world. The proliferation of the classiicaion has resulted firey beoauee of the ‘ease of associating a gold deposit with any proximal intrusion, but sgcondly because the classification ie commonly confused and ‘mixed with characteristics of the oxidized intusion-related gold deposits classification of Silitoe (1991), The resultant large range of inrusion-related characteristics span a wide range of hydrothermal mineralization characteristics and have rested in October 2005— Gangue No. 87 4Tablo 1._ Historical Dovolopment of intusion related Nomonclature and concopts Name ‘Main Features Notable Examples Reference ‘Gold-ich porphyry copper | « Recognized gold enrichments as partof | Bingham, Marte, Lepanto, | Siitoe, 1993 eposits porphyry spectrum ‘Skouries: Tnirusion-elated gold de- | - Wide variety of epizonal mineralization in| Kidston, Boddington, Salave, | Silitoe, 1991 posits the porphyry to epithermal transition Kori Kolo, Muruntau + Shc types -skamm, porphyry, replacement, breccia, vein = Chalcophile metal association + Associated with oxidized, Hype ini sions ‘Gold porphyry “Included as porphyry due tothe inirusion- | Fort Knox, Dublin Gulch, ‘Bakke, 1995; Hichins hosted, buik tonnage, low grade nature ‘and Orrsich, 1995; ‘Schroeter, 1995, ‘Thermal Aureole Gold “ Proximity to plutons provides structurally | Fort Knox, Doniin Creek, Wall and Taylor, {favourable sites for mineralization due to Muruntau, Calle, Teer, Suk- | 1990; Wall,1909 ‘thermal and chemical fuxes and muttipe | hol Log, Kumtor ‘uid sources. ‘Plutonic hosted gold intin- | «Noted Bi and Te enrichments and come | Fort Knox, Ryan Lode, Circle, | Newberry etal, 1995 sic lations with intrusion-hosted gold deposits. | Vinasale Plutonic related gold ~ Emphasized fd differences from por- | Fort Knox, Ryan Lode, Pogo, | McCoy, 1997 5 phyry deposits Cleary Hil, Now Fork, Shot- ‘gun, True North, Doniin Creek Inrusion-elated gold veins | - Broad spectrum of characteristics reflect | Linglong, Ryan Lode, Dong- | Sililoe and Thomp- | ‘the nature of associated magma ping, Snip ‘son, 1998 | ‘Syenite-associated “Archean examples in greenstone bett | Melati, Bettie, Hot- Rober, 2001 ees McDermott Tnirusion-elated gold de- | « Included a wide range of deposit siyles | Fort Knox, Kidston, Timbarra, | Thompson et al. posits in So-W provinces |. aig ee oar Kori Kolo, Mokrsko, Salave |} 1989 signature Tintina Gold Belt “Selected papers on a wide range of gold _| Fort Knox, Shotgun, ‘Tucker and Smith, ‘deposits in Alaska and Yukon included as | Scheelite Dome, Longline, | 2000 intrusion-elated Pogo, Doniin Creek Inrusion-elated gold sys-_| - Emphasis on Systems’, and differences | Fort Knox, Pogo, Brewery | Lang etal, 2000 tems {fom porphyry deposits Creek, Mokrsko, Saiave, ‘Kidston, Timbarra, Vasile vskoe Reduced Cu-Au porphyry | = Copper depleted Cu-Au porphyry Fort Knox, Shotgun Rowins, 2000 Reducedinirusion-related | - Reduced primary oxidation state of ntru-_ | Fort Knox, Pogo, Doniin “Thompson and New- _gold systems sion Creek, Dublin Guich ‘berry, 2000 TTintina Gold Province = Excluded gold districts and deposits rom | Fort Knox, Dubin Gulch, Hart et al, 2002 intrusion-elated classification lear Creek, Scheelte Dome + Divided Tintina Gold Province mineraliza- ‘on int intrusion-telated, epizonal and shear hosted (Contac on poge 6) 3 October 2005- Gangue No. 87(Continued from page 5) numerous vein deposits being assigned an intusion-related classification. For example, intrusion-rlated gold mineralization is interpreted within turbidite-hosted orogenic gold systems in the westem Lachlan fold belt of Vietoia (Miler and Wilson, 2004; Bieriein and McKnight, 2006), in New Zealancls Otago region (de Ronde etal, 2000), and in the Meguma terrane of Nova Scotia (Kontak et al, 2004). Simiaty, intusion-telated gold deposit models have been attributed to deposits in Archean orogenic gold camps including Wallaby (Hall et al, 2001), and some of the Golden Mile orebody (Walshe et a, 2005), both in the Yilgarn ora- ‘ton. Other Phanerozoic examples of intrusion-hosted gold have been stated, such as vein deposits in China's Shandong Pennin- sula (@.9., Linglong; Wang etal, 1998) and many deposits (e.g., Donping) along the northem margin of the North China eraton (Nie etal, 2004). Even major deposits within the world's largest orogenic gold province of central Asia, such as Jiau (Cole etal, 2000) and Muruntau (Wel et al, 2004), have been re-nterpreted as having intusion-elated origins ‘These controversial associations of classification are problematic, but are not surprising, as even key deposits within the TGP are controversial. Hart et al. (2002) suggested that this problem resuited from the inclusion of too many depost types within a Single, complex madel and suggested # more-efined intusion-related gold model that excluded controversial epizoral (e.9., onlin Creek) and shear-hosted (e.g., Pogo) deposits. Both Pogo and Dentin Creek have been variably considered to be o7o {genic (Goldfarb t al, 2000, 2004, 2005, Groves etal, 2003), and intrusion-related deposits (Newberry eta, 1995; McCoy et al., 1997; Ebert et al, 2000; Smith etal, 1899; Thompson and Newberry, 2000; Rhys et al, 2003) and as such highlight the classif- ‘cation conundrum, ‘The Current Situation Intrusion-related gold deposits, as currenty utlized in the geological literature, refer to an incoherent group of deposits with ‘wide-ranging characteristics, granitoid associations and tectonic settings. Boyond thoso deposits eesociated with oxidized por- Phyry-copper systoms, the most cohorent classfcation is for reduced IRGS. The characterietcs of reduced IRGS deposits, as ‘compiled from Lang and Baker (2001), with contributions from Lang etal. (2000) and Thompson and Newberry (2000) are sted below. Emphasis is on well-studied examples from Alaska and Yukon. A plan perspective ofthe model presented in Figure 2. 4. metaluminous, subalialic intusion of intermediate to felsic compositions that lie near the boundary between ilmenite and magnetite series; ‘carbonic hydrothermal fuids; ‘2 metal assemblage that variably combines gold with elevated Bl, W, As, Mo, Te, and/or Sb and fow concentrations of base mets; on Ke Roo Bcd October 2005- Gangue No. 87 6Figure 3. Outcop scalo exposure of A) an array of aurforousshoatod quartz vains inthe apex of the pluton at Clear Crook, Yukon, Akors- tin i ited to navow setrages ‘adjacent tothe vein. Barker fr sone.) Shested veins atthe Frt Knoe goed deposi in Alecks, hers Shown offset shy by facture, ae less parallel and sight more regular but si! do not form rul-cecBonal stockworks, thus distin= ‘uishng this epost type rom porphyry deposits. Aeration ited to tin selages adjacent to the veins ‘low suiphide mineral content, mostly <5 vol%, with a reduced ore mineral assemblage that typically comprises arsenopy- ‘ite, pyrhotite and pyrite and lacks magnetite of hematite, ‘really restricted, commonly weak hydrothermal alteration; «a tectonic setting wel inboard of inferred or recognized convergent plate boundaries: allocation in magmatic provinces best or formerly known for tungsten andlor tn deposits som & Distinguishing Characteristics of Reduced IRGS ‘Among those characteristics listed above, the frst four are common features associated with orogenic deposits and therein lays ‘he potential for misiasifcaon. Only the nal to are potently diegnostc, Below, other distinguishing characteristics are ‘presented. They are mostly designed fo diferentiate iniusion-elated gold deposits, which are a product oflocal-scale fis Fived from a cooling pluton, from orogenic deposits that are considered to result fom crusta-scale fuids derived through mote ‘morphic dehycration (Groves et al, 1998, Stive, 1998). Some features exclusivaly difereniate reduced IRGS. No single char- acteristicis agnostic, but suite of features is most effective to provide evidence of inrusion-elated origin. Tectonle Setting Reduced IRGS deposits are best developed in intrusions that were emplaced into ancient continental margins behind accretion- ary orcolisfonal orogens and subduction-elated magmatic arcs. Preferred host strata include reducing basinal miogeocinal sedi- ‘mentary or metasedimentary rocks, Gold-related intrusions in Yukon are undeformed as they were intrided millons of years sfter regional deformation. ‘Metal Zoning ‘Thermal gradients surrounding cooling plutons are steep and result in temperature-dependent concenitic metal zones that de- velop outward from pluton margins for cistances up to a few kilometres, or just beyond the thermal aureole. Pluton-proximal gold mineralization may be associated with Bi, Te, and WW aureole-hosted mineralization will have an As or Sb tener, and distal miner- ‘lization may be related to Ag-Pb-Zn (Fig. 2) Diverse Deposits Fluids exsoiving from cooling plutons are opportunistic and cool quicKly, thus depositing metals in several available geological settings. Resulting mineralization fs commonly of several different styles: variably intusion and country-rock hosted consisting of skarns, replacements, cisseminations, stockworks and veins (Fig. 2). Gold mineralization is characterized by a wide range of gold grades, with bulk mineable volumes present atthe 0.8 to 1.5 gram per tonne level (eg., Fort Knox). Sheeted Veins ‘The most distinctive style of gold mineralization in reduced IRGS are sheeted arrays of parallel, ov-sulphise, single-stage quartz veins which are found over 10s 0 100s of metres and preferentially located inthe pluton's cupola (Fig. 3). These vains are Unlike multdrectonal interconnected stockworks characteristic of porphyry systems or antihetic tensional vein arrays typical of (Continued on pgs 8) October 2005 - Gangue No. 87 7