Alteration and mineralization styles of the orogenic disseminated Zhenyuan gold deposit, southeastern Tibet: Contrast with carlin gold deposit

Orogenic disseminated and Carlin gold deposits share much similarity in alteration and mineralization.The disseminated orogenic Zhenyuan Au deposit along the Ailaoshan shear zone,southeastern Tibet,was selected to clarify their difference.The alteration and mineralization from the different lithologies,including meta-quartz sandstone,carbonaceous slate,meta-(ultra)mafic rock,quartz porphyry and lamprophyre were researched.According to the mineral assemblage and replacement relationship in all types of host rocks,two reactions show general control on gold deposition:(1) replacement of earlier magnetite by pyrite and carbonaceous material;(2) alteration of biotite and phlogopite phenocrysts in quartz porphyry and lamprophyre into dolomite/ankerite and sericite.Despite the lamprophyre is volumetrically minor and much less fractured than other host rocks,it contains a large portion of Au reserve,indicating that the chemically active lithology has played a more important role in gold precipitation compared to structure.LA-ICP-MS analysis shows that Au mainly occurs as invisible gold in fine-grained pyrite disseminated in the host rocks,with Au content reaching to 258.95 ppm.The diagenetic core of pyrite in meta-quartz sandstone enriched in Co,Ni,Mo,Ag and Hg is wrapped by hydrothermal pyrite enriched in Cu,As,Sb,Au,Tl,Pb and Bi.Different host rock lithology has much impact on the alteration and mineralization features.Carbonate and sericite in altered lamprophyre show they have higher Mg than those developed in other of host rocks denoting that the carbonate and sericite incorporated Mg from phlogopite phenocrysts in the primary lamprophyre during alteration.The ore fluid activated the diagenetic pyrite in meta-quartz sandstone leading the hydrothermal pyrite enriched in Cu,Mo,Ag,Sb,Te,Hg,Tl,Pb and Bi,but the hydrothermal pyrite in meta-(ultra)mafic rock is enriched in Co and Ni as the meta-(ultra)mafic rock host rock contain high content of Co and Ni.However,Au and As shear similar range in both types of host rocks indicating that these two elements most likely come from the deep source fluid rather than the host rocks.It was shown in the disseminated orogenic gold deposit that similar hydrothermal alteration with mineral assemblage of carbonate (mainly dolomite and ankerite),sericite,pyrite and arsenopyrite develops in all types of host rocks.This is different from the Nevada Carlin type,in which alteration is mainly dissolution and silicification of carbonate host rock.On the other hand,Au mainly occur as invisible gold in both disseminated orogenic and Carlin gold deposits.

Organic Geochemistry of Sedimentary Rock-hosted Disseminated Gold Deposits in Southwestern Guizhou Province, China

Sedimentary rock-hosted disseminated gold (SRHDG) deposits in the Youjiang-Nanpanjiang Basin, southwestern Guizhou Province are commonly hosted by the same fold crests that commonly contain a remarkable amount of organic material. The total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the ores and host rocks are usually less than 1%. The reflectance of vitrinite and pyrobitumen in the ores and the host rocks ranges from 1.5% to 4.5%, often in the range of 2% to 3%. In the Lannigou deposit, the reflectance of vitrinite and pyrobitumen in the ores is usually somewhat higher than those within the host rocks, indicating a hydrothermal impact on the organic matter in the altered host rocks. On the contrary, the estimated maximum paleotemperatures of the Getang and Zimudang deposits are higher than the homogenization temperatures of the fluid inclusions in the ores, signifying that the organic matter maturation predated Au mineralization. No correlation between the organic matter contents and Au concentrations were recognized in the ores. However, the most striking observation is that there is a positive correlation between the S2 (a parameter of Rock-Eval analysis), Au and As contents of the ores in the Lannigou deposit. Organic matter maturation and migration is apparent from the TOC vs. HCI diagram. Furthermore, group analysis of the dichloromethane extractable organic component of the ores and host rocks shows that the maturation degree of the organic matter in the ores is slightly higher than that of the host rocks in the Lannigou gold deposit. However, the compositions of their alkanes, steranes and terpenes, which serve as biomarkers, are quite similar; this suggests that the organic matter found in the ores and host rocks has a common marine source. Organic matter probably contributed to the preconcentration of Au in the host rocks. Hydrocarbons in the system, on the other hand, clearly contributed to the emplacement of the gold mineralization through thermal sulfate reduction. Organic matter in the solution might have increased the potential of the hydrothermal solution to transport Au.

Metallogeny of the Lannigou Sedimentary Rock-hosted Disseminated Gold Deposit in Southwestern Guizhou Province,China

The Lannigou deposit is a large-sized sedimentary rock-hosted disseminated gold （SRHDG） deposit located in the Youjiang Basin. It is hosted by the Middle Triassic turbidite. Wall rock alterations, including silicification, pyritization, arsenopyritization, carbonatization and argillization, commonly occur along fractures. PGE study demonstrates that either Permian basalts or Triassic ultrabasic intrnsives are unlikely to be the main source of gold mineralization. Coupled with the lack of other nmgmatic activity in the vicinity of the mining area, an amagmatic origin is proposed. Organic matter compositions and GC-MS analysis of the ores and host rocks show that the organics in the ores and the host rocks have a common source; the organic matter in the ores was mainly indigenous. The positive correlation between S2 and Au contents, along with the common occurrence of organic inclusions, suggest involvement of organic matter in the ore-forming process in terms of promoting Au leaching from the source rocks, making colloidal Au migration possible, as well as hydrocarbon reduction of sulphate. Geological and geochemical characteristics of the Lannigou deposit suggest that it was formed through circulation of meteoric water and probably less importantly organic bearing formation water driven by high geothermal gradient caused by late Yanshanian extension, which leached Au from the source bed, and then migrated as Au-bisnlfides and colloidal Au, culminating in deposition by reduction-adsorption and surface complexation of gold onto the growth surface of arsenlan pyrite.

Metamorphic Rock-hosted Disseminated Gold Deposits——A Case Study of the Xiaotongjiapuzi Gold Depositof Eastern Liaoning

The Xiaotongjiapuzi gold deposit occurs in a Palaeoproterozoic rift accretionary terrane in eastern Liaoning and is hosted by a carbonate formation of the Dashiqiao Formation, Liaohe Group. The metamorphic grade of the host rock is low amphibolite-high greenschist facies. Gold, which is mainly invisible, is distributed in pyrite and arsenopyrite. The grains of Au-bearing sulphide minerals are fine, ranging from 0.0 n to 1 mm. The wall-rock alterations are characterized by low-temperature silification, hydro-sericitization, sericitization and carbonatization. The homogenization temperatures of the fluid inclusions in quartz closely associated with gold mineralization range from 140 to 240°C. The metallogenic age represented by the Ar-Ar isotopic age of sericite is 167 Ma. Comparisons and studies show that the Xiaotongjiapuzi gold deposit can be classified as the submicron-sized disseminated deposit (analogous to the Carlin-type) hosted in metamorphic rocks.

Formation of the Micro-Disseminated Strata-bound Gold Deposits, With Special Reference to Structural Evolution, Miliang Area, Zhen'an County,Shaanxi Province, China

Based on detailed geologic study, the important role of structuring in the formation of gold deposits in the area is discussed with special reference to structural evolution. Syngenetic faulting contemporaneous with tectonic-volcanic events is thought to be responsible for providing the ore-forming material at depth. The lithofacies formed by highly alternating deposition of terrestrial and carbonate detritus is chemically characterized by the assemblage of Au-Sb-As,constituting a favorable source bed for the activation and enrichment of gold. This gold source bed has undergone four major stages of structural deformation, accompanied by multi-staged alteration and mineralization.

A new type of micro-disseminated gold deposits in association with diabase found in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region——Their geological characteristics and metallogenic conditions

With the continuous development of gold ore prospecting and exploration in recent years a new type of micro-disseminated gold deposits have been found in the regions of Southwest Guizhou Province and Northwest Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,with the orebodies directly occurring in diabase or in the contact zone between diabase and strata.The orebodies are strictly controlled by fault structures.The discovery of this type of gold deposits has brought about new prospects for gold ore prospecting in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi Golden Triangle region.From the preliminary analysis of the geological characteristics of the Qiaoxiang gold deposit in Wangmo County,in combination with the results of research work in the adjacent areas in recent years,this paper roughly described the geological characteristics and metallogenic conditions of this type of gold ore deposits with an attempt to make more and more geologists pay enough attention to this type of gold ore deposits,so as to promote gold ore prospecting in Guizhou Province to develop toward a variety of types of gold deposits in all round way.

A Study on the Relations Between Ultrabasic Dikes and Fine Disseminated Gold Deposits in Southwestern Guizhou Province as Exemplified by Zimudang Large-Sized Gold Deposit

The relations between ultrabasic rocks and gold deposits in time, space and genesisare discussed in this paper. The research results show that the ore-forming materials of the golddeposits is characteristic of crust-mantle mixing. The formation of the gold deposits is relatedwith the activity of juvenile fluids along with the intrusion of ultrabasic dikes. The ascendingjuvenile fluids not only offered Part of the gold, water and mineralizers for gold ndneralhation,but also promoted the remobilization, defortion and enrichment of gold in crustal sediments.

Gold Occurrence and Ore Genesis, Yata Micro-|Disseminated Gold Deposit, Guizhou, Southwest China

The mode of occurrence of gold in the Yata micro\|disseminated gold deposit is approached through chemical phase studies coupled with ore\|dressing monitoring and micro\|beam analysis. The results showed that gold occurred for the most part as ultra\|microscopic particles adsorbed on the surfaces or fracture planes of pyrite and other sulphides. The proportions of gold of different occurrences were estimated solutions containing nanometer\|sized gold particles were prepared following the hydrolysis\|reduction procedure and the adsorption of nanometer\|sized gold on ordinary sulphides and rocks was experimentally determined. It is evident that sulphides are good adsorbents of gold and this is consistent with geological observations.

Mode of Occurrence of Gold in Micro-Disseminated Strata-Bound Sb-Au Deposits, Qinling Region, China

Optical studies, backscattered electron images, secondary ion spectrometry and highprecision transmission electron imaging demonstrate that gold is strongly correlated with arsenic on a microscopic scale in the sediment-hosted micro-disseminated gold deposits. The positive correlation between Au and As, despite varying Au/As ratio, is persistent in arsenian pyrite overgrowths and arsenopyrite. It is found that gold occurs in native state as submicro beads in association with arsenic-bearing sulfides. The extremely small grain size of gold may indicate a very rapid process of deposition.

Silicon Isotope Geochemistry of Micro-Fine Disseminated Gold Deposits in SW Guizhou and NW Guangxi,China

Quartz was studied with respect to its silicon isotopic composition and cathodoluminescence in micro-fine disseminated gold deposits in SW Guizhou and NW Guangxi. The resultsshowed that quartz in wall rocks, ores and that in association with hydrothermal silicificationare distinctive in silicon isotopes and cathodoluminescence characters. Quartz in association withprimary silicification is non-luminescent while that in wall rocks and associated with secondarysilicification exhibits striking luminescence. Based on the dynamic fractionation of silicon isotopes, it is suggested that the mineralization was accompanied by rapid transport of a primarysiliceous fluid along the major deep fault system into subordinate faults before ore componentsdeposited in favorable strata via penetration and metasomatism. Therefore, a deep origin is implicit for gold deposits of this type.

Ore-Fluid Systems of Fine Disseminated Gold Deposits Along the Southeastern Margin of the Yangtze Plate

Fine disseminated gold deposits occurring along the southeastern margin ofthe Yangtze Plate belong to the epithermal type resulting from different systems of oreforming fluids. According to their sources, the ore-forming fluids can be divided intofour systems: a) meteoric water system; b) oil-brine system; c) basin-brine system; andd) magmatic-formation water system. The four hydrothermal systems are responsiblefor four types of gold deposits, respectively The meteoric water system produces hotspring gold deposits. The basin-brines, which are derived from fissure water, structuralwater and absorbed water sealed up in strata, are responsible for the basin-brine-typedeposits. The oil-brine system, having the same source as the basin-brines, is characterizedby the involvment of organic matter and is responsible for the oil-brine-type deposits.Inclusion fluld data show that there are obvious differences in chemical compesition andcarbon, oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur isotopes for these hydrothermal systems. Differentmetalloenic provinces, in which one of the four systems is dominant, can be recognizedin the region.

U-Pb SHRIMP Dating of Zircon from Quartz Veins of the Yangshan Gold Deposit in Gansu Province and Its Geological Significance

The Yangshan gold deposit is a super-large fine-grained disseminated gold deposit located in southern Gansu Province. Its metallogenic age has been determined by using the cathodoluminescence image and ion probe U-Pb dating techniques. It is found that zircons from quartz veinlet of the fine-grained disseminated gold ore show characters of magmatic origin with prism idiomorphism, oscillatory zoning and dominant Th/U ratios of 0.5-1.5. Three main populations of zircons are obtained, giving average 206Pb/238U ages of 197.6±1.7 Ma, 126.9±3.2 Ma and 51.2±1.3 Ma respectively. The first age corresponds to the K-Ar age of the plagiogranite dike, while the latter two ages indicate that buried Cretaceous and Tertiary intrusives exist in the orefield, suggesting that the Yangshan gold deposit was genetically related to the three magmatic hydrothermal activities. By contrast, zircons from coarse gold-bearing quartz vein in the mining area are much older than the host rock, indicating that the vein was formed earlier and was not contaminated by later magmatic fluids. It is concluded that the coupling of multiperiodic hydrothermal activities in the mining area has contributed a lot to mineralization of the Yangshan gold deposit.

Bio-organic Geochemical Characteristics of Gold Deposits in Northwestern Guangxi and Their Metallogenetic Significance

The gold deposits of Triassic period in the northwestern Guangxi are all located in the marine, fine -grained ,fragmental rock series containing organic matter ,i.e .the distribution districts of black rock series . The fine-grained gold deposits occur in organic matter -bearing C, D,E,or D,E divisions of the classical Bouma sequences. The evolution degree of organic matters through oil window stage reached the over -mature degree. Both the bio-sources of the organic matters and the distribution of gold in the organic matters disclose the close association between gold , living beings and organic matters . The thermal evolution of organic matters led to the gold to be activized . migrated and enriched , and finally formed gold deposits in the fault belt and crushed zone of black rock series .

Control of favorable lithology on Jinlongshan micro-fine disseminated gold deposits, southern Qinling Mountains

Jinlongshan gold orebelt, a newly discovered one in sedimentary rock region in southern Qinling Mountains, is mainly located in upper Devonian and lower Carboniferous calcareous siltstone and argillic silty limestone of later Paleozoic era. Typical disseminated gold mineralization occurred in calcareous siltstone, which is major host rock and mainly composed of silt (SiO2 mostly varies from 38% to 73%) and calcite (CaO mostly varies from 10% to 25%). Pyrite created by living beings in Nanyangshan formation may be poor in gold. Faults and favorable layers jointly control disseminated gold mineralization. The significance of this opinion is very great for gold exploration.

Au-Sb association and fractionation in micro-disseminatedgold deposits, southwestern Guizhou——geochemistry andthermodynamics

The dual geochemical character of paragenesis and fractionation between gold, arsenic and antimony in micro-disseminated gold deposits in southwestern Guizhou is discussed in terms of spatial distribution of independent deposits, lateral and vertical enrichment, mineralization stage and factor and correlation analyses. Thermodynamic calculations of solubility and speciation of gold and antimony minerals indicate that gold is transported in hydrothermal solution as Au(HS) 2and antimony is mainly as Sb(OH)30 although HSb2S4 may be of increasing importance in acidenvironment at low temperatures during the late stage of mineralization. Changes in physico-chemical conditions hold the key to the association and fractionation between gold and antimony. Gold and antimony response differently to physicochemical variations because they are distinct from each other in soluble speciation and mineral solubility, leading to precipitation at different times and localities during hydrothermal evolution.

A sulfur isotope study of fine disseminated gold deposits in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi triangle area

THE fine disseminated gold deposits in Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi triangle area in S. China occur in thesedimentary rocks and are not relative to magmatism in space and genesis. Many authors have studiedthese deposits and obtained different conclusions. This note makes the first systematic study on sulfur isotope compositions to further discuss possible sources of ore-forming materials. 1 Sulfur isotope composition Figure 1 shows variations of sulfur isotope compositions of 232 sulfide separats from various depositsand their host rocks. S S values of pyrite from Mid-Triassic Banna Formation strata in the Jinya ore district can be divided into two groups: -7.4‰ to -6.4‰ and 2.7‰ to 14.1‰. Pyrite from the Jinyadeposits has δ34S values of -7.2‰-1.9‰, stibnite -6.7‰- -4.9‰ and arsenopyrite -4.1‰-

Gold occurrence mechanism of fine disseminated gold deposits

THE fine disseminated gold deposits are widely distributed in the southwestern China and western UnitedStates. They have a mineral association of pyrite, arsenopyrite, marcasite, realgar, orpiment, stibnite,cinnabar, quartz, calcite and barite, and an element association of gold, arsenic, antimony, mercury,thallium and barium. Gold occurs as disseminated and in small size. This note aims to discuss the disseminated nature and micron size of the gold.

The characteristics of chert from micro-disseminated gold deposits and their origin significance in southwestern Guizhou, China

THE southwestern Guizhou Province has been acknowledged as one of the most important and potentialgold producing areas in the People’ s Republic of China and has attracted world-wide attention since thediscovery of a series of sediment-hosted micro-disseminated gold deposits in the last twenty years. Chertwidely occurs in the gold deposits. Study on geology and geochemistry of the chert may be important for abetter understanding of the forming condition and process of gold. 1 Characteristics of chert THE cherts are characterized by bedded, massived, pseudobrecciated and nodular structures, occurring insynsedimentary fault. The thickness of a chert bed generally varies from several meters to less than 20meters, with the maximum up to about 70 meters. Host elements are simple and concentrated in thecherts. The SiO2 concentration of the cherts varies from 86.4 % to 95.64 %, 91.95% on average

Dating of sediment-hosted disseminated-type gold deposit by using ^40Ar/^39Ar laser probe:A case study of Changkeng large-scale gold deposit,China

Hydrothermal clay minerals that formed in the main metallogenic stage of the Changkeng disseminated-type gold deposit in central Guangdong were analyzed by the 40Ar/39Ar laser probe. The results give Ar-Ar isochron ages of 109.9 1.4 to 110.1 1.3 Ma, which are 30 to 50 Ma older than the age of silver ore bodies in the deposit. Both gold and silver mineralizations were not related to hidden granite batholith in the mining district, but probably related to evo-lution of sedimentary basins. This study shows that the 40Ar/39Ar laser probe is a sound dating tool applicable to sediment-hosted disseminated-type gold deposit.

A Study on the Metallogenetic Epoch Fine Disseminated Gold Deposit in Southwest Guizhou Using the Fission Track

Southwest Guizhou, located in the Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou delta area, is not only a very important gold ore glebe, but also one of Chinese ultramicro disseminated gold deposits. In this area, fine disseminated gold deposits almost all occur in the sedimentary rocks. The wall rock alteration of gold deposit is a typical low hydrothermal alteration, mainly including silication pyritization, arsenopyritization and illitization, etc. The silication is widely spread and tightly associated with gold mineralization. All of those