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OROGENIC GOLD TARGETING What is important and why? Using the five questions approach This approach identifies the processes that form the gold deposit (it does not describe the deposit) across the full range of scales
OROGENIC GOLD TARGETING Criteria 1 Fractionated basalt sequence often hosting nickel sulphide deposits in a back arc basin setting Basalts are derived from magma crystallising magnetite in the source region Fractionation of magnetite adds oxygen (O) to the SubContinental Lithospheric Mantle (SCLM)
This event can pre-date the gold event by tens to hundreds of millions of years
Kalgoorlie Geochronology 2720
2700
2680
2660
2640
Thol. Basalt +/- UM volcanism Komatiite
TTG volcaniclastic (Black Flag) Bimodal (Teutonic) dolerite
Coarse clastic
High-Ca Granite
Low-Ca Granite
Mafic Granite
De
De Ni
D2 VMS
Au
Laverton Geochronology 2820
2800
2780
2760
2740
2720
2700
2680
2660
2640
Thol. Basalt +/- UM volcanism Calc-alk andesite Komatiite/Thol. Basalt Volcaniclastic Coarse clastic High-Ca Granite
Low-Ca Granite
Mafic Granite
Ni
Au
WINDARRA
ADMIRAL HILL
Syenite
Ni AGNEW
Au GRANNY SMITH, SUNRISE, WALLABY
OROGENIC GOLD TARGETING Criteria 2 Boundaries of cratonic blocks are faults that extend to crust mantle boundary Large scale continental collision Subduction adds water (H2O) back into the SCLM that was lost during mafic magma extraction
S-O-H2O are necessary pre-cursors to create thiosulphate complexes that will carry gold from the mantle
Backarc/Peri-cratonic: VMS & CD base metal, Ni sulphide
VMS Base Metal: Melting of metasomatised CLM (metal source) Most favored if spreading ridge migrates into CLM Moderate preservation potential if peri-cratonic basin narrow
Graham Begg, 2011
Back-arc/Peri-cratonic : Orogenic Au
Orogenic Au: Flanked by metasomatised CLM (metal source) Closure and suturing leads to selective melting of source Reduced sediments are a good host rock High deposit preservation potential
Graham Begg, 2011
OROGENIC GOLD TARGETING Criteria 3 Late basin develops after first collisional event Basin inversion during second compressive deformation creates large scale anticline in the hanging wall of mantle tapping fault Source of reductant CH4 (methane) is black shale within the late basins and methane drives gold deposition by destabilising the thiosulphate complex
REGIONAL
SEISMIC CROSS SECTION KALGOORLIE 100moz GINDALBIE TERRANE
KALGOORLIE TERRANE Kunanalling Shear
Bullabulling Dunnsville Shear Anticline
Avoca Fault Scotia-Kanowna Anticline
Mt Monger Fault
Emu Fault
{does not outcrop in this section because it is intruded by the Arcoona Granites}
Arcoona Granite
5 Basal detachment ?
10 V =1 H
10km
Upper basalt
Undivided basalt
Early granite
Felsic gneiss
Felsic volcanic rocks
Lower basalt
Komatiite
Late granite
Basal felsic schist
Felsic volcanic unit
CDP
7200 0
9200
11200
13200
Greenstone sequence (in Bardoc Shear Zone)
GINDALBIE TERRANE
KALGOORLIE TERRANE
15200
KURNALPI TERRANE
17200
5
Two-way time (s)
Depth (km)
IDA FAULT
Kurrawang Syncline Mt Pleasant BARDOC Zuleika Anticline Deformation Zone Shear
KURNALPI TERRANE
10
15 0 20
10 km
MID CRUST ANOMALY V/H = 1 (approx) for a Velocity of 6.0km/s
OROGENIC GOLD TARGETING Criteria 4 Mafic granites are High Calcium suite granites that have a mantle component added to the magma chamber at the base of the crust
Granites are emplaced along mantle tapping faults to high crustal levels (basement cover sequence boundaries) and are emplaced into large anticlines These granites carry gold rich fluids from base of the crust to upper crustal levels then exsolve fluids at fluid saturation at lower pressure
Non-reflective zone; intrusive complex that produces the gravity-low.
Seismic section courtesy of Ned Stolz, Gold Fields, St Ives
Interpretation of Seismic Section
Paringa Basalt
Paringa Basalt
Porphyry Complex
Tripod Hill Komatiite
Lunnon Basalt
Lower Felsic Complex
KD3011 607m, 1.23g/t
Anhydrite vein
Disseminated pyrite
Significant Au and pyrite content in porphyries that are not notably altered; => Fluid is in equilibrium with the porphyry. Some of the St Ives porphyries are inherently enriched in Au and S
3D Model of the Beta Porphyry 1billion tonnes mean gold grade = 0.37g/t ~ 12 million ounces
Footwall porphyries commonly have 100mt to 1,000mt of porphyry @ 0.05 to 0.5 g/t Au, e.g. Victory, Revenge, New Celebration, Binduli, Mt Pleasant, Kundana, Granny Smith, Lancefield, Mt Morgans, Agnew, etc
All gold-rich porphyries have the same enriched trace element signature!!!
FI 7, Beta Porphyry
Interplay of fluids-architecture Revenge through Victory-Defiance After Ned Stolz & Janet Tunjicja
OROGENIC GOLD TARGETING Next Steps Testing of regional targets with multi-element geochemistry at low density (1 sample per 16 km2) will identify mineralised systems
Darlot, 4m oz Agnew, 5m oz
Thunderbox, 2m oz
Sons of Gwalia, 10m oz Tarmoola, 2m oz
Scale 330km by 150km 3000 samples
OROGENIC GOLD TARGETING Mineral systems have characteristic spacing of gold deposits within the system Archaean gold systems in the Yilgarn are defined by 60km by 60km boxes within which deposits are spaced at 30km The crust is 30km thick at Kalgoorlie and Laverton
The gold systems are spaced at 130km
OROGENIC GOLD TARGETING What is important and why? Using the five questions approach
OROGENIC GOLD TARGETING
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