• Title/Summary/Keyword: pyrite mapping

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Studies on the Ore Mineralogy and Litho-geochemistry of the Sheba Deposit, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

  • Altigani, Mohammed Alnagashi Hassan
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.54 no.2
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    • pp.213-232
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    • 2021
  • Ore criteria at the Sheba Deposit indicate orogenic mineralization type. Rocks and mineral assemblages suggest low formation-temperature of green-schist facies. Pyrite found in two generations; Type1 is irregular grains, contains higher arsenic and gold contents, compared to the relatively younger phase Type2 pyrite, which is composed of euhedral grains, found adjacent to late quartz-carbonate veins or at rims of type1 pyrite. Two gold generations were identified; type1 found included in sulphides (mainly pyrite). The second gold type was remobilized (secondary) into free-lodes within silicates (mainly quartz). Gold fineness is high, as gold contains up to 95 wt. % Au, Ag up to 3.5 wt. %, and traces of Cu, Ni, and Fe. Pyrite type2 contains tiny mineral domains (rich in Al, Mn, Hg, Se, Ti, V, and Cr). Zoning, and replacement textures are common, suggesting multiple mineralization stages. The distribution and relationships of trace elements in pyrite type2 indicate three formation patterns: (1) Al, Mn, Hg, Se, Ti, V, Cr, and Sn are homogeneously distributed in pyrite, reflecting a synchronous formation. (2) As, Ni, Co, Zn, and Sb display heterogeneous distribution pattern in pyrite, which may indicate post-formation existence due to other activities. (3) Au and Ag show both distribution patterns within pyrite, suggesting that gold is found both in microscopic phases and as chemically bounded phase.

Exploration and Development of the Muguk Au Mine (무극광산(無極鑛山)의 탐사(探査)와 개발현황(開發現況))

  • Shin, Yang-Woo;Suh, Kyu-Sik
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.20 no.4
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    • pp.261-271
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    • 1987
  • Muguk gold deposits are composed of quartz veins emplaced along faults in Mesozoic granodiorite. General strikes and dips of the veins are $N15{\sim}20^{\circ}W$ and $70{\sim}80^{\circ}NE$. Associated ore minerals are pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, native silver, argentite, tetrahedrite and electrum. Vein mineral paragenesis is complicated by repeated fracturing, but five distinct depositional stages can be recognized. Electrum grains are associated mainly with sulfide bands formed along both margins of pale pink quartz of stage 3, and with patches of pyrite aggregate of stage 4. Before the close down in 1972, Muguk gold mine yielded more than 8 tons of gold of which major portion was produced from the No.2 vein. No.2 vein, extending about 1,500m laterally, was exploited to a depth of about 750m. In 1984, Young-poong mining company acquired the mining property and began geologic mapping, geochemical and geophysical exploration, diamond drilling and exploration tunnelling around the mine area to seek for other rich gold-bearing quartz veins. As the Samhyungje vein was disclosed to be the most rich vein, exploration works were focussed on the Samhyungje vein. As of August 1987, 22,338m of diamond drilling and 9,652m of exploration tunnelling have been undertaken. Owing to the successful result of exploration, the Muguk mine commenced normal operation on January 1987, treating 5,500 tons of ore per month.

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Occurrence and Mineral Characteristics of Au-Ag-Cu-Bi Bearing Quartz Veins in the Estancia de la Virgen area, Guatemala (과테말라 Estancia de la Virgen 지역 금-은-동-비스무스 광화대의 산상과 광물특성)

  • Shin, Eui-Cheol;Kim, Soo-Young;Hong, Sei-Sun;Kim, In-Joon
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.31 no.6
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    • pp.463-472
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    • 1998
  • The survey was carried out in order to delineate the occurrence of ore deposits and the mineralized characteristics in the Estancia de la Virgen area through the 1:2,000 scaled geological mapping and topographic measuring surveys. Gold-silver mineralization is in the fault block developed between the San Agustin Fault and Cabanas Fault. It is associated with ore bearing quartz veins controlled by the fault structure. The contents of Au and Ag range from traces up to 72 g/t and 180 g/t respectively. According to traversing the outcrops, the quartz veins are traced by 0.5 Km trended to north and south. In those extended part, they continue for 1,000 m intermittently. Gold-silver mineralization could be divided into three stages. In the first stage, pyrite, galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite were formed with the primary silver and gold associated with galena and copper sulfides respectively. In the second stage, Cu-Bi-Au-Ag bearing sulfides such as chalcocite, covellite, and linarite are formed and usually deposited on the cataclastic fractures of galena and/or chalcopyrite. In the third stage, both the carbonation of galena and sphalerite and the sulphatization of galena, took place in the surface environment. And then primary silver was carried away off and was deposited on galena and/or copper sulfides during oxidation near the water table. Low partitionings of Fe in sphalerite assist that the minerals were formed at the relatively low temperature, which is coincided with previously reported homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions.

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