| RESOURCE GEOLOGY Special Publication Number 1 a ca Bi) i Epithermal gold deposits: Styles, characteristics, and exploration f The Society of Resource Geology ch eee ee eeEpithermal gold deposits: Styles, characteristics, and exploration Resource Geology Special Publication Number 1 Published by the Society of Resource Geology1) Introduction ‘Au(Cu-Te-Sn) deposits A AU ) dapogts verage grade was 2 to 8 g, minerals, which have been we luced conditions. A significant fluid during both stages [2|(Fig. 141), with depth of serictic alteration (Fig. 93). Temperature (°C) 109__ 200300 400 500 caldera (Fg 9) far £3) Sample of Present elevation, m Depth below paleowater table, m chalcedony [2].10) El Indio-Tambo ‘The El Indio HS Au-Ag-Cu vein deposit == Copper vein Ikaline granodiorite st by the Bafios del . and 6-5 Ma (Fig. 10. 3 Ma,3 km south of El Indio. The age of and likely formed Tambo, ge suggesting remobilization, (ite-quaz-pyite-pyrophllite). Propylitic alteration envelops vein system [32]. Alunite-cristobalit, lpRE-one] COPPER ou oa ‘breccia On Alurite Kaolinite Pyrite Enargite chalcopyrite Tennantite ‘Advanced argilic alteration Concer ey 200. ‘500 m below paleosurface [32] nme meee meee ee 1 >Peak moa a » western Nevada. The Paradise Peak HS ore 469 ae 11) Para ‘The Paradise Peak Au-Aj posit was discovered in 1 dise ith the production of 47 /t Au in Paradise P ne of several major Mi northwest trending, of steam-heated water over the HS ore body 3 the HIS bodies was produced by this sation assemblages, the ore at Paradise ter steep, normal faulting and Au leposits occur in structural duplexes, founded by fault g ‘om their feeder 20 xidation and product porphyry alteration. b BB), showing detache at Paradise Peak. eco Paradise Peak Fig. 11.3 (r,) Section, loki Paradise Peak deposit (Fig distribution of Au grade, A —— © a Top af Au Pbe Hes Mies [Jos-1 tay12) Lepanto-Far Southeast SE porphyry Cu ast of the Lepanto ore Tgneous minerals Hydrothermal minerals Homblende © Betta © Bitte elite Aunt Jacite and pyroclastic rocks of Pliocene respectively, porphyry and HS epithermal C filled with Pliocene dacite have been intersected by dee rusive bodies of melanocratic qu: __Presmineralizaion hostrock age13) Soe Epithermal de thought to able geologi The character geophysical methods Possible ore body, which can then be tested by drilling. Any single method is simply a tool; none is infallible, and apy must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Vent area enriched Steam-heated alt in As-Sb-Th and recognition of overprinting) and erosion levelTable 13.2 E: Method ‘Geology Geochemistry | nmonly related to vapor may be present. Anomalies of low conce ‘unrelated to economic deposits. Indicator elements important (Fg. 13.2), ‘Anomalies commonly obscured by younger cover. ies related to mineralized sutures, I Strongly magnetic voleanic rocks the Ohui goldfield, Coromandel Jurences are centered on 35x1.5- @) Reversely magnetised volcanic rocks ‘and rhyolite lava Mapped alteration zone tephra. a Gl Atteration zone interpreted from alr magnetics in hydrothermally altered cap rocks ion. May be more useful on regional K. Cleau vein distinguishable; altered rocks cover a much larger area than S 3) Resistivity indicated by surface mapping, nethods at different stages in exploration (generalized) 100-200 om Regional ct | Prospect with low-conduet seale scale unaltered cover. DEEP: Conductivity contrasts between veins and wall rocks may be detected. Geology eek kek a iu Method Geochemistry tteamsedimen | ect outcropping radiogenic sources. Variations in K coatent detected nd illite alteration stocks may show K deplet ion mapping * ho y dep ‘Geophysics 6) Gravity Note: SHALLOW implies limited erosion, DEEP erosion of, say, >400 m.14) Origin The study of epithermal Au deposits and al parameters of hyd processes [20,25]. LS ore deposits form from neut rocess to deposit high co have a significant magmatic Fig. 104) and g; 145), to less acidic and more reduced co Low Au in at Boling leads to sping water. — "Aeth() Sala ¥ Pe a) Fig. 142 Gold-ich scale in geothermal pi Broadlands wa 109 (fiie/fn1g0) z : | | 80, por mil =) vapor "Ae & crustal folie magmas 0 8190, per mit isotopic composition of hydrothermal water at HS ore depo Cool meteor ‘water ab gon ‘Shallow intrusion Both scenarios may diferences among HS deposit “Volatile transport” or "Hypersaline liquid transport*1995) Geology 23, 337-340. ton, P.B. Jt, and Skinner, BJ. (1979) Geocher Volume on 979-983, 8) Browne, PRL, th Planetary Sciences 6, 229-250, Buchanan, LJ. (1981) Arizona Geological Society, 52 and Modern, Allen and Unwin, $28 p. 44) Saunders, J.A. (1994) Economie Geology 89, 628-638, smational Geological Congress 28, Proceedings 1, 319-320. 45) Schoen, R., White, DE. and Hem logy 89, 1924.1938, 1... Foley, N.K. and Hayba, D.O. Hedengui RC. (1994) Economic Geology 89, 1228-1248, immons, $F. and Christenson, B Acknowledgments: ‘We acknowledge the authors of all the papers referred to here for contributing to the understanding of epthermal gold and we invite all eaders wishing more ions. We also acknowledge the people who contnbuted and Theo van Leeuwen also reviewed portions of introducing errors of factor interpretation rem the printer-ready computer layout, and the Society of Resource Geology for sponsoring Poster, This poster resulted from a project supported by the Japan Society forthe Promotion of Mining. ofthe poster or the B4 pamphlet may be ordered from the address bel Includes the trans nd é Published by: The Society of Resource Geology: Resource Geology Special Pu poster and is also available fora total of $40; ingui Printed in Japan by Komiyama Printing Co. Ltd, Tokyo. ‘or Master ¥3000); please send your mailing processing, Authors: Jeffrey W. Hedenquist®, Eiji Izawa"®, Antonio Amibas J:*, and Noel C: White™** | Mineral Resourees Department, Geological Survey of Japan, 1-1-3 Higashi, Tsukuba 305, Japan (© 1996 The Society of Resource Geology, Nogizaka Bldg, 6-41, Akasaka 9-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107, Japan, 3 Departmes ‘Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-81, Japan Fax +81(3)3475-0824; E-mail {¢ BHP Minerals Inernational Exploration, 229 Shepherds Bush Road, London W6 7AN, England