Cu–Fe Bearing Zinc Sulfide from Laloki Stratabound Massive Sulfide Deposit, Papua New Guinea: Chemical Characterization

Abstract: A strange, unidentified, Cu-Fe bearing zinc sulfide occurs in the Laloki massive sulfide deposit, Papua New Guinea. The mineral is optically uniform in texture but is chemically variable and zoned even within a single grain. Copper contents vary from 0.1 up to 8.85 wt%. Iron reaches 18.31 wt% at maximum and decreases as Cu increases. It is remarkable, however, that the total Fe+Cu remains essentially unchanged between roughly 18 and 20 wt%. Zn and S are least variable, giving 45.85–47.84 wt% and 33.48–34.58 wt%, respectively. Other trace elements such as Cd and Mn are in general less than 0.2 wt%. It is strongly suggested that the mineral in question constitutes a unique Fe-Cu substitutional solid solution series belonging essentially to the Zn–Fe–Cu–S system.
The ideal chemical formula of the solid solution series can well be presented as Zn₁₀(Fe, Cu)₅S₁₅ or Zn₂(Fe, Cu)S₃, where Fe is always greater than Cu. It is intriguing that chalcopyrite blebs are recognizable restrictively only in nearby portions of the Cu-rich end member with the ideal composition close to Zn₁₀Fe₃Cu₂S_15. It has been confirmed by vacuum-sealed heating experiments that this mineral is decomposed to produce chalcopyrite and Fe-bearing normal sphalerite at temperatures below 200C. This would provide another evidence for the existence of such distinct phase as suggested here.     

The Crater Mountain Deposit,Papua New Guinea: Porphyry‐related Au–Te System

Ore mineralization and wall rock alteration of Crater Mountain gold deposit, Papua New Guinea, were investigated using ore and host rock samples from drill holes for ore and alteration mineralogical study. The host rocks of the deposit are quartz‐feldspar porphyry, feldspar‐hornblende porphyry, andesitic volcanics and pyroclastics, and basaltic‐andesitic tuff. The main ore minerals are pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and moderate amounts of tetrahedrite, tennantite, pyrrhotite, bornite and enargite. Small amounts of enargite, tetradymite, altaite, heyrovskyite, bismuthinite, bornite, idaite, cubanite, native gold, CuPbS₂, an unidentified Bi‐Te‐S mineral and argentopyrite occur as inclusions mainly in pyrite veins and grains. Native gold occurs significantly in the As‐rich pyrite veins in volcanic units, and coexists with Bi‐Te‐S mineral species and rarely with chalcopyrite and cubanite relics. Four mineralization stages were recognized based on the observations of ore textures. Stage I is characterized by quartz‐sericite‐calcite alteration with trace pyrite and chalcopyrite in the monomict diatreme breccias; Stage II is defined by the crystallization of pyrite and by weak quartz‐chlorite‐sericite‐calcite alteration; Stage III is a major ore formation episode where sulfides deposited as disseminated grains and veins that host native gold, and is divided into three sub‐stages; Stage IV is characterized by predominant carbonitization. Gold mineralization occurred in the sub‐stages 2 and 3 in Stage III. The fS₂ is considered to have decreased from ～10^?2 to 10^?14 atm with decreasing temperature of fluid.     

Quartz‐in‐garnet and Ti‐in‐quartz thermobarometry: Methodology and first application to a quartzofeldspathic gneiss from eastern Papua New Guinea

Mineral inclusions are ubiquitous in metamorphic rocks and elastic models for host‐inclusion pairs have become frequently used tools for investigating pressure–temperature (P–T) conditions of mineral entrapment. Inclusions can retain remnant pressures () that are relatable to their entrapment P–T conditions using an isotropic elastic model and P–T–V equations of state for host and inclusion minerals. Elastic models are used to constrain P–T curves, known as isomekes, which represent the possible inclusion entrapment conditions. However, isomekes require a temperature estimate for use as a thermobarometer. Previous studies obtained temperature estimates from thermometric methods external of the host‐inclusion system. In this study, we present the first P–T estimates of quartz inclusion entrapment by integrating the quartz‐in‐garnet elastic model with titanium concentration measurements of inclusions and a Ti‐in‐quartz solubility model (QuiG‐TiQ). QuiG‐TiQ was used to determine entrapment P–T conditions of quartz inclusions in garnet from a quartzofeldspathic gneiss from Goodenough Island, part of the (ultra)high‐pressure terrane of Papua New Guinea. Raman spectroscopic measurements of the 128, 206, and 464 cm^?1 bands of quartz were used to calculate inclusion pressures using hydrostatic pressure calibrations (), a volume strain calculation (), and elastic tensor calculation (), that account for deviatoric stress. values calculated from the 128, 206, and 464 cm^?1 bands’ hydrostatic calibrations are significantly different from one another with values of 1.8 ± 0.1, 2.0 ± 0.1, and 2.5 ± 0.1 kbar, respectively. We quantified elastic anisotropy using the 128, 206 and 464 cm^?1 Raman band frequencies of quartz inclusions and stRAinMAN software (Angel, Murri, Mihailova, & Alvaro, 2019,  234 :129–140). The amount of elastic anisotropy in quartz inclusions varied by ~230%. A subset of inclusions with nearly isotropic strains gives an average and of 2.5 ± 0.2 and 2.6 ± 0.2 kbar, respectively. Depending on the sign and magnitude, inclusions with large anisotropic strains respectively overestimate or underestimate inclusion pressures and are significantly different (<3.8 kbar) from the inclusions that have nearly isotropic strains. Titanium concentrations were measured in quartz inclusions exposed at the surface of the garnet. The average Ti‐in‐quartz isopleth (19 ± 1 ppm [2σ]) intersects the average QuiG isomeke at 10.2 ± 0.3 kbar and 601 ± 6°C, which are interpreted as the P–T conditions of quartzofeldspathic gneiss garnet growth and entrapment of quartz inclusions. The P–T intersection point of QuiG and Ti‐in‐quartz univariant curves represents mechanical and chemical equilibrium during crystallization of garnet, quartz, and rutile. These three minerals are common in many bulk rock compositions that crystallize over a wide range of P–T conditions thus permitting application of QuiG‐TiQ to many metamorphic rocks.     

Characteristics of Mineralizing Fluids of the Darreh‐Zerreshk and Ali‐Abad Porphyry Copper Deposits,Central Iran,Determined by Fluid Inclusion Microthermometry

The Darreh‐Zereshk (DZ) and Ali‐Abad (AB) porphyry copper deposits are located in southwest of the Yazd city, central Iran. These deposits occur in granitoid intrusions, ranging in composition from quartz monzodiorite through granodiorite to granite. The ore‐hosting intrusions exhibit intense hydrofracturing that lead to the formation of quartz‐sulfide veinlets. Fluid inclusions in hydrothermal quartz in these deposits are classified as a mono‐phase vapor type (Type I), liquid‐rich two phase (liquid + vapor) type (Type IIA), vapor‐rich two phase (vapor + liquid) type (Type IIB), and multi‐phase (liquid + vapor + halite + sylvite + hematite + chalcopyrite and pyrite) type (Types III). Homogenization temperatures (Th) and salinity data are presented for fluid inclusions from hydrothermal quartz veinlets associated with potassic alteration and other varieties of hypogene mineralization. Ore precipitation occurred between 150° to >600°C from low to very high salinity (1.1–73.9 wt% NaCl equivalent) aqueous fluids. Two stages of hydrothermal activity characterized are recognized; one which shows relatively high Th and lower salinity fluid (Type IIIa; Th_(L‐V) > Tm_(NaCl)); and one which shows lower Th and higher salinity (Type IIIb; Th_(L‐V) < Tm_(NaCl)). The high Th_(L‐V) and salinities of Type IIIa inclusions are interpreted to represent the initial existence of a dense fluid of magmatic origin. The coexistence of Type IIIb, Type I and Type IIB fluid inclusions suggest that these inclusions resulted either from trapping of boiling fluids and/or represent two immiscible fluids. These processes probably occurred as the result of pressure fluctuations from lithostatic to hydrostatic conditions under a pressure of 200 to 300 bar. Dilution of these early fluids by meteoritic water resulted in lower temperatures and low to moderate salinity (<20 wt% NaCl equiv.) fluids (Type IIA). Fluid inclusion analysis reveals that the hydrothermal fluid, which formed mineralized quartz veinlets in the rocks with potassic alteration, had temperatures of ～500°C and salinity ～50 wt% NaCl equiv. Cryogenic SEM‐EDS analyses of frozen and decrepitated ore‐bearing fluids trapped in the inclusions indicate the fluids were dominated with NaCl, and KCl with minor CaCl₂.     

Fluid Inclusion Microthermometry and Implications for the Mechanisms of Ore-Grade Gold Mineralization in Epithermal System, Lalab Orebody, Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines

The Sibutad gold deposit has gold associated in quartz veins. The most important of these is the Lalab orebody, which contains ore‐grade gold, predominantly, in milky quartz veins and veinlets. Here, alteration quartz and fine‐grained crystalline clear and milky quartz were formed from hydrothermal fluids in three stages, namely stages I, II and III. Fluid inclusion microthermometry was carried out on stage I milky quartz, stage II fine‐grained alteration quartz and stage III milky quartz ± barite veins and veinlets. Homogenization temperatures (T_H) are >248°C in stage I, 214–232°C in stage II and 186–239°C in stage III. These fluid inclusions have salinity between 1 and 2 wt% NaCl equivalent. In terms of gold assay, stage I drill‐core samples have gold grades 0.53–0.76 g/ton Au, stage II samples have 1.12–3.70 g/ton Au and stage III samples have 9.06–23.88 g/ton Au. This correlation suggests that gold was precipitated from the stage II and III fluids.     

Origin of Ore-forming Fluids Responsible for Gold Mineralization of the Pongkor Au-Ag Deposit, West Java, Indonesia: Evidence from Mineralogic, Fluid Inclusion Microthermometry and Stable Isotope Study of the Ciurug–Cikoret Veins

The Pongkor gold–silver mine is situated at the northeastern flank of the Bayah dome, which is a product of volcanism in the Sunda–Banda Arc. The hydrothermal alteration minerals in the Ciurug–Cikoret area are typical of those formed from acid to near‐neutral pH thermal waters. On the surface, illite/smectite mixed layer mineral (I/Sm), smectite and kaolinite, and spotting illite, I/Sm and K‐feldspar alteration occur at the top of the mineralized zone. Silicification, K‐feldspar and I/Sm zones are commonly formed in the wall rock, and gradually grade outwards into a propylitic zone. The mineralization of precious metal ore zone is constrained by fluid temperatures between 180 and 220°C, and with low salinity (<0.2 wt% NaCl equivalent) and boiling condition. The minimum depth of vein formation below the paleo‐water table is approximately 90–130 m for the hydrostatic column. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope data for quartz and calcite show relatively homogeneous fluid composition (?53 to ?68‰δD and ?5.7 to +0.3‰δ¹⁸O H₂O). There is no specific trend in the data with respect to the mineralization stages and elevation, which suggests that the ore‐forming fluids did not significantly change spatially during the vein formation. The stable isotope data indicate mixing between the hydrothermal fluids and meteoric water and interaction between the hydrothermal fluids and the host rock.     

Microthermometry, Raman and LA-ICP-MS of Fluid Inclusions Constrain on Fluids Chemistry and Evolution of Carlin-Type Gold System, Guizhou, China: Implications for Ore Genesis

The Shuiyindong and Yata Carlin-type gold deposits, located in Southwestern Guizhou, China, are hosted by Permianbioclastic limestone in the form of stratabound mineralization and Middle Triassic calcareous clastic rocks as fault-controlled mineralization, respectively. In these deposits, quartz crystals in the veins or veinlets associated with mineralization have contained several populations of fluid inclusions with relatively quite big size and clear paragenetic relationship of entrapment. Petrography, microthermometry, Raman and LA-ICPMS of fluid inclusions analyses are used to characterize fluids chemistry and their evolution of Carlin-type system in Guizhou.     

Age and provenance of basement metasediments from the Kubor and Bena Bena Blocks,central Highlands,Papua New Guinea: Constraints on the tectonic evolution of the northern Australian cratonic margin

Detrital zircon from two basement blocks (Kubor and Bena Bena) in the central Highlands of Papua New Guinea has an age signature that strongly suggests a northern Australian provenance. Samples of the Omung Metamorphics, southeastern Kubor Block, together yield principal zircon populations with ages of ca 1.8 Ga (～10% of the total), ca 1.55 Ga (～10%), 470–440 Ma (～15%), ca 340 Ma (～10%) and 290–260 Ma (～40%).Two tonalite stocks of the Kubor Intrusive Complex, which intrude the Omung Metamorphics, yield indistinguishable ages of 244.8 ± 4.9 Ma and 239.1 ± 4.2 Ma.Therefore, the deposition and subsequent deformation of the Omung Metamorphics is Late Permian to Early Triassic. A sample of Goroka Formation (Bena Bena Block) contains detrital zircon of similar ages to the Omung Metamorphics, ca 1.8 Ga (5%), ca 1.55 Ga (～45%), ca 430 Ma (～5%) and ca 310 Ma (～40%), suggesting that the Goroka Formation has a similar provenance and might be correlative. In contrast, a metapsammite from the Bena Bena Formation yielded only ages of 290–280 Ma (85%) and ca 240 Ma (15%). A tuff interbedded in the Bena Bena Formation yielded only igneous zircon with a Late Triassic age of 221 ± 3 Ma. Contrary to previous interpretations, the Bena Bena Formation is probably younger than the Goroka Formation. Ages of New Guinea detrital zircon closely match those of igneous and detrital zircon from the Coen Inlier, northeastern Queensland, but contrast with the ages of zircon from terranes further south, east and west. The Kubor and Bena Bena Blocks are not suspect terranes, but rather form part of the Australian craton. The craton margin, modified by rifting during the Mesozoic, was re‐inverted during Cenozoic compression. The Australian craton, in the eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, extends at least as far north as the Markham Valley, the northern edge of the Bena Bena terrane.     

Geochemistry, Fluid Inclusions and Sulfur Isotopes of the Goshgarchay Cu-Au Deposit (Western Azerbaijan) in Lesser Caucasus: Implications for the Origins of Ore-forming Fluids

The Goshgarchay Cu-Au deposit is located in the central part of the northwest flank of the Murovdagh region in the Lesser Caucasus. The Goshgarchay Cu-Au deposit is associated with Middle Jurassic volcanic and Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous high-K calc-alkaline intrusive rocks. The Cu-Au mineralization is commonly related to quartz-sericite-chlorite alteration dominantly composed of chalcopyrite, gold, sphalerite, pyrite, bornite, hematite, covellite, chalcocite, malachite, and azurite. The Goshgarchay copper-gold deposit, which is 600 m wide and approximately 1.2 km long, is seen as a fault-controlled and vein-, stockwork– and disseminated type deposit. The Goshgarchay Cu-Au deposit predominantly comprises Cu (max. 64500 ppm) and Au (max. 11.3 ppm), while it comprises relatively less amounts Zn (max. 437 ppm), Mo (max. 47.5 ppm), Pb (max. 134 ppm), and Ag (max. 21 ppm). The homogenization temperatures and salinities of fluid inclusions in quartz for stage I range from 380°C to 327°C, and 6.9 wt% to 2.6 wt% NaCl eq., respectively. Th and salinities in quartz for stage II range from 304°C to 253°C, and 7.6 wt% to 3.2 wt% NaCl eq., respectively. The calculated δ34Sh2s values (?1.5‰ to 5.5‰) of sulfides and especially the narrow range of δ34Sh2s values of chalcopyrite and bornite (between ?0.07‰ and +0.7‰) indicate that the source of the Goshgarchay Cu-Au mineralization is magmatic. Based on the mineralogical, geochemical, fluid inclusion, and sulfur isotopic data, the Goshgarchay Cu-Au deposit represents a late stage peripheral magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization probably underlain by a concealed porphyry deposit.     

Ore‐Forming Fluids as Sampled by Sulfide‐ and Quartz‐Hosted Fluid Inclusions in the Jinwozi Lode Gold Deposit,Eastern Tianshan Mountains of China

The Jinwozi lode gold deposit in the eastern Tianshan Mountains of China includes auriferous quartz veins and network quartz veins that are exemplified by the Veins 3 and 210, respectively. This paper presents H‐, O‐isotope compositions and gas compositions of fluid inclusions hosted in sulfides and quartz, and S‐, Pb‐isotope compositions of sulfide separates collected from the principal Stage 2 ores in Veins 3 and 210. Fluid inclusions trapped in quartz and sphalerite are pseudo‐secondary and primary. They were trapped from the fluids during the successive or alternate precipitation of quartz with sulfides. H‐ and O‐isotope compositions of fluid inclusion of three pyrite and one quartz separates from Vein 210 plot within the field of degassed melt, which is evidence for the incorporation of magmatic fluid as well with some possibility of contribution of metamorphic water to the hydrothermal system since the two datasets show a higher oxygen isotopic ratio than those of degassed melt. However, δD and δ¹⁸O values of fluid inclusions hosted in sulfides and quartz from Vein 3 are distinctly lower than those from Vein 210. In addition, salinities of fluid inclusion from Vein 3, approximately 3 to 6 wt% NaCl equivalent, are considerably lower than those from Vein 210, which are approximately 8 to 14 wt% NaCl equivalent. Ore‐forming fluids of Veins 3 and 210 have migrated through the relatively high and low levels in the imbricate‐thrust column where rock deformation is characterized by dilatancy or ductile–brittle transition, respectively. Therefore, the ore‐forming fluid of Vein 3 is interpreted to have mixed with greater amounts of meteoric‐derived groundwater than that of Vein 210. Fluid inclusions hosted in sulfides contain considerably higher abundances of gaseous species of CO₂, N₂, H₂S, and so on, than those hosted in quartz. Many of these gaseous species exhibit linear correlations with H₂O. These linear trends are interpreted in terms of mixing between magmatic fluid and groundwater. The relative enrichment of gaseous species in fluid inclusions hosted in sulfides, coupled with the banded ore structure, suggests that the magmatic fluid was involved with the ore‐forming fluid in pulsation. Lead isotope compositions of 21 pyrite and galena separates form a linear trend, suggesting mixing of metallic materials from diverse reservoirs. The δ³⁴S values of pyrite and galena range from +5.6‰ to +7.9‰ and from +3.1‰ to +6.3‰, respectively, indicating sulfur of the Jinwozi deposit has been leached mainly from the granodiorite and partly from the Jinwozi Formation by the circulating ore‐forming fluid.     

Structures and Implications for Fluid Migration in the Jiadi Carlin‐Type Gold Deposit,Guizhou Province,Southwest China

The Jiadi gold deposit is a newly discovered Carlin‐type gold deposit in the Guizhou Province, Southwest China. This deposit is structurally controlled by a shallow fold–fault superimposed system along the Lianhuashan trend. Field geological investigations, structural analysis, and mathematical research are conducted to study its structures and hydrothermal fluid flow process. Geological investigations (i.e. sections, stope, and drill hole) indicate that the structures are dominated by NE‐trending folds, NWW‐trending folds, and faults. A trend‐surface analysis of the low interformational fracture zone suggests that the overall distribution of the Lianhuashan trend is controlled by the NE‐trending Lianhuashan anticline. Nearly all primary Carlin‐type gold deposits are distributed along the southeastern flank where the fold axis changes from NE to EW. Gold orebodies are hosted by the interformational fracture zones and primarily situated at the transitions from the high‐value areas to the low‐value areas of the interformational fracture zones. A stress analysis on the hydrothermal veins indicates that they are of tenso‐shear properties. The ore‐forming elements (Au, As, Sb, Hg, and Tl) of the hydrothermal veins from the interformational fracture zones and intrusive breccia body present strong positive anomalies compared with those from the adjacent wall rocks. According to the development patterns of the ore‐forming elements and hydrothermal veins, a migration process of the ore‐forming fluids is proposed: the deeply sourced ore‐forming fluids migrated vertically to shallow crust along an intrusive breccia body, subsequently flowed horizontally along the interformational fracture zones accompanied by gold precipitation in the early stage, and finally migrated outward along steep micro‐fractures during following stages.     

Geochronology, Geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf Isotopes of No. I Complex from the Shitoukengde Ni–Cu Sulfide Deposit in the Eastern Kunlun Orogen, Western China: Implications for the Magmatic Source, Geodynamic Setting and Genesis

The Shitoukengde Ni-Cu deposit, located in the Eastern Kunlun Orogen, comprises three mafic–ultramafic complexes, with the No. I complex hosting six Ni-Cu orebodies found recently. The deposit is hosted in the small ultramafic bodies intruding Proterozoic metamorphic rocks. Complexes at Shitoukengde contain all kinds of mafic-ultramafic rocks, and olivine websterite and pyroxene peridotite are the most important Ni-Cu-hosted rocks. Zircon U-Pb dating suggests that the Shitoukengde Ni-Cu deposit formed in late Silurian(426–422 Ma), and their zircons have εHf(t) values of-9.4 to 5.9 with the older T_(DM1) ages(0.80–1.42 Ga). Mafic-ultramafic rocks from the No. I complex show the similar rare earth and trace element patterns, which are enriched in light rare earth elements and large ion lithophile elements(e.g., K, Rb, Th) and depleted in heavy rare earth elements and high field strength elements(e.g., Ta, Nb, Zr, Ti). Sulfides from the deposit have the slightly higher δ~(34)S values of 1.9–4.3‰ than the mantle(0 ± 2‰). The major and trace element characteristics, and Sr-Nd-Pb and Hf, S isotopes indicate that their parental magmas originated from a metasomatised, asthenospheric mantle source which had previously been modified by subduction-related fluids, and experienced significant crustal contamination both in the magma chamber and during ascent triggering S oversaturation by addition of S and Si, that resulted in the deposition and enrichment of sulfides. Combined with the tectonic evolution, we suggest that the Shitoukengde Ni-Cu deposit formed in the post-collisional, extensional regime related to the subducted oceanic slab break-off after the Wanbaogou oceanic basalt plateau collaged northward to the Qaidam Block in late Silurian.