BrazilianGold LydiaLobato CET 20100221

CET-UWA, Advances in Ore Systems & Exploration Success Profa. Lydia M.
Lobato
CPMTC
Advances in Ore Systems & Exploration Success

Short Course, Feb. 2011
Lydia Lobato
lobato@igc.ufmg.br
CPMTC
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil

Centro de Pesquisas
Prof. Manoel Teixeira da Costa-CPMTC
CET-UWA, Advances in Ore Systems & Exploration Success Profa. Lydia M. Lobato
CPMTC
Geological map of the South

American Platform (after Hasui
and Almeida, 1985).
CPMTC
Archaean nuclei
and fragments
Preserved in cratonic and
denuded orogenic terranes,
covering <170 000 km2, 5.4%
of Brazil’s Pre-Cambrian surface.
27 differentiated discrete &
neighbouring terranes
4 undifferentiated complexes Cainozoic
Palaeozoic & Mesozoic
Neoproterozoic
Mesoproterozoic
Palaeoproterozoic
Meso- & Neo-Archaean
CPMTC
Together with directly sourced Cainozoic

lateritic, colluvial and alluvial cover sediments,
these Archaean and Proterozoic terranes host
>80% of noble and base-metal resources,
~65% of ferrous metals and >90% of few
specific gem resources, and is responsible for
>75% of Brazil’s mineral GDP
(Bizzi et al. 2003)
Archaean
Giant Mineralisation Cycles CPMTC
►Bulk of resources  11 giant metal deposits

hosted by Archaean terranes
►However, mineralisation ages are both Neo-

Archaean (2.8-2.5 Ga) & Orosirian (PP3 2.05-1.8 Ga)
Data are both scarce and commonly controversial
► Note: Brazil’s Rhyacian (PP2 2.3-2.05 Ga) endowment

cycle is limited to terranes of that same age
Orosirian mineralisation pervades terranes of all ages up
to the Orosirian
Archaean
Terrane Age CPMTC
Giant Mineralisation Cycles
Orosirian orogens &

taphrogens
Neo-Archaean orogens
Rhyacian orogens
2.6-2.7 Ga
2.3-2.05 Ga
2.05-1.8 Ga
1.9-1.8 Ga
2.05-2.0 Ga 1.9-1.8 Ga
2.6-2.7 Ga 1.9-1.8 Ga
In terms of crustal evolution, this reflects a

transition of mineralisation related to two
successive orogenic cycles to mineralisation
related to a later concomittant orogen- and
taphrogen-cycle. Archaean
Known Brazilian Archaean-related Mineral Giants

CPMTC
Terrane Deposit Deposit

Mineral deposit Commo-
age age- age-
dity
postulated alternative
1 Morro Velho Quadrilátero gold + silver N-A N-A

2 Cuiabá Ferrífero gold + silver N-A N-A
3 Igarapé Bahia- copper-gold N-A PP3 N-A or T-Q
Alemão
4 Cristalino copper-gold N-A PP3 N-A
5 Sossego copper-gold N-A PP3 N-A
6 Salobo Carajás copper-gold N-A PP3 N-A
7 N4 & N5 iron N-A PP3 N-A
8 Onça Puma nickel PP1—N-A T-Q
N-A: Neo-Archaean
9 Vermelho nickel PP1—N-A T-Q PP1: Siderian
PP3: Orosirian
10 Serra do Tapa nickel NP1—N-A T-Q NP1: Tonian
11 Serra Pelada gold-Pd-Pt N-A PP3 T-Q: Tertiary-Quartenary
Archaean
CPMTC
CPRM
CPMTC
in Thorman et al., 2001

GOLD
CPMTC
GOLD
Numbers are outdated

Use as orders-of-magnitude
CPRM
CPMTC

CPMTC

CPMTC
CPMTC
PALAEO-ARCHAEAN
MESO-ARCHAEAN
Medium- to high-metamorphic
grade ortho- and/or
paragneisses
Low- to medium-metamorphic grade

sedimentary ( volcanic) rocks
Low- to medium-metamorphic grade volcano-

sedimentary (greenstone-type) belts
Schobbenhaus & grade ortho- and/or paragneisses
de Brito Neves
2005 Acid and intermediate plutonic rocks
Mafic to ultramafic plutonic rocks
Archaean
CPMTC
UNDIFFERENTIATED ARCHAEAN
& PALAEOPROTEROZOIC
NEO-ARCHAEAN
Medium- to high-
metamorphic grade ortho-
and/or paragneisses
Low- to medium-metamorphic grade

sedimentary ( volcanic) rocks
Low- to medium-metamorphic grade volcano-

sedimentary (greenstone-type) belts
Schobbenhaus & grade ortho- and/or paragneisses
de Brito Neves
2005 Acid and intermediate plutonic rocks
Mafic to ultramafic plutonic rocks
Archaean
CPMTC
Archaean greenstone belts –
metavolcano-sedimentary arcs in the
São Francisco Craton and surrounds
Archaean
Baars (1995)
Quadrilátero Ferrífero
Archaean
Mineralisation in the Archaean portion of the southern São Francisco Craton CPMTC
•• Gold Quadrilátero
•• Iron
Manganese Ferrífero
• Nickel
Arsenic
After Schobbenhaus et al (2005), Leite et al (2005), Heineck et al (2005) Archaean

CPMTC
Proterozoic metasediment. rocks
RIO DAS VELHAS SUPERGROUP

MAQUINÉ GROUP
Greenschist Facies
Non-marine association
(Casa Forte Formation)
NOVA LIMA GROUP

Resedimented association
(Palmital Formation)
Volcaniclastic association
(distal turbidites)
Clastic-chemical sedimentary assoc.
Volcano-chemical sedimentary assoc.
Mafic-ultramafic volcanic association
Undivided Rio das Velhas Supergroup
Granite gneiss complex
Amphi-
Facies
Coastal association
bolite
After Baltazar &

Zucchetti (2007) Archaean
Examples: main deposits
CPMTC
Deposits


 




Endownment ~1100 tons of gold

Archaean
CPMTC
Archaean
CPMTC
Giant Cuiabá
gold mine
Massive and
banded pyrite ore Archaean
hosted in BIF
CPMTC
CUIABÁ
• Ore bodies plunge from 108 to 124/22 to 40
• At the surface the cone axis plunges 116/35°. At levels 11 and 17
it plunges 116/27° and 116/24°, respectively
Production of 1.2 million tonnes ore

per year. Av. grade 7.96 g/t Au and
by-product Ag and H2SO4. Cut-off
grade 2.82 g/t Au.
Reserves 9.8 million tonnes ore.
Total resources (inferred, indicated and
measured) 21.7 million tones ore
(Dec/2008). Between 1985 and 2008,
gold production 103 tonnes of gold.
Archaean
CPMTC
Morro Velho
Operation started in 1837,
and ended in 1997
Deposits
- 104200 W - 103800 W - 103500 W
N
- 103100 S
- 103 300 S
Sulfeto
Massive maciço
and
Sulfeto bandado
e ebandado
banded
maciço sulphide
LapaLapa
Albite-rich
Seca
Secahydrothermal zone
Production ~450 tons of gold Metapelito
Metapelitic
Meta pelitoschist
Metavulcanoclástica
Felsic volcanoclastic
Meta félsica
rock
vulcanoclástica félsica
Z. desericitização
Sericite/carbonate , carbonatação
Z. de sericitização, zone
carbonatação - 103 600 S
Z. deZ.silicificação
Silicification zone
de silicificação
Vieira 2000
Geologic map, level 10

Archaean
Morro Velho
CPMTC
Lobato et al. 2007
Massive,
quartz-rich
ore samples Archaean
4-5 CET-UWA, Advances in Ore Systems & Exploration Success Profa. Lydia M. Lobato
CPMTC
Amazonas
Craton
SETOR
ORIENTAL
The Archaean-hosted eastern Amazon Craton Mineral Provinces and Districts CPMTC
•• Gold
•• Iron
Manganese
Buritirama
•• Nickel
Copper
Platinum
Aquiri
Carajás
Araguaia
Tucumã
Gradaús
After Schobbenhaus et al. (2005), Faraco et al. (2005) Archaean

CPMTC
High-grade ~10 gAu/t ore
Open pit Igarapé Bahia
Igarapé Bahia-Alemão IOCG

2575 Ma U-Pb SHRIMP, monazite
Tallarico et al., 2005
Archaean
CPMTC
Alemão Ore Types

Au
Feldspar-rich breccia.
Chalcopyrite develops at the expense
of magnetite. Free gold grain.
Chalcopyrite-massive
sulphide ore
Archaean
CPMTC
Salobo IOCG-type deposit

Tallarico et al., 2005
Re-Os,
Chalcocite and bornite
2576 Ma
in stockwork style molybdenite
Archaean
CPMTC
Sossego-Sequeirinho
IOCG-type deposits
(i) breccia-hosted chalcopyrite veins
(ii) chalcopyrite±magnetite±minor py±

trace molybdenite ore
Archaean
Carbonaceous contact ore body

CPMTC
Serra Pelada Au-Pd-Pt

deposit
Archaean/Lower Proterozoic?
CPMTC
Patchy
kaolinisation on
carbonaceous
ore
Serra Pelada
The richest noble-metal
Variations of intercepts known to Man!
hematitic
footwall
breccia Au-
Pt-Pd ore
Archaean
CPMTC
NOT GIANT!!!
Província Mineral de Carajás:

Terreno Granitóide – Greenstone
TROY BRASIL EXPLORAÇÃO Rio Maria
MINERAL LTDA Archaean
CPMTC
CPMTC
MESOPROTEROZOIC
PALAEOPROTEROZOIC
Meta(volcano)sedi-
mentary belts
High-grade
metamorphic rocks
Plutonic & volcanic
felsic & mafic rocks
Meta(volcano)sedimentary
belts
Low-grade metavolcano-
sedimentary sequence
High-grade metamorphic rocks

High-grade metavolcano-
sedimentary sequence
Plutonic felsic & mafic rocks ~39% is

Precambrian
Volcanic felsic & intermed.
rocks Schobbenhaus &
de Brito Neves 2005
CPMTC
19
Delor et al. 2003

GUIANA SHIELD TECTONICS
Domination of Rhyacian-Orosirian crustal
accretion and orogeny
CPMTC
System
Erathem
Period
Age
Ma
Era
1000
Geologic Time Scale
Stenian
Meso- 1200
Remane 2000, IUGS
Ectasian
http://www.stratigraphy.org/down.htm proterozoic 1400
Calymmian
1600
Statherian
1800
Palaeo- Orosian 2050
proterozoic Rhyacian 2300
Siderian 2500
Metallogenesis governed by seven

orogenic and-or taphrogenic events
comprising two Wilson cycles
CPMTC
Siderian – Rhyacian (2.5 – 2.05 Ga)

 Taphrogenic fore-arc basins upon Archaean
greenstone belts after Neo-Archaean orogenies
 Minas SG – Quadrilátero Ferrífero region (placer ), and
Central Ceará Domains (Fe, )
Erathem
System
Period
Era
Stenian
Meso-
Ectasian
proterozoic
Calymmian
Statherian
Palaeo- Orosian
proterozoic Rhyacian
Siderian
CPMTC
Quadrilátero Ferrífero
Baltazar & Zucchetti (2007)
MS
Quadrilátero
Ferrífero
MS
São Francisco Craton (after Schobbenhaus and MS
Bellizzia 2000). Craton limits from Alkmim et al.
(1973), Almeida (1977) and Baars (1997)
MINAS SUPERGROUP – MS
Synformal fore-arc or intramontane
MS
GUANHÃES GROUP
fore-arc or platformal basin
CPMTC
Rhyacian (2.3 – 2.05 Ga)

• Back-arc basins
– Crixás ( , Ag), Rio Itapicuru ( ), Vila Nova-
Paramaka-Pastora-Barama-Mazaruni ( , Fe, Mn),
Almas-Dianópolis-Silvânia ( )
• TTG accreted syntectonic domes
– all the greenstone belts
Erathem
System
Period
Era
Rio Itapicuru
Stenian
Meso-
Ectasian
proterozoic
Calymmian
Statherian
Palaeo- Orosian
Siderian
CPMTC
Mineralisation Districts in the Archaean Goiás Massif, Tocantins Tectonic Province CPMTC
•• Gold Santa Terezinha de
••
Goiás
Iron Crixás
Manganese Guarinos
•• Nickel Guarinos
Copper
Pilar
• Platinum
Chrome
Barro Alto
Cavalcante
Faina
Americano de Goiás
Santa Rita
After Schobbenhaus et al (2005), Lacerda Filho et al (2005)

CPMTC
CPMTC
Palaeoproterozoic
Rio Itapicuru
CPMTC
CPMTC
Vila Nova, Paramaka, Pastora, Barama, Mazaruni

greenstone belts
Au
Delor et al. 2003

CPMTC
Modificado de (Horikava &

Ferreira Filho 2003)
Vila Nova Palaeo-

proterozoic
greenstone belts
Amapari gold deposit
CPMTC
Amapari gold Granitoids - mineralisation at

deposit amphibolite-facies conditions
I-type, S-type, reduced and oxidised bodies;
shallowly and deeply emplaced magmas
Cava entre
Taperebá A e B –
granito cortando
FFb mineralizada
em Au
Horikawa, 2008
MSc, UFMG
CPMTC
Amapari gold deposit Hornblende + Po
Horikawa, 2008
MSc, UFMG
CPMTC
Orosirian (2.05 - 1.8 Ga)

• Continental magmatic arcs
– Tapajós-Parima ( )
Erathem
System
Period
Era
Stenian
Meso-
Ectasian
proterozoic
Calymmian
Statherian
Palaeo- Orosian
Siderian
CPMTC
Tapajós Gold Province in the Amazonas Craton
Historical production estimated at >1000 t
>300 production centres, including ca. 100 in

primary, hard rock sources. No individual giant yet
Bizzi et al. 2003 (Geol Map Brazil, 2.5 M)

Amazon
Basin Santos 2000
Approx. 100 km
• Gold Occurrences
CPMTC
Statherian (1.8 – 1.6 Ga)

• Onset of taphrogenic (more alkaline) magmatism
– Carajás ( , , )
Erathem
System
Period
Era
Stenian
Meso-
Ectasian
proterozoic
Calymmian
Statherian
Palaeo- Orosian
Siderian
CPMTC
Carajás
Bizzi et al. 2003

CPMTC
Stenian to Tonian (1.2 – 0.85 Ga)
• Orogenic cycle ― Sunsás ( )

– Aguapeí ( )
Accretion of volcanic arcs at the SW margin of the Amazon Craton
Erathem
System
Period
Era
Stenian
Meso-
Ectasian
proterozoic
Calymmian
Statherian
Palaeo- Orosian
Siderian
CPMTC
Santos 2005 3, 4
1, 2
15, 16
13, 14
9 - 12
5-8
Tohver et al. 2004
CPMTC
CPMTC
 Age control on the tectonostratigraphic hosts to Neo-

proterozoic mineralisation is reasonable
BUT
 Poor age control on actual Neoproterozoic mineralisations
 Analysis of mineralisation events, within the Tonian, Cryo-

genian and Ediacaran tectonic cycles, is not yet possible in
Brazil’s Neoproterozoic
Erathem
System
(Ma)
Period
Age
Era
THUS Ediacaran
540
 Belt approach is used Neo- 650
Cryogenian
proterozoic 850
Tonian
1000
CPMTC
 Neoproterozoic belts
confined to Atlantic Shield
 Dominated by thrust-and-
fold belts with lateral slip
shear tectonics
 Define the modern, out-
cropping thin-skinned edges
of cratons
 São Francisco Craton is
overridden by Cryogenian
deformation
 Borborema, Tocantins,
Araguaia and Mantiqueira
Belts host multiple-aged
domains
 Paraná Basin conceals a
Delgado et al. (2003)
craton surrounded by Neo-
proterozoic belts
Tocantins Province: Brasília & Araguaia-Paraguay Belts CPMTC
Serra do Tapa Ni
Vila Oito Ni
Chapada Cu-Au
Zacarias Au-Ag-Ba
Morro do Ouro
São Vicente Au Pirenópolis/Luziânia Au etc.
Baixada Cuiabana Au
Urucum Fe
Bocaina P
Delgado et al. (2003), Dardenne & Schobbenhaus (2001)

CPMTC
Neoproterozoic
Central portion of the Tocantins

Province, (modified after Cruz, 2001)
CPMTC
MORRO DO OURO GOLD DEPOSIT
Largest operating gold mine of Brazil Neoproterozoic
and largest ever gold resource
Located ~240 km SSE of Brasilia. Hosted by Neo-Proterozoic 850-1000 Ma meta-sedimentary

rocks of the Brasilia Fold Belt, which were deformed between 680-650 Ma.
Carbonaceous siltstones, shales, impure sandstones, deformed and weakly metamorphosed to
carbonaceous phyllites and argillaceous quartzites.
Gold mineralisation is hosted by the carbonaceous phyllites with interbedded layers and lenses
of impure quartz sandstones, generally quartzitic.
CPMTC
CPMTC
Carbonaceous phyllite
Bedding in
carbonaceous phyllite
CPMTC
Gold-rich boudins
CPMTC
Seridó W, Au, pegmatite
Delgado et al. (2003), Dardenne & Schobbenhaus (2001)

CPMTC
2,700 km long from Uruguay to

south Bahia State
Campo Largo Au
Castro Au
Itajái Au-Ag
Brusque Au
Camaquã Cu-Au
Lavras do Sul Au
São Gabriel Au
Delgado et al. (2003)

CPMTC
Progressively sericite-altered monzodiorite, Butiá
Medium-grained monzogranite with fine-grained sericite matrix and minor pyrite. Gold
ore from Butiá core

BrazilianGold LydiaLobato CET 20100221

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CET-UWA, Advances in Ore Systems & Exploration Success Profa. Lydia M.

Advances in Ore Systems & Exploration Success

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil

Geological map of the South

Together with directly sourced Cainozoic

Giant Mineralisation Cycles CPMTC

►Bulk of resources  11 giant metal deposits

►However, mineralisation ages are both Neo-

► Note: Brazil’s Rhyacian (PP2 2.3-2.05 Ga) endowment

Orosirian orogens &

In terms of crustal evolution, this reflects a

Known Brazilian Archaean-related Mineral Giants

Terrane Deposit Deposit

1 Morro Velho Quadrilátero gold + silver N-A N-A

in Thorman et al., 2001

Numbers are outdated

in Thorman et al., 2001

in Thorman et al., 2001

Low- to medium-metamorphic grade

Low- to medium-metamorphic grade volcano-

Low- to medium-metamorphic grade

Low- to medium-metamorphic grade volcano-

After Schobbenhaus et al (2005), Leite et al (2005), Heineck et al (2005) Archaean

Proterozoic metasediment. rocks

RIO DAS VELHAS SUPERGROUP

NOVA LIMA GROUP

After Baltazar &

Endownment ~1100 tons of gold

Production of 1.2 million tonnes ore

- 104200 W - 103800 W - 103500 W

Geologic map, level 10

Lobato et al. 2007

After Schobbenhaus et al. (2005), Faraco et al. (2005) Archaean

High-grade ~10 gAu/t ore

Open pit Igarapé Bahia

Igarapé Bahia-Alemão IOCG

Tallarico et al., 2005

Alemão Ore Types

Salobo IOCG-type deposit

(i) breccia-hosted chalcopyrite veins

(ii) chalcopyrite±magnetite±minor py±

Carbonaceous contact ore body

Serra Pelada Au-Pd-Pt

Província Mineral de Carajás:

High-grade metamorphic rocks

Plutonic felsic & mafic rocks ~39% is

Delor et al. 2003

Metallogenesis governed by seven

Siderian – Rhyacian (2.5 – 2.05 Ga)

Rhyacian (2.3 – 2.05 Ga)

•• Gold Santa Terezinha de

After Schobbenhaus et al (2005), Lacerda Filho et al (2005)

Vila Nova, Paramaka, Pastora, Barama, Mazaruni

Delor et al. 2003

Modificado de (Horikava &

Vila Nova Palaeo-

Amapari gold Granitoids - mineralisation at

Amapari gold deposit Hornblende + Po

Orosirian (2.05 - 1.8 Ga)

Historical production estimated at >1000 t

>300 production centres, including ca. 100 in

Bizzi et al. 2003 (Geol Map Brazil, 2.5 M)

Statherian (1.8 – 1.6 Ga)