The gold content of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits

Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits contain variable amounts of gold, both in terms of average grade and total gold content, with some VMS deposits hosting world-class gold mines with more than 100?t Au. Previous studies have identified gold-rich VMS as having an average gold grade, expressed in g/t, exceeding the total abundance of base metals, expressed in wt.%. However, statistically meaningful criteria for the identification of truly anomalous deposits have not been established. This paper presents a more extensive analysis of gold grades and tonnages of 513 VMS deposits worldwide, revealing a number of important features in the distribution of the data. A large proportion of deposits are characterized by a relatively low gold grade (<2?g/t), with a gradual decrease in frequency towards maximum gold grades, defining a log-normal distribution. In the analysis presented in this paper, the geometric mean and geometric standard deviation appear to be the simplest metric for identifying subclasses of VMS deposits based on gold grade, especially when comparing deposits within individual belts and districts. The geometric mean gold grade of 513 VMS deposits worldwide is 0.76?g/t; the geometric standard deviation is +2.70?g/t Au. In this analysis, deposits with more than 3.46?g/t Au (geometric mean plus one geometric standard deviation) are considered auriferous. The geometric mean gold content is 4.7?t Au, with a geometric standard deviation of +26.3?t Au. Deposits containing 31?t Au or more (geometric mean plus one geometric standard deviation) are also considered to be anomalous in terms of gold content, irrespective of the gold grade. Deposits with more than 3.46?g/t Au and 31?t Au are considered gold-rich VMS. A large proportion of the total gold hosted in VMS worldwide is found in a relatively small number of such deposits. The identification of these truly anomalous systems helps shed light on the geological parameters that control unusual enrichment of gold in VMS. At the district scale, the gold-rich deposits occupy a stratigraphic position and volcanic setting that commonly differs from other deposits of the district possibly due to a step change in the geodynamic and magmatic evolution of local volcanic complexes. The gold-rich VMS are commonly associated with transitional to calc-alkaline intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks, which may reflect a particularly fertile geodynamic setting and/or timing (e.g., early arc rifting or rifting front). At the deposit scale, uncommon alteration assemblages (e.g., advanced argillic, aluminous, strongly siliceous, or potassium feldspar alteration) and trace element signatures may be recognized (e.g., Au?CAg?CAs?CSb ± Bi?CHg?CTe), suggesting a direct magmatic input in some systems.     

A comparison of iron oxide-rich joint coatings and rock chips as geochemical sampling media in exploration for disseminated gold deposits

We evaluated the effectiveness of iron oxide-rich fracture coatings as a geochemical sampling medium for disseminated gold deposits, as compared with conventional lithogeochemical methods, for samples from the Pinson mine and Preble prospect in southeastern Humboldt County, Nevada. That disseminated gold mineralization is associated with Hg, As, and Sb is clearly demonstrated in these deposits for both fracture coatings and rock chip samples. However, the relationship is more pronounced for fracture coatings. Fracture coatings at Pinson contain an average of 3.61, 5.13, 14.37, and 3.42 times more Au, As, Sb and Hg, respectively, than adjacent rock samples. At Preble, fracture coatings contain 3.13, 9.72, 9.18, and 1.85 times more Au, As, Sb and Hg, respectively, than do adjacent rock samples. Geochemical anomalies determined from fracture coatings are thus typically more intense than those determined from rock samples for these elements. The sizes of anomalies indicated by fracture coatings are also somewhat larger, but this is less obvious. In both areas, Sb anomalies are more extensive in fracture coatings. At Preble, some Hg and Au anomalies are also more extensive in fracture coatings. In addition to halos formed by the Hg, As and Sb, high values for Au/Ag and Zn/(Fe + Mn) are closely associated with gold mineralization at the Pinson mine. The large enhancement in geochemical response afforded by fracture coatings indicates a definite potential in the search for buried disseminated gold deposits.     

样子哨盆地北缘找矿前景

样子哨盆地北缘构造岩浆活动强烈,成矿地质条件有利。盆地北西北东向韧性剪切带叠加有后期脆性构造,带内发育有串珠状Au元素化探异常,且与已知金矿床（点）吻合较好,类比认为韧性剪切带型金矿具有良好的找矿前景;南东侧盆缘断裂表现为多期次活动叠加的特点,沿断裂带充填有含金硅化蚀变岩,应注意寻找中低温热液型金矿;盆地中早侏罗世闪长岩、花岗斑岩侵入灰岩中,在其周围相应伴随有Au、Ag、Cu、Pb、Zn、W、Mo等元素化探异常,矽卡岩型铜钼矿找矿前景较好。     

湘东北小坑桥金矿成矿元素地球化学特征研究

本文探讨小坑桥矿区成矿元素地球化学特征,分析了地层、构造、岩浆岩等与金的成矿关系。结果表明,冷家溪群黄浒洞组地层对金的成矿作用贡献大,金矿化体主要产在近东西向断裂破碎带的拉张裂隙中。土壤地球化学异常特征显示,成矿元素Au异常规模较大,强度值高,具有2~3级浓度带,浓集中心明显,异常形态呈近EW向展布,与后来发现的含金蚀变体基本吻合。从元素组合特征看,Au、As、Sb为矿区的特征元素组合,与金成矿关系密切。元素垂向分带显示,Au、Sb特征元素出现在中部和下部,暗示矿区深部很可能存在隐伏金矿体。     

Stream sediment geochemical exploration for gold in Central Eastern Desert,Egypt: Application of the concentration-number fractal model,factor analysis,and geochemical mineralization probability index

Geochemical exploration by stream sediment sampling using bulk leach extractable gold (BLEG) technique and applying concentration-number (C-N) fractal model, factor analysis (FA), and geochemical mineralization probability index (GMPI) resulted in the recognition of new Au occurrences around the Sukari gold mine in the central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The geochemical data of 128 stream sediment samples collected from the study area was used for delineating the geochemical anomalies and characterizing the dispersion trains of ore and associated elements (Au, Ag, As, Sb, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mo). Statistical analysis of the geochemical data applying the C-N fractal modeling enabled us to identify significant anomaly and background populations of the investigated elements and to construct reliable geochemical anomaly maps. Factor analysis using centered log-ratios (CLR), to address the problem of closed compositional data, revealed significant element associations for mineralization (Au, As, Mo, Zn, Ba), country rock compositions (Rb, Li, Be, Sn, Bi for granite, and Co, Cr, Ni for mafic rocks), and element mobility (e.g. Sb, Zr, and Ag). Weak and moderate Au anomalies that cannot be detected by factor score maps can be delineated clearly by using the C-N fractal method and GMPI distribution map. Our study revealed that Ag, As, and Sb are the main pathfinder elements for gold mineralization in arid to semiarid regions exemplified by the Sukari gold district. Silver can be used as a “direct” pathfinder, whereas As and Sb are “indirect” pathfinders for Au in such regions. The spatial distribution of Au and Ag anomalies indicate that gold mineralization in the Sukari district is structurally controlled. However, the spatial distribution of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Mo is controlled by mineralogical and lithological factors and is not related to any significant base metal deposits.     

陕西镇安二台子金铜矿床表生地球化学异常特征

为查明二台子金铜矿床的表生地球化学异常特征，采用土壤地球化学综合剖面的研究方法，对其进行了详细的分析研究。结果表明，区域上二台子金铜矿床的表生地球化学异常元素组合为Au-As-Sb-Hg-Cu，并表现出与原生异常在组合，含量等特征上的一致性。矿区内金、铜等成矿及指示元素在土壤中的不同层位产生了一定程度的富集。土壤和岩石样品的Au，As，Hg，Cu均密切相关。该矿床上覆的土壤及氧化矿石中的金主要以自然金相，水溶相和硫化物相形式存在，金的这种赋存相态特征可以作为寻找掩埋和隐伏金矿床的标志。     

浙江绍兴——龙泉隆起带中金矿床的原生及次生地球化学异常研究

本文对浙江省绍兴一龙泉隆起带内代表性金矿床的原生及次生地球化学异常特征进行了系统研究,确定了异常中最主要的指示元素以及它们自近矿至远矿、从矿下到矿上的分带序列和组合特征,并总结出在本区及邻区金矿勘查中具有实际意义的综合地球化学找矿标志。     

Anomalous gold, antimony, arsenic, and tungsten in ground water and alluvium around disseminated gold deposits along the Getchell Trend, Humboldt County, Nevada

Ground-water, alluvium, and bedrock samples were collected from drill holes near the Chimney Creek, Preble, Summer Camp, and Rabbit Creek disseminated gold deposits in northern Nevada to determine if Au and ore-related metals, such as As, Sb, and W, are being hydromorphically mobilized from buried mineralized rock, and, if they are, to determine whether the metal-enriched ground water is reacting with the alluvial material to produce a geochemical anomaly within the overburden.Results of chemical analyses of drill-hole water samples show the presence of hydromorphic dispersion anomalies of Au, As, Sb, and W in the local ground-water systems associated with these deposits. Background concentrations for Au in the ground water up-gradient from the buried deposits was less than 1 nanogram per liter (ng/L), near the deposits the Au values ranged from 1 to 140 ng/ L, and in drill holes penetrating mineralized rock, concentrations of Au in the ground water were as high as 4700 ng/L. Highest concentrations of Au were found in ground-water samples where the measured E_h and the distribution of arsenic species, arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)], indicated oxidizing redox potentials. Similarly, As, Sb, and W concentrations in the ground water near the deposits were significantly enriched relative to concentrations in the ground water up-gradient from the deposits. In general, however, the highest concentrations of As, Sb, and W occurred in ground-water samples where the measured E_h and the distribution of arsenic species indicated reducing conditions. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 9 to 710 micrograms per liter (μg/L); Sb, from less than 0.1 to 250 μg/L; and W, from 1 to 260 μg/L.In addition, analysis of sequential dissolution and extraction solutions of drill cuttings of alluvium and bedrock indicate geochemical anomalies of gold and ore-related metals in the overburden at depths corresponding to the location of the present-day water table. This relationship suggests that water-rock reactions around these buried deposits are active and that this information could be very useful in exploration programs for concealed disseminated gold deposits.     

Geochemical Tracing of Ore-forming Material Sources of Carlin-type Gold Deposits in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi Triangle Area --A Case Study of the Application of the Combined Silicon Isotopes Geochemistry and Siliceous Cathodoluminescence Analysis

This paper deals with characteristics of silicon isotope compositions and siliceous cathodolumines-cence of host rocks, ores and hydrothermal silicified quartz of the Carlin-type ore deposits in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi triangle area. The study shows that primary silicified quartz is nonluminescent but quartz in host rocks andsecondary silicified quartz are luminescent by the action of cathode rays. Correspondingly, silicon isotope composi-tions of host rocks, ores and hydrothermal quartz veins are clearly distinguished. In strata from the Middle Triassic tothe "Dachang" host bed, δ~(30)Si of the host rocks ranges from 0.0‰-0.3‰, while that of primary ore-forming silici-fied fluids from -0.1‰ to -0.4‰, in the Upper Permian and Lower Carboniferous strata and Indosinian diabasehost beds, δ~(30)Si of the host rocks is from -0.1‰ to -0.2‰ and that of the primary silicified quartz veins from 0.3‰-0.5‰. This pattern demonstrates the following geochemical mineralization process: primary ore-forming sili-ceous fluids migrated upwards quickly along the main passages of deep-seated faults from mantle to crust and en-tered secondary faults where gold deposits were eventually formed as a result of permeation and replacement of thesiliceous ore-forming fluids into different ore-bearing strata. This gives important evidence for the fact that ore-forming fluids of this type of gold deposits were mainly derived from upper mantle differentiation and shows goodprospects for deep gold deposits and geochemical background for large and superlarge gold deposits.     

地气测量研究及在东季金矿的试验

用中子活化分析技术及新研制的地气采集装置,在山东省东季金矿上进行了地气探测及异常研究。文中讨论了对于找隐伏金矿,INAA优于PIXE技术。在构造含矿带上方有明显的La、K、Na、Fe、Sc、Au、As、Cr、Sb及Zn等元素的地气异常。在隐伏矿上方有Au、As、Cr、Sb及Zn等元素异常存在。认为地气中这些金属元素的异常是一种良好的地下金矿化的地表直接指示。     

甘孜-理塘断裂带金矿成矿地质特征和控矿因素浅析

甘孜-理塘断裂带是重要的金铜多金属成矿带,沿断裂发育有晚三叠世曲嘎寺组中基性火山岩系及其有成因联系的铁质基性超基性浅成侵入体,构成典型的蛇绿岩建造,并为金的矿源层;金成矿主要在燕山-喜山期,与碰撞造山作用密切相关,形成了蛇绿岩(混杂岩)建造中的浅成低温热液型金矿;该带已发现嘎拉、错阿、生康、雄龙西、阿加隆洼等大中型金矿床,196处金异常,其中74个异常为Au,As,Sb,(Hg)组合异常,展现出巨大的资源潜力和找矿前景.     

Carlin-type Gold Prospects in Surigao del Norte, Mindanao Island, Philippines: Their Geology and Mineralization Potential

Abstract. Three calcareous sedimentary rock-hosted Carlin type-like gold prospects were mapped in a mineral production sharing agreement area of Philex Gold Philippines Inc. in Taganaan municipality, Surigao del Norte province in Mindanao island in the Philippines. They occur along a 20–25 km long trend of known epigenetic gold and porphyry copper deposits that lie close to several splays of the Philippine Fault Zone. The gold district forms part of the Late Cretaceous Eastern Mindanao Range that hosts early Paleogene and late Pliocene to Quaternary intrusive rocks.
Gold is invisible in the jasperoid outcrops in Lascogon, Napo, and Danao prospects. The jasperoids occur in lenses of marls belonging to the Taganaan Marl Member that is associated to a turbiditic member of the Middle Miocene Mabuhay Formation. The marl lenses include gently dipping interbedded silty limestones and calcareous shales. The "invisible gold" mineralization in silicified calcareous rocks resembles Carlin-type deposits. Based on the mapped igneous and sedimentary rocks, a possible heat source for the gold mineralization is either or both of the two main phases of intrusion, Mabuhay An-desite or Alipao Andesite Porphyry. Forty-eight rock samples, fifteen stream sediment samples, and one soil sample were critical in delineating the general features of the potential Carlin-type prospects. The gold grades of jasperoids in the three prospects range from trace amounts to 20 g/t Au. Regional studies of gold and porphyry copper mineralization in the Surigao del Norte mineral district are important in delineating ore targets for drilling in the three prospects.     

Metallogeny of precious and base metal mineralization in the Murchison Greenstone Belt, South Africa: indications from U–Pb and Pb–Pb geochronology

The 3.09 to 2.97 Ga Murchison Greenstone Belt is an important metallotect in the northern Kaapvaal Craton (South Africa), hosting several precious and base metal deposits. Central to the metallotect is the Antimony Line, striking ENE for over 35?km, which hosts a series of structurally controlled Sb–Au deposits. To the north of the Antimony Line, hosted within felsic volcanic rocks, is the Copper–Zinc Line where a series of small, ca. 2.97 Ga Cu–Zn volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS)-type deposits occur. New data are provided for the Malati Pump gold mine, located at the eastern end of the Antimony Line. Crystallizations of a granodiorite in the Malati Pump Mine and of the Baderoukwe granodiorite are dated at 2,964?±?7 and 2,970?±?7?Ma, respectively (zircon U–Pb), while pyrite associated with gold mineralization yielded a Pb–Pb age of 2,967?±?48?Ma. Therefore, granodiorite emplacement, sulfide mineral deposition and gold mineralization all happened at ca. 2.97?Ga. It is, thus, suggested that the major styles of orogenic Au–Sb and the Cu–Zn VMS mineralization in the Murchison Greenstone Belt are contemporaneous and that the formation of meso- to epithermal Au–Sb mineralization at fairly shallow levels was accompanied by submarine extrusion of felsic volcanic rocks to form associated Cu–Zn VMS mineralization.     

河北省灵寿县石湖金矿的构造地球化学特征

本文通过对石湖金矿区地表（横向）及深部（纵向）构造岩石地球化学特征的分析，反映构造对石湖金矿岩石地球化学的影响和控矿作用，指出了构造地球化学的找矿方向。     

Intrusion–Related Vein Gold Deposits: Types, Tectono-Magmatic Settings and Difficulties of Distinction from Orogenic Gold Deposits

Abstract: A spectrum of intrusion-related vein gold deposits is recognized. Representative examples are described of the following geochemical associations: Au-Fe oxide–Cu, Au–Cu–Mo–Zn, Au–As–Pb–Zn–Cu, Au–Te–Pb–Zn–Cu and Au–As–Bi–Sb. The associated intrusions range from small outcropping stocks to complex batholiths. The different vein associations are believed to reflect the compositions of related intrusions, which themselves characterize distinct tectonic settings. The Au-Fe oxide–Cu and Au–Cu–Mo–Zn associations belong to two broad groups of deposits, Fe oxide–Cu–Au and porphyry Cu–Au, both of which are related to highly oxidized calc-alkaline intrusions emplaced in sub–duction–related arcs. The Au–As–Pb–Zn–Cu association seems to be linked to somewhat less oxidized intrusions emplaced in a similar setting. The Au–Te–Pb–Zn–Cu association, which possesses well-known epithermal counterparts, is also found with highly oxidized intrusions, but of alkaline composition and back-arc location. In contrast, the Au–As–Bi–Sb association, part of a newly recognized class of intrusion-hosted Au–Bi–W–As deposits, is related to relatively reduced intrusions, spanning the boundary between the magnetite– and ilmenite–series. Such intrusions, which may host major bulk-mineable gold deposits, were emplaced along the landward sides of arcs, possibly during lulls in subduction, as well as in continental collision settings. Therefore, a variety of geological environments is prospective for vein and, by extrapolation, other styles of gold mineralization, not all of them fully appreciated in the past. Several features of vein gold deposits, including imprecise relationships to individual intrusive phases, poorly developed mineral and metal zoning, apparent time gaps between intrusion and mineralization and presence of low–salinity, CO₂–rich fluid inclusions, are commonly taken to indicate a non-igneous origin and to be more typical of orogenic (mesothermal) gold deposits generated during accretionary tectonic events. However, several or all of these features apply equally to some intrusion– related vein gold deposits and, therefore, do not constitute distinguishing criteria. The currently popular assignment of most gold-rich veins to the orogenic category requires caution, because of the geological convergence that they show with some intrusion-related deposits. A proper distinction between intrusion-related and orogenic gold deposits is crucial for exploration planning.     

氧化性富金斑岩-矽卡岩矿床中碲、硒、铊富集机制的研究进展

富金斑岩-矽卡岩矿床目前提供了全球几乎所有的硒、碲及部分铊产量,其中氧化性富金斑岩-矽卡岩矿床可共伴生碲、硒、铊等稀散金属。文章从元素地球化学行为、矿床类型、岩浆作用、赋存状态、稀散金属与铜金关系等方面,总结了氧化性富金斑岩-矽卡岩矿床中有关碲、硒、铊富集机制的研究进展。碲、硒具有亲铁和亲硫的特征,而铊具有亲硫和亲石的双重特征,三者具有不同程度的挥发性。岩浆热液型矿床伴生有碲、硒、铊矿化。基性岩浆的注入和岩浆硫化物熔离可能是氧化性富金斑岩-矽卡岩矿床碲、硒、铊富集的主要岩浆作用。氧化性富金斑岩-矽卡岩矿床中铜和金含量通常呈正相关性,发育有丰富的含碲/硒/铊矿物,但碲、硒、铊与铜、金的关系还不清楚。长江中下游成矿带发育多个氧化性矽卡岩金矿、矽卡岩铜金矿,伴生大规模的碲、硒、铊矿化,且已被综合回收利用,该带是探讨氧化性富金矽卡岩矿床中碲、硒、铊富集机制的理想对象。     

Gold abundance and an aluminosilicate-rich alteration zone in the Val D'Or mining district, abitibi, Quebec: Examples of the fossil geothermal fields

Investigation of gold abundance in a gold-rich mining district by accurate analytical techniques (e.g., Instrumental Neutron Activation and/or Radiochemical Neutron Activation) shows that gold is anomalously distributed in some parts of the Val d'Or mining district of Quebec. It is possible to distinguish: (1) background values (1.4–3.5 ppb Au); (2) zones of primarily anomalous gold values around the Lamaque-Sigma mines (median: 15 ppb Au); (3) enrichment halos around gold orebodies (median: 70 ppb Au); (4) secondary gold enrichment in shear zones; and (5) high background values for the East Sullivan Monzonitic Stock. The Bourlamaque batholith is considered to be a gold-enriched intrusion because of areas (shear zones) that are anomalously enriched in gold (median: 10 ppb Au). It is concluded that there are auriferous geological units in the Val d'Or mining district, such as the Bourlamaque batholith and Val d'Or Formation. The latter contains the Lamaque-Sigma gold mines, representing 49.6% of the total gold production in the district. It is interpreted that the Val d'Or Formation is part of a central volcanic complex within an island arc system, that the centre of this complex is located in the main Lamaque plug, and that this environment may be compared to high-temperature active geothermal systems which are commonly responsible for the formation of epithermal gold deposits. The Lamaque-Sigma area is considered to be a fossil geothermal field, potentially explaining the anomalous gold values. In addition, a dumortierite-bearing, aluminosilicate-rich zone of hydrothermal alteration in the Val d'Or mining district is considered, as for other similar occurrences, to be the result of hydrothermal alteration within a geothermal field producing an Al- and Si-rich leached protholith which has subsequently been metamorphosed and deformed. A model is proposed for the formation of the gold deposits within the primary gold-rich environment, by mobilisation of gold in the volcanic rocks due to metamorphism and deformation. Therefore, two distinct and successive events are postulated: (1) gold-rich synvolcanic geothermal activity; and (2) late remobilisation from the host rocks, followed by deposition of gold ore within favourable structures.     

西藏浪卡子县也金嘎波金矿岩石地球化学特征

也金嘎波金矿位于冈底斯成矿带上,是对区域化探发现的Au、As多元素组合异常进行追踪发现的,属于热液型金矿床。矿区各类岩石Au、As、Sb、W、Hg、Ag、Bi、Pb元素平均值高于中国丰度值数倍以上,表明矿区具有丰富的物质来源基础。岩石地球化学研究证明,矿床地表发育Au、As、Sb等10多个元素组合异常。其中Au是成矿指示元素,As、Sb、W是密切伴生元素,Bi、Ag、Pb、Hg是一般的伴生元素。多元素组合异常浓度带发育,浓集中心互相套合叠置部位指示金矿(化)体位置。矿体指示元素(Au、As、Sb、W、Hg、Bi、Ag、Pb)异常分布在岩体、地层接触带和构造交汇处,显示金矿与岩浆活动、热液作用和断裂构造相关,属多次构造作用、岩浆热液叠加富集而成。该金矿床处在冈底斯成矿带内,此研究对该成矿带金异常的识别和查证,寻找新的金矿具有借鉴意义。     

基于元素含量和空间变异系数的化探异常信息识别

化探异常信息识别是化探数据分析最重要的任务之一, 也是化探数据在资源勘查领域受到广泛关注的最重要原因, 前人对化探异常信息识别做过大量研究, 这些研究中的大多数主要关注化探示踪元素的含量, 近而根据含量指标计算异常阈值, 而对示踪元素在空间中的分布特征关注较少。本文选择 1: 20万比例尺的克拉玛依幅为研究区, 根据区内金矿的矿床地球化学特征选择Ag、As、Au和Sb等4种元素为本区内金矿的示踪元素, 以地球化学元素分散晕形成理论为依据, 使用GIS技术和Matlab软件绘制研究区内4种金矿示踪元素的综合地球化学异常图。结果表明, 与传统阈值方法得到的化探异常图相比, 本文得到的化探异常图能够更好地指示研究区内已知金矿。     

甘肃迭部县尖尼—桑坝一带金地球化学特征及找矿意义

尖尼—桑坝一带自开展1∶20万区域化探以来,先后进行了异常查证,发现了众多的金矿床点。本文探讨了该区金地球化学特征,特别是1∶5万水系沉积物测量、1∶1万土壤地球化学测量,显示出Au异常规模大、峰值高、浓度分带好,Au、As、Ag、Hg、Sb等组合异常套合好的特征。采用土壤测量浓缩异常源、缩小找矿靶区,发现了金矿体,找...