Economic Geology
Seyed Mehran Heidari; Sara Safavy; Afshin Akbarpour; Azra Hassanlou; Bahram Mohaghegh
Abstract
Saveh-Razan copper (± gold) area, with WNW direction in the northwest of Urmia-Dokhtar magmatic belt, with the highest reaction to right-sided shear zones and structural trend change during the Oligomyocene, leads to the placement of semi-deep Oligomyocene diorite massifs in shallow rock depths. ...
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Saveh-Razan copper (± gold) area, with WNW direction in the northwest of Urmia-Dokhtar magmatic belt, with the highest reaction to right-sided shear zones and structural trend change during the Oligomyocene, leads to the placement of semi-deep Oligomyocene diorite massifs in shallow rock depths. It is an Eocene volcano. By creating different types of mass-related hydrothermal alteration (propylitic, intermediate-advanced argillaceous, and phyllite) along the fractures, the system concentrates the mineralizations in quartz-sulfide veins, hydrothermal incisions, and concentrated sulfide-bearing filaments. Common features of metallurgy in this area are fluid homogenization temperature between 250 to 350 ° C and salinity range of 6-28% by weight of salt, containing CO2 gas and liquid phase of liquid and the presence of sulfides such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, burnite, chalcocite and sulfosalts in related reserves. There is also more gold than silver. Therefore, these features are most similar to the mass-related intermediate-type epitermal deposits that form in calcoalkalkene magmatic arcs.
Economic Geology
Fatemeh Naderlou; Mir Ali asghar Mokhtari; Hossein Kouhestani; Ghasem Nabatian
Abstract
North Chargar Cu-Au mineralization located within the Tarom-Hashtjin sub-zone. This area composed of andesite and quartz-andesite lavas alternated with tuffaceouce rocks. The volcanic rocks have calc-alkaline nature and were formed in an active continental margin. Mineralization present as ore-bearing ...
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North Chargar Cu-Au mineralization located within the Tarom-Hashtjin sub-zone. This area composed of andesite and quartz-andesite lavas alternated with tuffaceouce rocks. The volcanic rocks have calc-alkaline nature and were formed in an active continental margin. Mineralization present as ore-bearing quartz vein-veinlets within a silicified zone. Based on mineralogical studies, chalcopyrite and pyrite are the main ore minerals, and malachite, covellite, chalcocite and goethite were formed by supergene processes. Quartz, barite and chlorite present as gangue minerals. Hydrothermal alterations include silicification, chloritization, sericitization and argillic. Ore and gangue minerals show disseminated, vein-veinlet, brecciated, cockade, comb, replacement, relict and open space filling textures. Based on field and microscopic studies, Cu-Au mineralization in the north Chargar can be divided into four stages: 1- the first stage is silicification of volcano-sedimentary host rock along with disseminated pyrite mineralization, 2- the second stage present as chalcopyrite and pyrite-bearing quartz vein-veinlets and hydrothermal breccia cement, 3- the third stage includes barite vein-veinlets crosscutting the previous stages of mineralization, 4- the last stage is related to supergene processes. Geological features, mineralogy and ore structure-textures in the north Chargar Cu-Au occurrence indicate most similarity with base metal epithermal (intermediate sulfidation) deposit type.
Economic Geology
Hossein Kouhestani; Mir Ali Asghar Mokhtari
Abstract
Tashvir ore occurrence, 75 km northeast of Zanjan, is located in the Tarom-Hashtjin subzone. Mineralization occurs as ore-bearing quartz vein-veinlets within the Eocene tuffs and andesitic lavas (equal to Karaj Formation). Ore minerals include chalcocite, chalcopyrite and galena, and quartz, calcite ...
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Tashvir ore occurrence, 75 km northeast of Zanjan, is located in the Tarom-Hashtjin subzone. Mineralization occurs as ore-bearing quartz vein-veinlets within the Eocene tuffs and andesitic lavas (equal to Karaj Formation). Ore minerals include chalcocite, chalcopyrite and galena, and quartz, calcite and chlorite are present as gangue minerals at Tashvir. The ore show vein-veinlets, breccia, disseminated, replacement, relict, colloform, crustiform, dog tooth and plumose textures. Four stages of mineralization can be distinguished at Tashvir. These stages are progressed from quartz- chalcocite- chalcopyrite- galena‒cemented veins and breccias (stage-1), individual or sets of quartz veinlets (stage-2), and vug infill calcite (stage-3) and chlorite (stage-4) vein-veinlets. Hydrothermal alteration consist of silicified, argillic, carbonatic and chloritic. In the outer parts of the mineralization zones, alteration is propylitic. Similar REE patterns of the mineralized veins and the host rocks indicate they are genetically related. Enrichment of ore-forming elements (Ag, Cu, Pb, Zn) in ore zones is specifies leaching of elements from altered host rocks to ore zones. Characteristics of Tashvir ore occurrence are comparable with intermediate-sulfidation style of epithermal base metal (Ag) deposits. Mineralization at Tashvir and other epithermal deposits of the Tarom-Hashtjin subzone took place as a result of hydrothermal activity related to the late Eocene magmatism, and is controlled by fault systems. Therefore, investigation of the altered Eocene volcanic and volcano-sedimentary rocks, especially at the composite place of granitoid intrusions and along the fault structures, became the most favorable locus for epithermal ore bodies at Tarom-Hashtjin subzone.
E. Haghighi; S. Alirezaei; E. Ashrafpour
Abstract
The Cheshmeh Hafez deposit in Torud-Chahshirin Range, north-central Iran, consists of a polymetal vein mineralization in Cenozoic volcanic host rocks of dominantly basaltic andesite and dacite compositions. The main ore vein, 1800 m long and <1 – 5 m wide, occurs discontinuously in a north-south ...
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The Cheshmeh Hafez deposit in Torud-Chahshirin Range, north-central Iran, consists of a polymetal vein mineralization in Cenozoic volcanic host rocks of dominantly basaltic andesite and dacite compositions. The main ore vein, 1800 m long and <1 – 5 m wide, occurs discontinuously in a north-south direction, and includes chalcedony, fine- to coarse-grained quartz, and jasperoid, associated with galena and subordinate chalcopyrite, sphalerite, bornite, pyrite, tetrahedrite, specular hematite and siderite. Crustiform bands, consisting of grey chalcedony, jasperoid, milky quartz, and various ore minerals are common, and breccias and comb textures are locally developed, in the vein. Supergene processes led to the replacement of galena by cerussite, and of hypogene copper minerals (chalcopyrite and bornite) by covellite and malachite. The main ore vein is accompanied by several smaller quartz and calcite veins in NE-SW and E-W directions, respectively, where the calcite veins are barren. Alteration related to mineralization is restricted to thin halos bordering the vein, and consists of quartz, chlorite, calcite, kaolinite and sericite (illite). Fluid inclusions in quartz associated with ore minerals are studied. Most inclusions are two-phase, liquid-rich, at room temperatures; few are vapor-dominant, and few consist solely of liquid. Primary fluid inclusions display low to moderate homogenization temperatures (135-285) and salinities (1-13 wt% NaCl equivalents). The δ34S values for the ore fluids in equilibrium with the sulfide minerals fall in the range -1.6 to +4.1‰ and suggest a magmatic source for sulfur. The ore and gangue mineralogy, and the alteration assemblages, suggest that the ore fluids were reduced and near-neutral in nature. This, combined with the metal contents, Ag/Au ratio between 16 to 25, iron- poor sphalerite, the crustiform and colloform textures, and the Th and salinity values, imply that mineralization at Cheshmeh Hafez is of epithermal, intermediate- sulfidation, character. The alteration assemblage at Cheshmeh Hafez is indicative of a sub-type of intermediate- sulfidation epithermal deposits with a tendency towards low-sulfidation type