General Characteristics

Majority of these deposits form in non volcanic marine or deltaic

environments in different ages and places.

Host rocks include shales, mudstones, argillites and slates, which are
frequently organic rich.

Deposits of metals have been precipitated as primary sediments from

the surface waters by chemical or biogeochemical processes.

Vary in size (Tonnage): From hundred millions tonnes to sub-economic

sizes and normally show a shore to basin-ward zoning of Cu + Ag – Pb
- Zn

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 Geological settings
Chemical sedimentary deposits are mostly
intracratonic (formed in intracratonic basins)
and majority appear not to be related directly to
orogenic events or plate margin events.

Marine transgressions over continental

deposits
Carbonate shelf sequences
Fault controlled sedimentary basins
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 Cu Deposits
These are most important sources of Co and Ag. For example Co (e.g.
Central African Cu Belt) and Ag (Kupferschifer-Poland, USA).

These deposits have grades varying from 1% - 5% Cu (compared to

0.4% - 1 % Cu in Porphyr deposits)

Most major deposits occur in reduced, pyritic, organic rich, calcareous

shales, or the metamorphic equivalents (slates) and sandstones, which
form in anoxic, paralic marine, large scale saline lacustrine.

Important deposits occur in Upper Proterozoic and Upper Paleozoic

rocks that were deposited in arid and semi arid areas in continental rift
areas within 20 – 30 degrees from paleoequator.

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