Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences

Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences

Supergen alteration and enrichment of Sungun Copper- Molybdenum Porphyritic deposit, North-east Iran

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors
Khalil Bahar-Firouzi 1
Abdolmajid Yaqubpour 2
Mahmoud Mehrpartou 1
1 Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran
2 Teacher Training University of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The Sungun deposit is situated in Alborz-Azarbayejan magmatic belt, northwest Iran. This deposit is a skarn porphyritic copper-molybdenum type which skarn member had been exploited from ancient time, but the porphyric part has been introduced first by H. Etminan (1977). The principal agent of mineralization is a subvolcanic stock with granodioritic composition that disseminated veinlet mineralization occurred in it and in skarn member adjacent of it.
Potassic-Phyllic, phyllic-carbonate, argillic and propylitic alteration, characteristic of continental margin type porphyry copper deposits is well mapped. Two kinds of Potassic alteration, in adjacent to skarn (without mineralization) and in deep part of deposit (with a good disseminated and veinlet mineralization) is distinguished. Phyllic alteration with abundant veinlet mineralization is well developed, argillic alteration is very limited and prophylitic alteration occurred in north and south of deposit.
Supergen enrichment processes is not well developed in Sungun and secondary sulfide minerals of copper is formed only as thin film around or in the fractures of primary sulfide mineral in upper parts of deposit.
Chemical and mineralographical investigation of samples from supergen zones, that recorded in logging files of boreholes show that the typical supergene ore is formed in a few meters thickness (<5m) in some places, then the supergene reserves of Sungun deposit is very low (Probably < 10 m.t).
Keywords
Copper- Molybdenum Porphyritic deposit, Sungun, Tabriz

Subjects

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Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences
Volume 8, 31-32
Spring & Summer 1999, vol. 8, No. 31-32
Summer 2000
Pages 16-27