BRECCIAS AND

MINERALISATION
 Breccias - definition

♦ Broken rock sometimes associated with mineralisation

♦ Breccias include
– Sedimentary bx
– Volcanic bx (often host rocks)
– Magmatic bx (often pre-mineral mineralised magmatic
hydrothermal)
– Tectonic bx (mineralised tectonic hydrothermal)
– Hydrothermal bx
Relationships of breccia types
Relationships of breccia types
Breccia components
Breccia -
Broken rock composed of
•Rock fragments,
•Matrix,
•Infill,
•Open space

Sometimes characterised by
Alteration
Repeated activity
Mineralised infill
etc
Terms
 Working with breccias
- overall proceedure
♦ First describe ie raw data
♦ Put into framework
♦ Consider a genetic model ie interpretation
♦ Access exploration significance
♦ Other?
Genetic Summary
 Hints for working with breccias
♦ Take lots of photos as a record during data
collection
♦ Long descriptive names to start with
♦ Keep moving to next exposure and compare
♦ Slab if possible
♦ Keep genetic models and significance in
mind
♦ Be ready to change model
 Descriptive breccia terminology
♦ Components of a breccia
♦ Organisation of the breccia components
♦ Form of the breccia body
♦ Alteration
♦ Relationship to mineralisation (many provide ground
preparation for later mineralisation) or contain
mineralised fragments
♦ Note repeated activity or later veins and infill
♦ Other?
 Components [in breccia description]

♦ Clasts
♦ Matrix
♦ Infill
♦ Open space
♦ Other?
 Clasts
♦ Type
– Monomictic or polymictic
– locally derived host rock or introduced intrusion and
pre-breccia transported mineralised fragments
– Importance of intrusion in genetic model
♦ Abundance and relationship to each other and
matrix and fit (below in organisation)
♦ Shape (rounded by milling, angular by pull-apart)
 Clast type &
Matrix vs infill

Pull-apart or expansion
breccias with monomictic
breccia fragments and
hydrothermal quartz infill
 Clasts two
sources

Namie (phreatomagmatic)
breccia, Wau, Papua New
Guinea has rounded hard
transported intrusion
fragments and local angular
soft shale fragments
 Juvenile intrusion fragments

Mineral Hill, Australia

Namie Breccia, Wau, PNG

UpperRidges, Wau, PNG

Veladero, Argentina
Yanacocha, Peru
 Matrix vs infill

♦ Fragments become milled (rock flour) and

mix with hydrothermal minerals to form
breccia matix or cement
♦ Infill is defiend as hydrothermal minerals
deposited in open space
 Matrix vs infill
Fluidised breccia with a
matrix of rock flour and
hydrothermal sulphide

Infill of open space

fill hydrothermal
minerals namely
pyrite, sphalerite,
galena and carbonate
from Kelian
carbonate-base metal
Au deposit Borneo
 Milled matrix breccia

Acupan, Philippines Lihir, PNG

Cripple Creek, USA Veladero, Argentina

 Clast type &
Matrix vs infill

Pull-apart or expansion
breccias with monomictic
breccia fragments and
hydrothermal quartz infill
Floating clast breccias (milling and
infill)
 Matrix [in breccia description]

♦ Material which supports fragments

– Relationship to fragment relative abundance
♦ Is it formed from milled fragments
♦ Is it locally derived or introduced
♦ Fluidised or settling features
♦ Difference from, and transition to infill
♦ Alteration
 Fluidised injection
breccias

Rotational breccia

Fluidised breccia
Kelian, Indonesia Lihir Is., Papua New Guinea
 Milled matrix breccia

Acupan, Philippines Lihir, PNG

Cripple Creek, USA Veladero, Argentina

 Hydrothermal collapse breccias/
clay matrix breccias

Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea

Subsurface sedimentary structures in
open space faults
 Organisation [in breccia description]
♦ Relationship between fragments and fragment-
matirix
♦ Layered including subsurface sedimentary
structures
♦ Fluidised and fluid streaming
♦ Relationship between clasts and matrix:
– Fragment or matrix supported
– Matrix quantity
– Local or introduced matix
– Degree of working or transport
 Clasts –
organisation
Bedded
phreatomagmatic
brecicas
 Tourmaline Bx - rocks

Shingle bx
Veladero –
silicified milled
matrix breccias
 Form [in breccia description]

♦ Consider if possible the overall geometry of

the breccia as a:
– Pipe
– Dyke
– Extensional structure ie vein breccias
– Any zonation from fluidised to crackle or in the
style of collapse
– Are fragments/matrix local or transported
Kidston map
 Pebble
dykes/breccias
 Fluidised injection
breccias

Rotational breccia

Fluidised breccia
Kelian, Indonesia Lihir Is., Papua New Guinea
 Tectonic-
hydrothermal
breccias
Rucked up fragments
Vera Nancy, rucked up
vein fragment led to
discovery

Bilimoia, pebble
dyke with rucked up
shale fragments
 Tectonic-
hydrothermal
breccias

Chatree, crush and

shear zones
Infill & open space [in breccia description]
♦ Typically tectonic-hydrothermal breccias are
characterised by formation of open space which
becomes filled with hydrothermal minerals
including precious metals
– common as vein/breccias
♦ Shape of infill bodies
♦ Describe paragenetic sequence of infill and
overprinting breccia events
♦ Locally act as cement
♦ Local sedimentary structures
 Infill of
hydrothermal
minerals
 Crackle and fluidised crackle breccias

Lama Argentina Goonumbla, Australia

Lihir, PNG Bowdens, Australia

 Alteration [in breccia description]

♦ Different genetic styles tend to display

characteristic alteration types eg:
– Magmatic - potassic-propylitic and phyllic overprint
– Phreatomagmatic - clay-pyrite
– Phreatic – intense silicification
♦ Any difference between alteration in fragments
and matrix or zonation in fragments
Hydrothermal collapse breccias
 Hydrothermal collapse breccias/
clay matrix breccias

Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea

Lookout Rocks-Ohio
Creek porphyry New
Zealand
 Silicified breccias

Toka Tindung, Indonesia

Twin Hills, Australia

Puhipuhi, New Zealand

 Breccia significance
in exploration and mining
♦ Common to place in a genetic framework in
order to consider exploration signifance for
instance:
– Some barren diatreme and collapse breccias are
associated with marginal mineralisation in
fracture systems in competent host rocks
– Rucked up fragments
 Genetic terminology

♦ Based upon comparisons of the modes of

formation of many breccia systems
♦ Generally related to mechanism of
formation
♦ Sillitoe, 1985; Baker et al, 1986; Corbett
and Leach, 1998;Taylor and Pollard, 1993;
Davies et al 2000, …
Genetic Summary
Characteristics
 Intrusion
Breccias

Associated with
emplacement of
intrusions with no
hydrothermal activity
Intrusion breccias
– magmatic
collapse bx
Lihir - porphyry model
 Magmatic hydrothermal breccias
♦ Combination of intrusion and hydrothermal
activity generally at depth without venting to the
surface
♦ Alteration as early chlorite and later silica-sericite
+ pyrite
♦ Common in:
– Upper portions of porphyry Cu deposits (pebble dykes)
and
– Breccia pipes in deeper level sub volcanic terrains
– Breccia pipes in batholith terrains (Cu-Tourmaline
breccias)
Magmatic Hydrothermal Bx
 Pebble
dykes/breccias
Kidston NE Australia
Kidston map
Kidston

Mixed breccia
 Kidston

Marginal breccias:

Metamorphic bx
Granodiorite bx
 Kidston

Felsic fragment breccia

Spherulitic rhyolite
 Kidston
Intrusion features
Kidston
Sheeted
veins
Kidston map
Kidston setting
Kidston Interp
Tourmaline Bx – Model
 Cu-Tourmaline breccias

♦ Occur in batholith terrains probably at apophyses

♦ Cu>Au in association with tourmaline, pyrite,
chalcopyrite
♦ Initial collapse produced by venting of volatiles
promotes collapse and development of:
– flat dipping sheeted fractures and associated shingle
breccias
– Steep dipping ring fractures at pipe margin
♦ Later mineralisation exploits plumbing system
Tourmaline Bx - rocks
 Phreatomagmatic breccias
♦ Formed by explosive activity involving magma
and water turned to vapour
♦ Of interest here associated with high level
typically felsic intrusons commonly in flow dome
complexes
♦ Rising intrusion becomes depressurised and may
come in contact with groundwaters in same fault
♦ Vent with tuff rings and endogenous domes
♦ Mineralisation later high and low sulphidation
♦ Characterised by clay-pyrite alteration
Phreatomagmatic Bx
 Milled matrix breccia

Acupan, Philippines Lihir, PNG

Cripple Creek, USA Veladero, Argentina

 Bedded breccias –
Tuff rings

Sumbawa, Indonesia

Nauti, Wau, PNG Pascua, Chile

 Surficial features

Accretionary Lapilli, Lihir, PNG

Bedded, lapilli,
Kelian, Indonesia

Wood Fragments,
Lihir, PNG
 Juvenile intrusion fragments

Mineral Hill, Australia

Namie Breccia, Wau, PNG

UpperRidges, Wau, PNG

Veladero, Argentina
Yanacocha, Peru
 Domes

Wau Diatreme,
Papua New Guinea

Namie Breccia

Crumple breccia
Mineralisation outside pipes - Acupan
Mineralisation outside pipes – Kelian
Mineralisation at pipe
margin – Lepanto
Mineralisation within pipes

Mt Leyshon, Australia

Yanacocha, Peru
Cripple Creek
Colorado
Cripple Creek Plan
Mineralisation within pipes - Cripple
Creek
Dbx Form

Woodlark Is, Papua New Guinea

Phreatomagmatc
breccias and
high sulphidation
Au-Ag deposits
Pascua-Lama-Veladero
Veladero from Lama
Veladero
plan
Veladero –
bedded tuff sheet
Veladero –
silicified milled
matrix breccias
Veladero –
juvanile
intrusion
fragments
Veladero –
polyphasal
brecciation
Veladero –
Domes

Crumple breccia
Veladero - Late
breccia sulphide
mineralisation
Pascua, Chile
Pascua - conceptual cross section
Pascua – bedded breccia Central
Diatreme
Pascua –
milled matrix
breccias
Pascua –
polyphasal
breccias 1
Pascua – polyphasal breccia 2
Pascua – black
silica breccias
Pascua-Lama – alteration
Pascua-Lama – Au distribution
Porfriada
Porfriada –
bedded
breccia
 Porfriada –
milled matrix
breccias
Porfriada –
black
matrix
breccias
 Fluidised injection breccias

♦ Smaller scale emplacement of sulphides into

fractured rocks
♦ Characterised by significant transport of matrix
and lesser transport of host rocks fragments
♦ Matrix of sulphides and rock flour
♦ Characterised by dyke-like forms grading to more
marginal crackle breccias
♦ Common in high sulphidation and some quartz-
sulphide low sulphidation deposits
Injection Bx
 Fluidised injection
breccias

Rotational breccia

Fluidised breccia
Kelian, Indonesia Lihir Is., Papua New Guinea
 Crackle and fluidised crackle breccias

Lama Argentina Goonumbla, Australia

Lihir, PNG Bowdens, Australia

 Phreatic or Eruption breccias
♦ Explosions result from depressurising of hot
water to form steam
♦ Near surficial breccia pipes
♦ No magmatic component
♦ Common where circulating cells of
geothermal fluids
♦ Cap quartz veins and silicified breccias
♦ Fluid outflows for sinter deposits
Ebx
Champange Pool Champagne
Pool

Eruption breccia
 Fluid outflows

Pamukale
sinter terrace
Turkey
Beppu
 Lihir Is -
Phreatic/eruption
breccia
Intrusion related
hydrothermal system
 Silicified breccias

Toka Tindung, Indonesia

Twin Hills, Australia

Puhipuhi, New Zealand

Puhi Puhi
McLaughlin setting 1
McLaughlin setting 2
Mclaughlin map
Maclaughlin cross section
McLaughlin
Sinter
McLaughlin
McLaughlin
crack seal
breccia-sinter
 Phreatic/eruption
Breccia -
McLaughlin USA

Sheeted veins
Sayrosa – eruption
breccia
 Sayrosa –
Eruption breccia
Eruption breccias
- El Orito
Paccha
target
Minas Cucho –
Eruption breccia
Phreatic/eruption
breccia caps
polymetallic
veins – Peru
 Eruption breccias cap
low sulphidation veins
Patagonia
Phreatic/eruption breccia caps high
sulphidation system - Peru
Rucked up fragments
Osorozan
Osorezan geology
Osorozan Japan
 Osorezan
geothermal
Yanacocha
dyke
Tararunqui – eruption breccia
 Tectonic-hydrothermal breccias
including dilational (open space)
breccias

♦ Form in open space faults

♦ Common infill of hydrothermal minerals
♦ Common sub surface sedimentary structures
♦ Local milled, floating clast breccias, many
with bonanza ores
Dilational Bx
 Dilational /open space /
expansion breccias
Mosaic breccias

Kidston, Australia

Mt Kare

Porgera, Papua New Guinea

Floating clast
breccias

Hishikari

Twin Hills Australia Viento El Indio District

Milled floating
clast breccias
Palmarejo 19.75 g/t
Au 1155 g/t Ag
Subsurface sedimentary structures in
open space faults
Hydrothermal collapse breccias
 Hydrothermal collapse breccias/
clay matrix breccias

Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea

Lookout Rocks-Ohio
Creek porphyry New
Zealand
 Tectonic-
hydrothermal
breccias
Rucked up fragments
Vera Nancy, rucked up
vein fragment led to
discovery

Bilimoia, pebble
dyke with rucked up
shale fragments
 Tectonic-
hydrothermal
breccias

Chatree, crush and

shear zones
 BRECCIAS –
Exploration significance
♦ Importance of descriptive classifications in the
field
♦ Analysis of field data to produce genetic
classification which allow the application of
prospects to geological models
♦ Breccia types vary with deposit type and display
distinct relationships to mineralisation
♦ Barren eruption breccias overly sheeted and fissure
vein systems while ore may occur marginal to, or
at depth within, phreatomagmatic breccia pipes.
 BRECCIAS –
Data collection
♦ Geological mapping of pipes to define
mineralisation settings
♦ Hand specimen observation of factors such as –
rounding, clast support, matrix infill, clast variety
and transport etc
♦ Move from descriptive to genetic classification
♦ Vital to sample breccia matrix
♦ Check or overprinting events
♦ Rucked up breccia fragments
 Lepanto
rucked up
breccia fragment
 Vera Nancy
rucked up fragment
Breccia
matrix