Carlin-Type Gold Deposits in the Dian-Qian-Gui “Golden Triangle” of Southwest China

Su, Wenchao; Dong, Wendou; Zhang, Xing-Chun; Shen, Nengping; Rui-zhong, HU; Hofstra, Albert H.; Cheng, Lianzheng; Xia, Yong; Yang, Keyou

doi:10.5382/rev.20.05

Cited by 33 publications

(120 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The Re-Os isotope age of arsenopyrite (235 ± 33 Ma; [8]), interpreted as the age of gold mineralization, may be a mixed age. The arsenopyrite is very difficult to separate from pre-ore pyrite, as it is commonly intergrown with zoned pyrite containing pre-ore Au-poor pyrite cores and Au-rich pyrite overgrowth rims (Figure 7a,b; [2,5]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Carlin-type gold deposits in the Dian-Qian-Gui area are restricted to the Youjiang Basin ( Figure 1). The basin is bound to the northwest and northeast by the Mile-Shizong fault and Ziyun-Du'an fault, respectively, separating the basin from the Yangtze Craton [5,8]. The southwestern and southeastern margins of the basin are separated from the Simao and Cathaysia blocks by the Honghe and Pingxiang-Nanning faults, respectively [8,29].…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Two Hydrothermal Events at the Shuiyindong Carlin-Type Gold Deposit in Southwestern China: Insight from Sm–Nd Dating of Fluorite and Calcite

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Shuiyindong Gold Mine hosts one of the largest and highest-grade, strata-bound Carlin-type gold deposits discovered to date in Southwestern China. The outcrop stratigraphy and drill core data of the deposit reveal Middle–Upper Permian and Lower Triassic formations. The ore is mainly hosted in Upper Permian bioclastic limestone near the axis of an anticline. The gold is mainly hosted in arsenian pyrite and arsenopyrite, mainly existing in the form of crystal lattice gold, submicroscopic particles and nanoparticles. Fluorite commonly occurs at the vicinity of an unconformity between the Middle–Upper Permian formations, which is proposed to be the structural conduit that fed the ore ﬂuids. Calcite commonly fills fractures at the periphery of decarbonated rocks, which contain high grade orebodies. This study aimed to verify the occurrence of two distinct hydrothermal events at the Shuiyindong, based on Sm–Nd isotope dating of the fluorite and calcite. For this purpose, rare-earth element (REE) concentrations, Sm/Nd isotope ratios, and Sm–Nd isochron ages of the fluorite and calcite were determined. The fluorite and calcite contain relatively high total concentrations of REE (12.3–25.6 μg/g and 5.71–31.7 μg/g, respectively), exhibit variable Sm/Nd ratios (0.52–1.03 and 0.57–1.71, respectively), and yield Sm–Nd isochron ages of 200.1 ± 8.6 Ma and 150.2 ± 2.2 Ma, with slightly different initial εNd(t) values of −4.4 and −1.1, respectively. These two groups of Sm–Nd isochron ages suggest two episodes of hydrothermal events at the Shuiyindong gold deposit. The age of the calcite probably represents the late stage of the gold mineralization period. The initial εNd(t) values of the fluorite and calcite indicate that the Nd was probably derived from mixtures of basaltic volcanic tuff and bioclastic limestone from the Permian formations.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two Hydrothermal Events at the Shuiyindong Carlin-Type Gold Deposit in Southwestern China: Insight from Sm–Nd Dating of Fluorite and Calcite

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Carlin-type gold deposits are sediment-hosted disseminated gold deposits [1,2], and they were first recognized as a new type of deposit in 1961, after the development of the Carlin Mine in Nevada, USA [2,3]. Ever since the discovery of gold deposits in Banqi (Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou) in the 1980s, the metallogenesis and classification of the gold deposits of the Dian-Qian-Gui region are still mired in controversy [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Most researchers accept that the gold deposits of the Dian-Qian-Gui region are Carlin-type gold deposits in consideration of the geologic setting of the Dian-Qian-Gui is similar to that of Nevada in that it includes rifting of craton, deposition of a passive sequence, and subsequent contractional deformations [4,[11][12][13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the Dian-Qian-Gui gold deposits also exhibit some significant differences with the Nevada Carlin-type gold deposits. For instance, a key difference is that there is no temporally related felsic magmatism in the Chinese gold district [7]. Another significant difference is the abundance of vein quartz and calcite in the Dian-Qian-Gui deposits, which is rare in the Nevada deposits [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another significant difference is the abundance of vein quartz and calcite in the Dian-Qian-Gui deposits, which is rare in the Nevada deposits [4]. Besides, the temperatures and pressures of mineralization are 190-300 • C and 0.45-2.3 kbar, respectively, in the Dian-Qian-Gui, while they are 180-240 • C and 0.33-0.65 kbar in the Nevada [2,4,7,[14][15][16][17]. Therefore, some researchers named them Carlin-like gold deposits (CLGDs) [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Significance of Calcite Trace Elements Contents and C-O Isotopic Compositions for Ore-Forming Fluids and Gold Prospecting in the Zhesang Carlin-Like Gold Deposit of Southeastern Yunnan, China

Wang

Chang

Li³

et al. 2020

Minerals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Zhesang gold deposit of southeastern Yunnan is an important component of the Dian-Qian-Gui (Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi) “Golden Triangle”, which hosts a multitude of Carlin-like gold deposits (CLGDs). Calcite is one of the most common gangue minerals in Zhesang. The calcites that have been found in the mining area are classified as ore-stage and post-ore calcites. The ore-stage calcite exhibits a clear paragenetic relationship with gold-bearing arsenopyrite and with an alteration halo that has been cut by the post-ore calcite. To elucidate the origin of the ore-forming fluids of the Zhesang gold deposit and to investigate the possibility of utilizing calcite geochemistry as prospecting indicators, the rare earth elements (REEs), Y, Fe, Mn and Mg contents, and C-O isotopic compositions of calcites from Zhesang have been analyzed. The ore-stage calcite is enriched in middle rare earth elements (MREEs) relative to light rare earth elements (LREEs) and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) (MREE/LREE = 1.11–1.61, MREE/HREE = 6.12–8.22), whereas post-ore calcite exhibits an enrichment in LREE (LREE/HREE = 4.39–14.93, MREE/LREE = 0.35–0.71). The ore-stage and post-ore calcites were both formed by hydrothermal fluids; however, these hydrothermal fluids may have different sources. The Fe contents of the ore-stage calcite are significantly higher than those of post-ore calcite (4690–6300 μg/g versus 2030–2730 μg/g). Ore-stage calcite also has significantly lower δ18OV-SMOW values than post-ore calcite (11.03–12.49‰ versus 16.48–17.14‰). These calcites with an MREE/LREE ratio greater than 0.92, MREE/HREE ratio greater than 5.69, Fe content greater than 3827 μg/g, and δ18OV-SMOW value less than 14.40‰ represent ore-stage calcites and are important prospecting guidelines. According to the REE, C-O isotopic characteristics of the calcites and the previous findings, it is inferred that the ore-forming fluids of the Zhesang gold deposit were a mixture of crustal fluid by meteoric water leaching wall rocks and a small amount of basic magmatic fluid. The formation of post-ore calcite might be derived from meteoric water and marine carbonates interaction. The ore-forming fluids of the Zhesang gold deposit may be associated with the intrusion of diabase that outcrops in the mining area, and that the basic magmatic activities of the Indosinian period also provided some of the ore-forming materials and heat for gold mineralization.

show abstract

Trace elements and in situ sulfur isotopes of pyrite from the Baiyunpu Au deposit in central Hunan, South China: Implications for gold mineralization

Gao

Shen

et al. 2022

Geological Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Central Hunan metallogenic province, located in the southeastern part of the Yangtze Block, South China, is one of the most important Sb–Au metallogenic belts in China. The Baiyunpu gold deposit is one of the important Carlin‐type gold deposits occurring in Devonian sedimentary strata in Central Hunan. Optical microscopy and in situ laser ablation (multi‐collector) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐[MC]‐ICP‐MS) are used to determine the texture, trace element compositions and sulfur isotope for pyrites from the pre‐ore and syn‐ore stages to constrain the sources of reduced sulfur and metals and the mechanism of gold precipitation. Four generations of pyrite were identified by petrography and pyrite compositions. Pre‐ore Py1 is characterized by relatively low concentrations of As, Au, Sb and Cu and high concentrations of Co, Ni, Bi and Pb. Py1 has positive δ34S values of 6.5–10.1‰, which we ascribe to a bacterial reduction of marine sulfate in closed marine systems, or from weak Rayleigh fractionation by bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) or thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) during sedimentary‐diagenetic processes. Pre‐ore Py2 presents as rims of Py1 and contains relatively high As (69,530 ppm), Sb (123.2 ppm) and low Au (4.89 ppm). Compared with Py2, Py3 has relatively high Au (194.4 ppm) and Cu (24.6 ppm) and low As (40,801 ppm). We interpret that Py2 and Py3 could have precipitated from an Au‐free but As‐rich early hydrothermal fluids or from low‐Au and As‐rich fluids at the beginning of the ore stage. The δ34S values of Py2 and Py3 in the Baiyunpu deposit are concentrated in a narrow range of −1.2 to 1.2‰, suggesting the involvement of magmatic sulfur. Syn‐ore pyrites (Opy) are enriched in Au (517.8 ppm), As (39,719 ppm), Cu (261.9 ppm) and Sb (171.4 ppm). Irregular boundaries between Py1 and Opy suggest that the replacement may have been important for the formation of pyrites at the syn‐ore stage. The variation of As concentration in Opy1, Opy2 and Opy3 appear to have recorded fluctuations in the chemical composition of ore fluids. The δ34S values of Opy (0.1–5.9‰) are slightly higher than Py2 and Py3 due to mixing with sedimentary components with elevated δ34S values in late‐stage hydrothermal fluids. Profile analyses for Baiyunpu auriferous pyrite grains suggest that Au was positively correlated with Cu, but not with As. The correlation between Au, Cu and As in Opy may be dominated by their concentrations of ambient evolving fluids.

show abstract

Carlin-Type Gold Deposits in the Dian-Qian-Gui “Golden Triangle” of Southwest China

Cited by 33 publications

References 0 publications

Two Hydrothermal Events at the Shuiyindong Carlin-Type Gold Deposit in Southwestern China: Insight from Sm–Nd Dating of Fluorite and Calcite

Two Hydrothermal Events at the Shuiyindong Carlin-Type Gold Deposit in Southwestern China: Insight from Sm–Nd Dating of Fluorite and Calcite

Significance of Calcite Trace Elements Contents and C-O Isotopic Compositions for Ore-Forming Fluids and Gold Prospecting in the Zhesang Carlin-Like Gold Deposit of Southeastern Yunnan, China

Trace elements and in situ sulfur isotopes of pyrite from the Baiyunpu Au deposit in central Hunan, South China: Implications for gold mineralization

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About