Characterization of Gold Bearing Placers and Associated Minerals in the Elogo Region (North-West Congo Republic)

The Elogo region has been subjected to craft industry and semi-industrial mining for gold-bearing placers, since the colonial times. It is actually undergoing an intensive exploration for a primary gold deposit. The goal of this study is to contribute to the exploration of the primary gold deposit in the Elogo Region (North-West of Congo Republic). The methodology consisted of characterization of placers deposits by their lithology, mineralogy and the gold grains shape, in order to constrain the source of gold with the respect to the local geology. The results obtained show that alluviums are polygenic and yields seventeen mineral species composed of zircon, olivine, magnetite, ilmenite, gold, garnet, rutile, coltan, cassiterite, monazite, apatite, amphibole, tourmaline, pyrite, limonite, chromite, and amphibole. The morphoscopy of gold grain shows single grains and grains with quartz inclusions that suggest their relationship with quartz veins. The gold grains are flattened, sub-flattened, and rounded. The northern region of Elogo characterized by a dominance of coarser quartz-included gold grains indicates a proximal proparte origin (less than 50 m), while the southern region, showing less coarse and more evolved grains with choc marks, appears to be associated with a distal pro-parte origin (more than 300 m). The multivariate statistical analysis shows seven classes of samples corresponding to the mineralogical paragenesis suggesting various sources, consisting of high-grade metamorphic, granitoids, pegmatites, basic and ultrabasic rocks, and BIFs that provided minerals to the placers. Gold mainly comes from hydrothermal quartz veins and probably from the peptization of gold from the weathering of sulfides occurring in the BIF. In the Elogo region, gold exploration for primary deposits should look for and follow the hydrothermal system developed in this region. Chemical analysis for the gold grains and associated minerals is necessary to better guide the proposed geochemical prospecting.

Electrochemical behavior of gold and its associated minerals in alkaline thiourea solutions

Electrochemical measurements were conducted to study the electrochemical behavior of gold （Au） and its commonly associated minerals in alkaline thiourea solutions. The results indicated that without addition of any stabilizer, selective dissolution of Au from stibnite and pyrite was only possible at relatively low thiourea concentrations. As Na2SiO3 was added, pyrite started to become active and an oxida- tion peak appeared; the oxidation peaks of axsenopyrite and chalcocite appeared earlier thaxl that of Au. The chalcocite peak shifted in the positive direction and the peak current increased. Stibnite did not show an oxidation peak and its current was nearly zero. Adding Na2SiO3 favored the selective dissolution of Au when its minerals were associated with chalcocite and stibinte. At pH 12, the Au anode dissolution peak current increased with stabilizer concentration. At 0.38 and 0.42 V and for Na2SiO3 concentration below 0.09 M, the current density continuously increased with Na2SiO3 concentration. The Na2SiO3 concentration had to be adequate to stabilize thiourea. When the potential was higher than 0.42 V, the surface of the Au electrode started to passivate. With an additional increase in potential, the presence of Na2SiO3 could not stop the inevitable decomposition of thiourea.

Reconstruction of the Indigenous Sources of Gold of the Glu-Kharinsky Placer (Kolyma River Basin, Magadan Region, Russia)

A comparative analysis of typomorphic features of gold placers and indigenous sources of gold was carried out for the Glukharinsky ore-placer node (the Nadezhda deposit and Glukharinskoye, Tyomnoye, and Tyi-Jurye ore occurrences). A correlation between fineness of placer native gold and composition of relic minerals preserved inside gold particles was obtained for the first time. This made it possible to establish mineral parageneses of native gold from potential indigenous sources. The study of placer gold fineness in combination with com-position of mineral inclusions allowed us to identify seven types of gold paragenesis: petzite-hessite with a fineness of 855‰, pyrite-polybasite-galena (a fineness of 670‰), bismuth telluride (900‰), cosalite-vikingite (790‰), galena (870‰), glaucodot (950‰), and hydrohematite (840‰). It was also shown that the placer contains the material from ore occurrences of different formation: gold-quartz-porphyry occurrences in granitoids (Au-Te-Bi type) and gold-silver occurrences. The method developed by us allows one to estimate the percentage of each ore source in placer formation.

Limited impacts of occasional tillage on dry aggregate size distribution and soil carbon and nitrogen fractions in semi-arid drylands

Tillage management that minimizes the frequency and intensity of soil disturbance can increase soil carbon(C)and nitrogen(N)sequestration and improve the resilience of dryland cropping systems,yet the impact of occasional disturbance on soil aggregate formation and the soil organic carbon(SOC)storage within aggregates has not been studied well.We evaluated the effect of four tillage management practices on soil dry aggregate size distribution,aggregate-protected C and N,mineral-associated organic matter carbon(MAOM-C),particulate organic matter carbon(POM-C),and corn(Zea mays L.)and sorghum(Sorghum bicolor(L.)Moench)yields in a semi-arid dryland cropping system.Treatments included conventional tillage(CT),strip-tillage(ST),no-tillage(NT),and occasional tillage(OT)management in a corn-sorghum rotation.Soil macro-aggregates were 51-54%greater under ST,NT,and OT,while small and micro-aggregates were greater in CT.Conventional tillage reduced soil aggregate-associated C by 28-31%in macro-aggregates and 47-53%in small aggregates at 26 months(M)sampling compared to ST,NT,and OT.In clay+silt fraction,CT had 14-16%,21-26%,and 36-43%less SOC at 7,14,and 26M samplings,respectively,than ST,NT,and OT.Aggregate associated N was generally similar under ST,NT,and OT,which was greater on average than CT.Soil MOAM-C and POM-C under ST,NT,and OT were generally greater than respective SOC fractions under CT at 19 and 26 M after OT implementation.Corn and sorghum yields were similar among tillage systems in 2020,but greater under ST,NT,and OT than CT in 2021.Our results suggest that while frequent intensive tillage can lower SOC and N storage,a single stubble mulch occasional tillage after several years of NT does not lead to soil C and N losses and soil structural instability in semi-arid drylands.

Electrochemical dissolution behavior of gold and its main coexistent sulfide minerals in acid thiocyanate solutions

Electrochemical tests were developed to investigate the electrochemical dissolution behavior of gold and its main coexistent sulfide minerals in acid thiocyanate solutions.The optimal leaching conditions for gold in acidic thiocyanate system were pH 2,0.15 mol·L^(-1) thiocyanate and 0.2 g·L^(-1)Fe^(3+).Fe^(3+) addition to the acidic thiocyanate system promoted gold dissolution significantly,arsenopyrite dissolution was inhibited,chalcopyrite dissolution was increased,and the dissolution behavior of other associated minerals remained mostly unchanged.Thiocyanate made gold and associated mineral leaching easier.The galvanic corrosion effect of gold and its main coexistent sulfide minerals in an acidic thiocyanate-free system was that the chalcocite,arsenopyrite and pyrite acted as a cathode to reduce anodic gold dissolution;galena as an anode undergoes oxidation to inhibit anodic gold dissolution.There was almost no galvanic corrosion behavior between stibnite,yellow sphalerite and black sphalerite and gold.Thiocyanate addition changed the galvanic corrosion behavior of stibnite and yellow sphalerite in the thiocyanate system,which inhibited anodic gold dissolution.In the acidic thiocyanate system in the presence of ferric iron,the arsenopyrite promoted anodic gold dissolution,the chalcocite and gold were mostly free of galvanic corrosion,and the remaining minerals inhibited anodic gold dissolution.