Development of Mining Technology and Equipment for Seafloor Massive Sulfide Deposits

Seafloor massive sulfide（SMS） deposits which consist of Au, Ag, Cu, and other metal elements, have been a target of commercial mining in recent decades. The demand for established and reliable commercial mining system for SMS deposits is increasing within the marine mining industry. The current status and progress of mining technology and equipment for SMS deposits are introduced. First, the mining technology and other recent developments of SMS deposits are comprehensively explained and analyzed. The seafloor production tools manufactured by Nautilus Minerals and similar mining tools from Japan for SMS deposits are compared and discussed in turn. Second, SMS deposit mining technology research being conducted in China is described, and a new SMS deposits mining tool is designed according to the environmental requirement. Finally, some new trends of mining technology of SMS deposits are summarized and analyzed. All of these conclusions and results have reference value and guiding significance for the research of SMS deposit mining in China.

Ore Genesis of the Kalatongke Cu-Ni Sulfide Deposits, Western China: Constraints from Volatile Chemical and Carbon Isotopic Compositions

The Kalatongke Cu-Ni sulfide deposits located in the East Junggar terrane, northern Xinjiang, western China are the largest magmatic sulfide deposits in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt （CAOB）. The chemical and carbon isotopic compositions of the volatiles trapped in olivine, pyroxene and sulfide mineral separates were analyzed by vacuum stepwise-heating mass spectrometry. The results show that the released volatiles are concentrated at three temperature intervals of 200-400°C, 400-900°C and 900-1200°C. The released volatiles from silicate mineral separates at 400-900°C and 900-1200°C have similar chemical and carbon isotopic compositions, which are mainly composed of H2O （av. ~92 mol%） with minor H2, CO2, H2S and SO2, and they are likely associated with the ore-forming magmatic volatiles. Light δ13CCO2 values （from -20.86‰ to -12.85‰） of pyroxene indicate crustal contamination occurred prior to or synchronous with pyroxene crystallization of mantlederived ore-forming magma. The elevated contents of H2 and H2O in the olivine and pyroxene suggest a deep mantle-originated ore-forming volatile mixed with aqueous volatiles from recycled subducted slab. High contents of CO2 in the ore-forming magma volatiles led to an increase in oxygen fugacity, and thereby reduced the solubility of sulfur in the magma, then triggered sulfur saturation followed by sulfide melt segregation; CO2 contents correlated with Cu contents in the whole rocks suggest that a supercritical state of CO2 in the ore-forming magma system under high temperature and pressure conditions might play a key role in the assemblage of huge Cu and Ni elements. The volatiles released from constituent minerals of intrusion 1# have more CO2 and SO2 oxidized gases, higher CO2/CH4 and SO2/H2S ratios and lighter δ13CCO2 than those of intrusions 2# and 3#. This combination suggests that the higher oxidation state of the volatiles in intrusion 1# than intrusions 2# and 3#, which could be one of key ore-forming factors for large amounts of ores and high contents of Cu and Ni in intrusion 1#. The volatiles released at 200-400°C are dominated by H2O with minor CO2, N2＋CO and SO2, with δ13CCO2 values （-25.66‰ to -22.98‰） within the crustal ranges, and are considered to be related to secondary tectonic-hydrothermal activities.

A new interpretation for the origin of the Norilsk type PGE-Cu-Ni sulfide deposits

The origin of PGE—Cu—Ni sulfide deposits of Norilsk and Talnakh located in the northwest flank of the Triassic basalt trap formation of Siberia is considered.It is shown that ore elements of these deposits（probably,except Fe） are derived from the crust rather than from the mantle.They entered the basalts owing to a remobilization（recycling） of ore elements from the Paleoproterozoic sediments and from the rocks of the Siberian platform＇s basement.Prospecting criteria for similar deposits are as follows：（1） a presence of a large Paleoproterozoic aulacogen and a related magmatic sulfide Cu—Ni mineralization;（2） a confinement of perspective areas to troughs associated with long-lived deep fault zones：（3） association with mobile orogenic belts,island-arc systems and tectonomagmatic activation zones;（4） temporal association with boundaries of global periods characterized by active processes of continental breakup and large-scale trap magmatism.A combination of several factors（the first one is obligatory） is favorable for the discovery of a large ore body.

Magmatic Sulfide Ni-Cu Deposits in China

Deep seated magmatic liquation injection deposits form a major type of magmatic sulfide deposit in China. The reserves of nickel and copper in this type of deposit may attain several hundred thousand tons (e.g.Hongqi 7 and Karatunggu) to nearly ten million tons (e.g.Jinchuan). Those deposits can be classified as large or superlarge deposits. The ore grade is relatively high, commonly with w (Ni)>1 %. The mineralized intrusions are small in size, generally only 0.0 n km 2 to 0. n km 2, with the largest one not exceeding a few km 2. Before intruding, the primary magmas have undergone liquation and partial crystallization at depth; as a result, the magmas have partitioned into barren magma, ore bearing magma, ore rich magma and ore magma, which then ascended and injected into the present locations once or multiple times, to form ore deposits. The above mentioned mineralizing process is known as deep seated magmatic liquation injection mineralization. The volume of the barren magma is generally much larger than those of the ore bearing magma, ore rich magma and ore magma. In the ascending process, most of the barren magma intruded into different locations or outpoured onto the ground surface, forming intrusions or lava flows. The rest barren magma, ore bearing magma, ore rich magma and ore magma may either multiple times inject into the same place in which rocks and ores are formed or separately inject into different spaces to form rocks and ores. Such deep seated magmatic liquation injection deposits have a much smaller volume, greater ore potential and higher ore grade than those of in situ magmatic liquation deposits. Consequently, this mineralizing process leads to the formation of large deposits in small intrusions.

A review of major non-sulfide zinc deposits in Iran

The numerous non-sulfide zinc ore deposits were the historical basis for the development of zinc mining in Iran.They include the Mehdiabad,Irankouh and Angouran world-class deposits,as well as the Zarigan and Haft-har deposits.These deposits were formed by supergene oxidation of primary sulfide minerals during the complex interplay of tectonic uplift,karst development,changes in the level of the water table,and weathering.Zn(Pb)carbonates,Zn-hydrosilicates and associated hydrated phases directly replace the primary ore bodies or fill cavities along fractures related to uplift tectonics.Direct replacement of primary sulfides is accompanied by distal precipitation of zinc non-sulfide minerals in cavities or internal sediments filling.The mineralogy of the non-sulfide mineralization in all six deposits is generally complex and consists of smithsonite,hydrozincite,and hemimorphite as the main economic minerals,accompanied by iron and manganese oxy-hydroxides and residual clays.Commonly,non-sulfide minerals in these deposits consist of two types of ore:red zinc ore(RZO),rich in Zn,Fe,Pb-(As)and white zinc ore(WZO),typically with very high zinc grades but low concentrations of iron and lead.Typical minerals of the RZO are Fe-oxyhydroxides,goethite,hematite,hemimorphite,smithsonite and/or hydrozincite and cerussite.Common minerals of the WZO are smithsonite or hydrozincite and only minor amounts of Fe-oxyhydroxides and hemimorphite.

The Mechanism of Structural Control of Ore Formation and Geochemical Characteristics in the Massive Sulfide Deposits of the Wushan Copper Ore Field,Jiangxi

The ore-controlling mechanism of the bedding fault system in the massive sulfide deposits of the Wushancopper orefield may be generalized as the control of ore deposition by optimum surface in an ore-formingstructural trap. The mechanism has three major features: (1) timing of mineralization; (2) positioning of hostformation; and (3) dependence of ore-controlling structure on properties of rocks. The 'optimum surface' is adivisional structural plane which marks obvious difference in physical, chemical and mechanical properties andis favorable for mineralization. It is also a unity of structures. lithofacies and orebodies. The structural and geochemical characteristics of the ore deposits indicate the migration trend of the ma-jor characteristic clements in the ore-controlling fault belt: elements with a small radius (Si, Fe, Mg and Al)moved towards and concentrated at the center of the belt while large-radius ones (Ca, K and Na) were remotefrom the center.

Ore-controlling Characteristics of Synchronous Faults of Dongshengmiao Polymetallic Sulfide Deposits in Inner Mongolia

1 Introduction The Dongshengmiao deposit is a super-large Zn-Pb polymetallic sulfide deposit which occurring in the Langshan-Zhaertaaishan metallogenic belt,and located in the western margin of the North China Platform.The ore-bodies of Dongshengmiao deposits are mainly hosted in the second Formation of Langshan Group.There are some studies on the geological characteristics(Peng et al.,2004),geological and

Discussion on the interrelationship among Cu-Ni sulfide deposits,mafic volcanic rocks and intrusive rocks in the Sipu region,northern Guangxi,China

The Sipu region of North Guangxi is located in the southwest of the "Jiangnan Ancient Land",where there are developed the oldest stratum in southern China,the Proterozoic Sipu Group,and there are also largely ex-posed mafic intrusive rocks,mafic volcanic rocks and copper-nickel sulfide deposits.Both mafic intrusive rocks and volcanic rocks are rich in MgO(6.52%-26.39%),but poor in K2O(0.05%-1.00%) and TiO2(0.33%-0.89%).They are also rich in trace elements such as Rb and Ba while poor in Ta,Nb and the like.Both of them have medium con-tents of rare-earth elements,30.26×10-6-126.71×10-6,in which LREEs are slightly rich with ΣLREE/ΣHREE of 1.35-2.46,δEu 0.79-1.33,displaying weak or no δEu anomaly,with the same geochemical features.The right-inclined distribution patterns and the features show that magma would be formed at the comagmatic un-diagenetic stage.All studies show that mafic intrusive rocks and volcanic rocks are the products of the same source region evolving in different stages and times.The copper-nickel sulfide deposits are characterized by liquation,crys-tallization and fractionation of mafic rocks,and have some interrelations with mafic intrusive rocks and volcanic rocks with respect to magmatic genesis.

Re-Os Age of Cu-Ni Ores from the Huangshandong Cu-Ni Sulfide Deposit in the East Tianshan Mountains and Its Implication for Geodynamic Processes

An isochron age of 282±20 (95% conf. limit) Ma of the sulfide ores in the Huangshandong Cu-Ni sulfide deposit, the East Tianshan Mountains has been obtained through Re-Os isotopic measurement. The age implies that the Cu-Ni sulfide deposit and other related deposits in the same area occurred in a Permian extensional environment of post-collision instead of Devonian-Early Carboniferous ophiolite-related oceanic or island arc environments inferred before. It shares the same ages with the orogenic and epithermal gold deposit systems in the same area. An initial 187Os/188Os ratio of 0.25±0.04 (1σ) and a γos value of 99 on average display the participation of large quantities of crustal components into the rock-forming and ore-forming system during mineralization and magmatic emplacement.

The Voisey's Bay Ni-Cu-Co Sulfide Deposit, Labrador, Canada: Emplacement of Silicate and Sulfide-Laden Magmas into Spaces Created within a Structural Corridor

The Voisey's Bay Ni-Cu-Co sulfide deposit is hosted in a 1.34 Ga mafic intrusion that is part of the Nain Plutonic Suite in Labrador, Canada.The Ni-Cu-Co sulfide mineralization is associated with magmatic breccias that are typically contained in weakly mineralized olivine gabbros, troctolites and ferrogabbros, but also occur as veins in adjacent paragneiss.The mineralization is associated with a dyke-like body which is termed the feeder dyke.This dyke connects the shallow differentiated Eastern Deeps chamber in the east to a deeper intrusion in the west termed the Western Deeps Intrusion.Where the conduit is connected to the Eastern Deeps Intrusion, the Eastern Deeps Deposit is developed at the entry line of the dyke along the steep north wall of the Eastern Deeps Intrusion.The Eastern Deeps Deposit is surrounded by a halo of moderately to weakly mineralized Variable-Textured Troctolite (VTT) that reaches a maximum thickness above the ENE-WSW axis of the Eastern Deeps Deposit. At depth to the west, the conduit is adjacent to the south side of the Western Deeps Intrusion, where the dyke and intrusion contain disseminated magmatic sulfide mineralization.The Reid Brook Zone plunges to the east within the dyke, and both the dyke and adjacent paragneiss are mineralized.The Ovoid Deposit comprises a bowl-shaped body of massive sulfide where the dyke widens near to the present-day surface.It is not clear whether this deposit was developed as a widened-zone within the conduit or at the entry point into a chamber that is now lost to erosion. The massive sulfides and breccia sulfides of the Eastern Deeps are petrologically and chemically different when compared to the disseminated sulfides in the VTT; there is a marked break in Ni tenor (Ni content in 100% sulfide, abbreviated to [Ni]100) and Ni/Co of sulfide between the two.The boundary of the sulfide types is often marked by strong sub-horizontal alignment of heavily digested and metamorphosed paragneiss fragments, development of barren olivine gabbro, and by a change from typically massive sulfides and breccias sulfides into more typical variable-textured troctolites with heavy to weak disseminated sulfide.Sulfides hosted in the feeder dyke tend to have low metal tenors ([Ni]100=2.5%-3.5%); sulfides in Eastern Deeps massive and breccia ores have intermediate Ni tenors ([Ni]100=3.5%-4%) and disseminated sulfides in overlying rocks have high Ni tenors ([Ni] 100=4%-8%) . Conduit-hosted mineralization and mineral zones in the paragneiss adjacent to the Reid Brook Deposit tend to have lower Ni tenor than the Ovoid and Eastern Deeps Deposits.The tenor of mineral hosted in the country rock gneisses tends to be the same as that developed in the conduit ; the injection of the sulfide into the country rocks likely occurred before formation of monosulfide solid solution.The Ovoid Deposit is characterized by coarse-grained loop-textured ores consisting of 10cm-2msized pyrrhotite crystals separated by chalcopyrite and pentlandite.A small lens of massive cubanite surrounded by more magnetite-rich sulfide assemblages represents what appears to be the product of in-situ sulfide fractionation. Detailed exploration in the area between the Reid Brook Zone and the Eastern Deeps has shown that these intrusions and ore deposits are connected by a branched dyke and chamber system in a major westeast fault zone.The Eastern Deeps chamber may be controlled by graben-like fault structures , and the marginal structures appear to have controlled dykes which connect the chambers at different levels in the crust.The geological relationships in the intrusion are consistent with emplacement of the silicate and sulfide laden magma from a deeper sub-chamber (possibly a deep eastward extension of the Western Deeps Intrusion where S-saturation was initially achieved) .The silicate and sulfide magmas were likely emplaced through this conduit into the Eastern Deeps intrusion as a number of different fragment laden pulses of sulfide-silicate melt that evolved with different R factors and in response to some variation in the degree of evolution of the parental magma.S isotope and S/Se data coupled with geological evidence point to a crustal source for the sulfur , and the site of equilibration of mafic magma and crustal S is placed at depth in a sulfidic Tasiuyak Gneiss. The structural control on emplacement of small intrusions with transported sulfide is a feature found in different nickel sulfide deposits around the world.Champagne glass-shaped openings in sub-vertical chonoliths are a common morphology for this deposit type (e.g.the Jinchuan , Huangshan , Huangshandong , Jingbulake , Limahe , Hong Qi Ling deposits in China , the Eagle deposits in the United States , and the Double Eagle deposit in Canada) .Some of the structures of the Midcontinent Rift of North America also host Ni-Cu-(PGE) deposits of this type (e.g.the Current Lake Complex in the Quetico Fault Zone in Ontario , Canada and the Tamarac mineralisation in the Great Lakes Structural Zone of the United States) .Other major nickel deposits associated with flat structures adjacent to major mantle-penetrating structures include the Noril'sk , Noril'sk II , Kharaelakh , NW Talnakh , and NE Talnakh Intrusions of the Noril'sk Region of Russia , the Kalatongke deposit in NW China , and Babel-Nebo in Western Australia.These deposits are all formed in mantle-penetrating structural conduits that link into the roots of large igneous provinces near the edges of old cratons.

Chemical compositions of sulfides in the porphyry Cu ores,Yangla Cu deposit,Yunnan,China:implication for ore genesis

The Yangla Cu deposit is the largest ore deposit in the Jinshajiang polymetallic metallogenic belt,northwest Yunnan,China.There is no consensus on the genesis of the ore deposit owing to the limited studies on the chemical compositions of sulfides.This study used an electron probe micro-analyzer to constrain the chemical compositions of pyrite,chalcopyrite,molybdenite,and sphalerite in the porphyry Cu ore of the Yangla Cu deposit and compared them with the chemical compositions of sulfides in the skarn Cu ore.The trace element contents and their occurrences were used to estimate the metallogenic temperature and infer the genesis of the Yangla deposit.The results show that the sulfides in the porphyry Cu ores have variations of ore element concentrations relative to their theoretical values.Pyrite is depleted in S but elevated in Fe;chalcopyrite is depleted in Cu,Fe,and S;and molybdenite and sphalerite are enriched in S whilst depleted in Mo and Zn.The concentrations of the main metallogenic elements Cu,Fe,Mo,Zn,and S in the porphyry are generally lower than those in skarn,suggesting that the porphyry ore was formed in a moderate to moderate-high temperature metallogenic environment.The formation time may also be slightly later than that of the skarn Cu ore.Elements such as As,Co,Cu.Pb,Zn,Mo,Cd,and Ni mainly exist as isomorphic replacements and mineral inclusions in the sulfides of both porphyry and skarn Cu ores.The trace element features of sulfides in the two ore bodies show that the Yangla Cu deposit may be a composite super imposed ore deposit,and让s formation has undergone the process of exhalative-sedimentary to skarnporphyry mineralization.

Platinum-group Elements Geochemistry of the Yangliuping Magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE Sulfide Deposit:Implications of Its Genetic Link with the Extrusive Basalts

Primitive mantle normalized Platinum group elements (PGE) concentration patterns for the Zhengziyanwo intrusion and Dashibao Formation basalts are of positive slope, similar to most of the world class magmatic Ni Cu PGE sulfide deposits. Characters of this intrusion and its related ores and Dashibao Formation basalts are their negative Pt anomaly and high concentration of Rh relative to Pt and Pd, facts being interpreted to be the results of crystallization and fractionation of Pt alloys and spinel phase free crystallization history for the magma, respectively. PGE parameters of the Dashibao Formation basalts are consistent with the general trend of those found for the Zhengziyanwo intrusion, and this might infer a genetic link between them.

Double Convective Hydrothermal System beneath Massive Sulfide Orebody in Gacun Deposit,Southwestern China

The Gacun Kuroko-type deposit, Southwestern China, is hosted in rhyolitic rocks associated with the underlying mafic rocks occurred in the - 1000 m deep fault - bounded basin within the intra -arc rifting zone which formed on the Triassic Yidun island - arc. Two vertically separated alteration systems are recognized: one is conformable or semiconformable alteration zone developed in - 150 m thick mafic unit 1-1.5 km below the massive sulfide ore body; the other is discordant alteration pipe directly surrounded around stockwork ore within rhyolitic unit. The lower conformable alteration zone extending for several kilometers along strike is characterized by silicification and epidotization which result in the development of quartz vein and quartz-epidote vein systems in mafic lava flows and replacement of primary minerals and groundmass in spilitized mafic volcanics and dikes by quartz, epidote - group minerals and sodic plagioclase. Sulfides often occur in the vein system and altered mafic volcanics. Quartz solubility relation indicates that silicification is a consequence of interaction of Si- saturated fluids with mafic rocks in a higher temperature system (T>340℃), intensifying by intrusion of mafic dike or high-level acidic magma chamber. The alteration pipe of diameter about 2 km shows a similar mineralogical zoning to Kuroko deposits of Japan. The sequence is quartz + hyalophane; sericite + chlorite + quartz and zeolite-like zones from core to margins of the pipe. The chlorite core only occurs in the root part of the alteration pipe and downwards transfers into epidote - chlorite and epidote - quartz vein swarm extending 500 m downwards. The felsic rocks away from the orebody and alteration pipe took place district-scale alteration, which has typical low-temperature mineral association: illite + albite + quartz + calcite. Whole -rock and quartz δ18O values indicate that district - scale alteration is a result of interaction of seawater with rocks at lower temperature (T<200℃)under water-dominated condition. However, the altered rocks from the pipe show remarkably δ18O enrichment, and bulk -rock δ18O values decreased gradually toward stockwork orebody from 15.1‰-l5. 75‰ in zeolite-like zone and 12. 05‰-14. 2‰ in sericite - quartz zone to 11.3 ‰ - 14. 4‰ in quartz - hyalophane zone. The filled temperatures of fluid inclusions in quartz and sphalerite lie in the ranges of 280 -320 ℃ for quartz - hyalophane zone and 250 ℃ to 297 ℃ for sericite-quartz zone. The estimated δ18O values of hydrothermal fluids are 7. 98‰ and3.2‰, respectively, based on quartz δ18O data in the deposit. The lower conformable alteration is considered to be approximately coeval with the alteration pipe, based on the SiO2 concentration in the fluids, which restrict the main fluid - rock reaction zone to be located in mafic horizon by quartz barometer, and metal element flux calculation and sulfide - epidote vein system developed both in alteration systems. High - salinity fluid inclusions in gangue quartz (>8% eq. NaCl) from stockwork ore and in quartz phenocryst (>40% eq. NaCl) in footwall rhyolite strongly suggest the existence of hot-saline brine to react with mafic complex and leach metal components, which probably originates mainly from magmatic fluid derived from high-level acidic magma chamber. The brine layer located in mafic unit possibly heats and drives the overlying single -pass convective seawater reacting with felsic rocks. The 'density window' may be expected to occur on the interface between seawater and brine layer, when the brine becomes to be gravitationally instability by the turbulent entrainment of seawater during magmatic and/or tectonic activities. The sulfide mineralization and alteration pipe is inter preted as an effect of the 'density window' through which the mixed fluids of brine with seawater adiabatically discharges upwards.

High-performance LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2) cathode by nanoscale lithium sulfide coating via atomic layer deposition

The commercialization of nickel-rich LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2)(NMC811) has been hindered by its continuous loss of practical capacity and reduction in average working voltage.To address these issues,surface modification has been well-recognized as an effective strategy.Different from the coatings reported in literature to date,in this work,we for the first time report a sulfide coating,amorphous Li_(2)S via atomic layer deposition (ALD).Our study revealed that the conformal nano-Li_(2)S coating shows exceptional protection over the NMC811 cathodes,accounting for the dramatically boosted capacity retention from~11.6%to~71%and the evidently mitigated voltage reduction from 0.39 to 0.18 V after 500 charge–discharge cycles.In addition,the Li_(2)S coating remarkably improved the rate capability of the NMC811 cathode.Our investigation further revealed that all these beneficial effects of the ALD-deposited nano-Li_(2)S coating lie in the following aspects:(i) maintain the mechanical integrity of the NMC811 electrode:(ii) stabilize the NMC electrode/electrolyte interface:and (iii) suppress the irreversible phase transition of NMC structure.Particularly,this study also has revealed that the nano-Li_(2)S coating has played some unique role not associated with traditional non-sulfide coatings such as oxides.In this regard,we disclosed that the Li_(2)S layer has reacted with the released O_(2) from the NMC lattices,and thereby has dramatically mitigated electrolyte oxidation and electrode corrosion.Thus,this study is significant and has demonstrated that sulfides may be an important class of coating materials to tackle the issues of NMCs and other layered cathodes in lithium batteries.

First Report of Zircon U-Pb Ages from Lubei Cu-Ni Sulfide Deposit in East Tianshan of Central Asian Orogenic Belt, NW China

Objective The East Tianshan mafic-ultramafic rocks belt mainly produced in the eastern Jueluotage belt is an important part of the Central Asia Orogenic Belt （CAOB）. The well- known deposits including Huangshan, Huangshandong, Tulaergen, Hulu, Xiangshan were have been consecutively discovered in this belt （Duan Xingxing et al., 2016）. The new discovery of the Lubei Cu-Ni sulfide deposit in recent years, which locates in the west of Jueluotage belt, has great significance to the westward extension of the East Tianshan Cu-Ni metallogenic belt. To determine whether the mineralization age of the Lubei Cu-Ni sulfide deposit is consistent with other typical deposits, this study conducted zircon U-Pb geochronology on the diorite from the Lubei Cu-Ni sulfide deposit in order to provide new information for further exploring direction of Cu-Ni prospecting in East Tianshan.

Numerical simulation for fluids mixing within seafloor hydrothermal sulfide deposit:taking the Trans-Atlantic Geo-Traverse (TAG) field for example

The formation mechanism of the large hydrothermal sulfide deposit is a complex geological process involving many controlling factors. Mixing between hydrothermal fluid and seawater plays a key role in this process. The results of the Ocean Drilling Program （ODP） indicate that mixing of the evolved seawater and hydrothermal fluid, which is wildly developed within the Trans-Atlantic Geo-Traverse （TAG） hydrothermal deposit, governs the internal structure and chemical compositions of the deposit to great extent. Taking the TAG field for example, the mixing processes of hydrothermal fluid with the seawater heated to different extent are calculated, so as to discuss the impact of hydrothermal fluid/seawater mixing on the formation process of the sulfide deposit. The results indicate that： （1） mixing between the heated seawater and hydrothermal fluid derived from the deep deposit is largely responsible for the wild precipitation of anhydrite within the TAG hydrothermal deposit; （2） 330-310℃ is a special temperature range in the mixing process; （3） the mixing and hydrothermal processes in different zones of the TAG hydrothermal deposit （TAG-1, TAG-2 and TAG-5, etc.） have been discussed based on the simulated results.

Dynamic Magma Conduit System Related to the Jinchuan Ni-Cu Sulfide Deposit,NW China

The Jinchuan Ni-Cu sulfide deposits,NW China,are hosted in small ultramafic intrusions that were emplaced into Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks. The ultramafic intrusions were previously thought to be the segments of a single elongate intrusion that was dismembered by late faults into eastern and western portions,each of which have distinct stratigraphic sequences.

GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PLATINUM GROUP ELEMENTS IN JINCHUAN SUPER-LARGE SULFIDE COPPER-NICKEL DEPOSIT, JINCHANG CITY, GANSU PROVINCE, CHINA

The platinum-group element geochemistry of rocks and ores from Jinchuan super-large copper-nickel sulfide deposit is systemically studied in this paper. The Cu/Pd mean ratio of Jinchuan intrusion is lower than that of original mantle magma, which indicates that these ultrabasic rocks were crystallized from magma that lost Pd in the form of melting segregation of sulfides. The PGE of the rocks show trend of partial melting, similar to that of mantle peridotite, which shows that magma formation occurs during rock-forming and ore-forming processes. The chondrite normalized PGE patterns of the rocks and ores are well related to each other, which signifies the signatures of multi-episode magmatic intrusion, melting and differentiation in the formation processes of rocks and ores. In addition, analyses about the relation between PGE and S, and study on Re-Os isotopes indicate that few contamination of the crustal substances occurred during the magmatic intrusion and the formation of deposit. However, contamination by crustal substances helps to supply part of the S for the enrichment of PGE. Meanwhile, the hydrothermal process is also advantageous for the enrichment of PGE, especially lbr Pt and Pd, due to deep melting segregation. The characteristic parameters （such as Pt/（Pt＋Pd）, （Pt＋Pd）/（Ru＋Ir＋Os）, Pd/Ir, Cu/（Ni＋Cu）, and so on.） for platinum-group elements for Jinchuan sulfide copper-nickel deposit show the same features as those for sulfide copper-nickel deposit related to basic magma, which also illustrates its original magma property representative of Mg-high tholeiite. Therefore, it is the marie （not ultramafic） magma that resulted in the formation of the superlarge sulfide copper-nickel deposit enriched in Cu and PGE. To sum up, the geochemical characteristics of platinum-group elements in rocks and ores from Jinchuan copper-nickel sulfide deposit are constrained by the continental rift tectonic environment, the parent magma features, the enriched mantel magma source, the complex metallogenesis and PGE geochemical signatures, and this would be rather significant for the study about the genetic mechanism of copper-nickel sulfide deposits.

The Massive Sulfide Deposit of Siirt Madenkoy,South-Eastern Turkey--Geology,Geochemistry and Mineral Raw Material Potential

The Siirt Madenk&ouml;y massive sulfide ore deposit has been in operation since 2005. With its approx. 39 Mt reserves (2.40% Cu), it represents the largest Cu deposit and the largest mining operation in the country (1.5 Mt ore/year). The thickness of the adjacent rocks is composed of olivine-pyroxenite basalts pillow lava, which is spilite, interchangeable ore lenses of chalcopyrite and pyrite is about 170 m and reaches a depth of 350 m. The mid-Eocene aged porphyritic, strongly altered spilites are locally interspersed with diabase and covered by conglomerates. The ores appear massive, stock work and disseminated. Main ore minerals are idiomorphic pyrite, cataclastic chalcopyrite and fine-grained magnetite. The geochemical composition of the Cu ores of the Siirt-Madenk&ouml;y deposit shows in places high levels of Cu, Fe and S, as important trace elements, As, Ba, Co and Ti are listed. In relation to Clarke values, Se, Bi, Cu, Mo and Co are strongly enriched, while Na, K and Ca as well as their coherent trace elements Rb, Sr and Cd are depleted due to hydrothermal alteration. The elemental distribution is characterized by log-normal distribution, proportionality effect, high Cu/Ni ratio and significantly positive correlation between the element pairs MgO-Ni, Cr-Ni and Co/FeO-Co. The dependence of Cu and SO3 contents and Cu/FeO, SO3/FeO ratios are to be interpreted as an indication of the common origin of Cu, Fe and S. In general, Cu, Zn, Pb and S content decrease with depth, whereas those of Fe3O4 increase. The variograms of the ore distributions are characterized by hole effect, trend and zonal anisotropy, which reflect alternation of ores with host rocks and changes in elemental contents. The Siirt Madenk&ouml;y deposit is attributable to Cu and Zn ratios of the Cu class of ophiolitic massive sulfide deposits. Due to the very high Cu/Pb and Cu/Zn ratios, it can be described as an analogous deposit of the mid oceanic ridge, for example comparable to ores of Galapagos Ridge. The Siirt Madenk&ouml;y deposit is considered to be a syngenetic volcanogenic-exhalative massive sulfide ore deposit based on the results of the study. It belongs to the “Cyprus deposit type”. Similar deposits are Küre and Ergani-Maden in Turkey, Ermioni in Greece and Outukumpu in Finland.

Classification of Magmatic Sulphide Deposits in China and Mineralization of Small Intrusions

Many important metal resources, such as Ni （Cu, Co）, PGE, exist in magmatic sulfide deposits, are a hot spot in geological research. We divide the magmatic sulphide deposits in China into four types according to their tectonic setting, intruding mode, ore deposit mode, main metallogenic elements. The four types are as follows： （1） Small-intrusion deposits in paleo-continent; （2） Smallintrusion deposits in continental flood basalt; （3） Small-intrusion deposits in orogenic belt; and （4） The deposits associated with ophiolites. On the basis of the classification, we put forward that the main magmatic metallogenic type in China is small-intrusion metallogeny, and describe its characteristics from small intrusions related concept, three geologic settings, three volcanic-intrusive assemblages and metallogenic key factors. According to the experiences of prospecting at home and abroad, we point out that there is big potential in prospecting small-intrusion deposits, which need further study. At last, we indicate that small-intrusion metallogeny not only widely distributes in mafic-ultramafic intrusions, but also has an important economic value and scientific significance in intermediate-acid intrusions.