The Paddy's Flat Gold District (Murchison,

W.A.): Insight into rheologically and

structurally controlled gold mineralization

Nicolas Th
Théébaud and David Hollingsworth

The Murchison goldfields

•Youanmi Terrane

• Dated at ~ 3000 to 2600 Ma (Wyche 2008,

Timms et al., (2006, 2007), Pidgeon et al., 2000, Smithies et
al., 1999, Mueller et al., 1996, Myers 1995, Pidgeon et al.,
1990, Nelson 1997, Schiotte et al., 1996)

•The
HasMeekathara
received little attention belt
greenstone in and its
comparison
gold camps to the nearby Kalgoorlie and
Kurnalpi
• regional terranes.
mineralised corridor

Mining districts Production

Mt Magnet 8.0 million oz
After Cassidy et al. 2006 P dd ’ Flat
Paddy’s Fl t 2.3
2 3 million
illi oz
Yaloginda–Bluebird 1.2 million oz
Tuckabianna 1.0 million oz
Reedy 1.0 million oz

Modified after Spaggiari et al. 2006

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The Meekatharra structural corridor

Lithostratigraphy
• Consist of a sequence of submarine to sub–
aerial mafic to ultramafic volcanics with
interflow sediments (Van Kranendonk, 2008,
Forbes (2006), Watkins and Hickman (1990)).

Metamorphism
• Rocks are metamorphosed to lower
greenschist with metamorphic grades
increasing to amphibolite in the vicinity of the
granites (Alexander et al. 1991).

Structure
• Structural corridor of intense shearing
(Van Kranendonk,
Kranendonk 2008, 2008 Spaggiari 2006,
2006
Watkins et al., 1990).

Forbes 2006

The Paddy’s Flat mining district

Three representative deposits:

• Prohibition
• Consols
• Halcyon.
Between 1979 to 1995
1995, 16.63
16 63 Mt @
2.1g/t for 1,005,000oz was extracted
from nineteen mines collectively named
the Paddy’s Flat district

Indicated and inferred resources:

25,804,000 t @ 1.6g/t 1,335,000 oz

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Prohibition

• Similar to Fenian West,

West Red Spider
Spider,
Danube, Golden Bar and Globe West.

• Historic production of about 150,000 oz.

• Average grade 3.5 g/t

• Banded Iron Formation “BIF” hosted

deposit.
deposit

Prohibition – Local geology

The Prohibition deposit is hosted by a

banded Iron-
Iron-Formation (BIF) that is
located within mafic volcanics. Within the
mafic volcanics are numerous horizons of
lapilli and ash tuffs, often with well defined
bedding.

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Prohibition- mineralisation
Prohibition-
Structural control

The mineralization at Prohibition is

primarily located within the BIF where
brittle fracturing associated with westerly
dipping faults is widely developed
developed..

Prohibition-- mineralisation
Prohibition

Gold related alteration consists of a quartz

- chlorite - sulphide +/-
+/- carbonate +/-
+/- albite
infill and replacement assemblage.

In the gold-
gold-rich zones the host is affected
by an intense sulphidation which
represents up to ~40% of the total volume
in places.

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Consols

• Similar to Fenian
Fenian,, Marmont
Marmont,, Phar Lap,
Vivian, Mudlode
Mudlode,, Ingliston and Butler.

• 30% of the district total historic production

with ~700,000 ounces.

• ‘Porphyry’ hosted lode

lode--gold deposit.

Consols

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Consols

Cross structures
120/65NE
120/65NE

Dextral shear zone orientation : 020/65E

Consols - mineralisation
• Two stage mineralisation process
(Alexander et al. 1991):

• Low grade mineralisation 0.5 – 1g/t :

Associated with pervasive quartz

quartz--fuchsite
fuchsite--
carbonate +/-
+/- sulphides.

• High grade mineralisation ~10 g/t :

Associated with quartz lodes developed

along the margin of the felsic porphyry and
within altered carbonate
carbonate--fuchsite early
alteration..
alteration

1.9 kg/t

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Halcyon

• Production of 58,104 oz.

• Average grade of 3.59 g/t

• Similar to Democrat, Fatts,

Fatts, Macquarie
and Mickey Dolan.

• ‘Metasomatised ultramafic
ultramafic’ hosted lode-
lode-
Au deposit.

Halcyon

• Dextral shear zone : 022/83E

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Halcyon
Alteration and Mineralisation
• Pervasive alteration centered along the shear zone
axis

Albite – quartz – carbonate +/

+/--
sulphides proximal assemblage

Quartz – talc distal

assemblage

Halcyon
Alteration and Mineralisation

• High grade mineralisation is associated with

veining network developed within the
metasomatised ultramafic and is restricted tp
the proximal pervasive alteration assemblage
: albite-
albite-ankerite - pyrite ± quartz ± chalcopyrite

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Summary conclusions
Host lithologies:
- BIF
- Felsic Porphyry
- Metasomatised ultramafic

Structural control:
- Dextral transpressive shear zone
and associated brittle fracturing.

Summary conclusions
Protracted fluid-
fluid-rock interaction within
the evolving Paddy’s Flat shear zone.

- Stage 1: pervasive alteration

CO2 – K – Na – SiO2 +/
+/-- S +/
+/-- Au

- Stage 2 : focused alteration

Au – S – As – SiO2 +/
+/-- Na

High grade mineralisation

ÆStrong Rheological control

Primary rheological contrast

(BIF, Felsic porphyry)

‘Inherited’ rheological
contrast (metasomatised
(metasomatised
mafic and ultramafic)

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Acknowledgements
Thank you to Mercator Gold Australia for the use of their data and to
the exploration team for the enthusiasm and help.
Special thanks to M. Csar
Csar,, I. Gonzalez Alvarez, E. Maidens, A. van
Roij and J. and S. Vearncombe,.

THANK YOU….

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