7

B1HIAPCKA AKAEMHB HA HAVKHTE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

GEOCHMISTRY, MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY 43 SOFI A 2005

Au-Ag-Te-Se deposits
IGCP Project 486, 2005 Field Workshop, Kiten, Bulgaria, 14-19 September 2005
Gold-silver paragenetic evolution in ore deposits of the
Magnitogorsk paleoisland arc, Southern Urals
Elena Belogub, Konstantin Novoselov, Viktor Zaykov
Institute of Mineralogy UB RAS, Laboratory of Applied Mineralogy, Miass, Russia; E-mail:
[email protected]

Abstract. Economic gold deposits in the Southern Urals are found within structures of the Magnitigorsk
paleoisland arc system, and are also associated with later collisional processes and syn-collisional granite
intrusions. Each stage of island arc evolution is characterized by a specific ore type, featuring specific mineral
associations and forms of the noble metals. These features in turn reflect the conditions of mineral formation.

Key words: gold, silver, island arc, massive sulphide, epithermal deposit, supergenesis


Introduction
Noble metals have traditionally been exploited
in the Urals. Their recovery was initiated in the
Middle Ages, and expanded dramatically at the
end of the 19
th
and beginning of the 20
th

Centuries. Gold exploitation continues today.
At first, coarse gold was extracted from
placers and quartz-vein deposits by gravi-
tational methods. Since the end of 19
th
Century,
amalgamation (with mercury) was used to
achieve a more complete gold extraction from
different deposit types, including the iron
caps of sulphide-rich orebodies. Tun and heap
leaching by cyanidation of the oxidized ores
was carried out since the mid-20
th
Century.
Today, gold is also extracted from Cu and Zn
flotation concentrates.
Knowledge of the size of gold grains, the
associated minerals and the mineral form of
gold, which all depend on the genetic type of
gold deposit, are very important both for
practical use and for scientific understanding.
Geodynamic and geological back-
ground
In the Southern Urals, economic concentrations
of gold are found in deposits located in
structures of the Magnitigorsk paleoisland arc
system and within quartz-veins from beresite-
listvenite formation, which are related to
collisional processes and syn-collisional granite
intrusions. These collisional products are not
exclusively located within the paleoisland arc
structural complexes.
The Magnitogorsk paleoisland arc system
was formed during the Silurian-Devonian. It
was complete in the Carboniferous Age when
soft collisional processes were initiated. It
can be structurally reconstructed to show two
island arcs (Western and Eastern) separated by
an inter-arc basin. Rock associations
determined to have been formed during island
arc condition can be found in the Eastern-Urals
Trough.

8

Fig. 1 Scheme of distribution of paleoocean structures in the South Urals (Zaykov et al., 2001). A
geographical setting; B geodynamic scheme. 1 paleoisland arcs; 2 inter-arc basin; 3-6 ophiolitic
zones: 3 fragment Silurian spreading basin, 4 back-arc basin in the rear of the West-Magnitogorsk
paleoisland arc, 5 back-arc basin in the rear of the East-Magnitogorsk paleoisland arc, 6 marginal
allochtones; 7 East-Mugodzharsky microcontinent; 8-9 suture zones: 8 Main Urals fault, 9 Katsbakh
fault; 10 buried transform faults; 11-15 ore formations: 11 cobalt-copper-pyrite, 12 copper-pyrite
(Cyprus type), 13 copper-pyrite (Besshy type), 14 copper-zinc-pyrite (Urals type), 15 gold-pyrite-
polymetallic (Kuroko type), 16 gold-polymetallic, 17 gold-silver

Deposits of the VHMS, gold-poly-
metallic, Au-Ag mesothermal and epithermal
type are related to volcanic and volcanic-
sedimentary rocks from the island arc. Gold-
quartz and gold-sulphide-quartz vein minera-
lization and remobilization, and redeposition of
the noble metals within the framework of pre-
existing ore concentrations are connected both
with tectonical activity of soft collision and
with granite intrusives from the hard collision
phase (Prokin and Buslaev, 1999; Sazonov and
Murzin, 1995; Melekestseva and Zaykov,
2003). Weathering during the Mezozoic-
Cenozoic led to redistribution of the gold and
to new gold concentrations at the oxidation
zones.
Gold-bearing deposits are located at all
levels in the island arc cross-section. The Co-
bearing Cu-enriched VHMS deposits are
located at the base, which is built of fragments
of sub-oceanic type crust. Cu-Zn VHMS
deposits are abundant within the lower part of
island arc, which contains bimodal rhyolite-
basalt volcanic complexes. The Au-Ag-
adularia deposit type relating to andesite-basalt
complexes occurs at the upper part of the

9
island-arc. Epithermal, mesothermal and Au-
bearing porphyry Cu deposits belong to the
andesite subvolcanic stocks that developed in
the latter stage of island arc formation.
Gold and gold-bearing deposit types and
parageneses.
Volcanic-hosted massive sulphides (VHMS)
On the basis of ore composition, VHMS
deposits in the Urals can be subdivided into the
following types: Co-Cu (Cyprus type), Cu-Zn
(Uralian type), Au- and Pb-enriched Cu-Zn
(Kuroko type). Their geochemical specificity is
the result of many different factors. The
leading factor is the composition of the
underlying rocks.
Co-bearing deposits lie within the earlier
island arc sequences where a transition from
tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalts is noted, as
well as an association with ultramafic rocks.
Some deposits of this type (Ishkinino,
Ivanovka) are located at the slope of the
Western-Magnitogorsk accretion prism
(Melekestseva and Zaykov, 2003). Average Au
and Ag contents in ores in which the late
mineral association is prevalent are about 1.5-3
and 5 g/t, respectively. Owing to the super-
posed collision processes, Au contents can
reach 16 g/t, but the Ag content is only 3 g/t
(Melekestseva and Zaykov, 2003). Collisional
processes are interpreted to lead to modi-
fication of the Au concentration and thus the
Au-Ag ratio.
Urals-type deposits lying in the bimodal
rhyolite-basalt complexes are emplaced on the
oceanic crust. Typical of this type are the large
and giant deposits with reserves of >1 Mt
(Zn+Cu). Examples include Molodezhnoye,
Uchaly and Gayskoye. Average grades are 0.2-
2.2 g/t Au and 4-68 g/t Ag. The Au/Ag ratio
varies from 6 to 30. Gold forms both sub-m
inclusions in sulphides (typically pyrite and
chalcopyrite) and also occurs in telluride and
native form.
Gold and Pb-enriched Cu-Zn deposits
display similarity with Kuroko-type deposits
and are related to rhyolite-dacite-basalt island-
arc complexes, with fragments of continental
crust at the base. Examples include
Alexandrinskoye and a second orefield in the
same region, the Baymak group of deposits
(Tash-Tau, Balta-Tau and Bakr-Tau). Average
Au contents vary from 1.1 to 3.2 g/t. The
richest mineralogical ore types of these
deposits can contain up to 100 g/t Au and
n*100 g/t Ag. Gold contents commonly display
a positive correlation with the barite content in
the deposit. Au/Ag ratios are 1:10 to 1:50.
Native gold in the different ore types typically
contains 20-23 % Ag.
There is a relationship between mineral
form of the noble metals and the mineral
association, reflecting the role of ore facies.
Finely-dispersed gold is characteristic of some
collomorph pyrite. The Au-bearing tellurides
are common in the relict black smoker tubes
found in the Yaman-Kasy and Alexandrin-
skoye deposit (Maslennikov, 1999). Some
relationships for the Ag content of gold were
established in the Tash-Tau deposit. Gold from
the pyrite- and sphalerite-bearing stockwork
contains 27 % Ag, whereas gold from
chalcopyrite- and bornite-bearing ores contains
only 17 % Ag (mean data, Zaykov et al., 2001).
Some authors (e.g., Vikentyev, 2004) have
suggested that gold composition reflects
metamorphism of the primary ores.
Sulphides, sulphosalts, and sulpho-
tellurides are Ag-carriers, as well as the native
form. Electrum, Ag-bearing sulphides (strome-
yerite, jalpaite, mckinstryite), tellurides
(hessite, sttzite) and (Cu-bearing) cervelleite
are associated with galena, tennantite,
tetrahedrite, and sphalerite. Kstelite is rare
and is associated with sphalerite. Maslennikov
(1999) interpreted that this mineral assemblage
formed as the result of interaction between
earlier sulphide ores and late oxidative
solutions, which were probably seawater-
derived.
Gold-polymetallic deposits
Such deposits are represented by disseminated
and veinlet-disseminated ores and belong to the
continuous Mid- to Upper Devonian dacite-

10
andesite-basalt formation characteristic of
mature island arcs. Ore mineralization is
accompanied by chloritization, sericitization,
carbonatization and silification. The mean Au
content is 5-7 g/t, locally up to >10 g/t; the
Ag/Au ratio is about 3. The Ilinskoye orefield
is representative of this type. There are three
main economic mineral associations: 1) early
pyrite, associated with fine gold included in the
pyrite; 2) chalcopyrite-sphalerite with gold and
Ag-tellurides; 3) later carbonate-sphalerite-
galena association with coarse gold.
The main ore minerals are pyrite of few
morphological types, sphalerite, chalcopyrite,
and galena. Rare minerals include tennantite,
arsenopyrite and Ag-sulphosalts. Gangue
minerals are quartz, chlorite, sericite and Mn-
bearing calcite. Gold forms fine grains with
complex morphologies, rims enclosing other
minerals, and also veinlets in sulphides.
Epithermal (mesothermal?) deposits
Accepting contemporary theories of ore
formation (e.g., Hedenquist et al., 1996), some
deposits in the Southern Urals can be regarded
as epithermal. Gold-silver occurrences are rela-
ted to small central-type volcanic edifices of
Middle-Devonian andesitic basalts and basalts.
Such deposits carry little economic importance.
One example of this type is the Kurosan
deposit, where ore is associated with adularia-
quartz-sericite alteration. Gold con-tents vary
from 1-2 g/t to 6 g/t; Au/Ag ratio is 2/5.
The ores are both disseminated and
veinlet-disseminated. Pyrite is a main ore
mineral, but sphalerite, galena, tetrahedrite-
tennantite and chalcopyrite are also common.
Rare minerals include molybdenite and
pyrrhotite. The main gangue minerals are
adularia, quartz, sericite, illite, and calcite;
barite and chalcedony are rare. Silver contents
in native gold vary from 13 to 36%. The main
perspectives for this type of ore is in the
Gumbeika zone of the Eastern-Magnitogorsk
island arc (Mikhailov et al., 2003), where one
deposit (Kurosan) is currently exploited.

The Bereznyaki Au-Ag deposit can also
be assigned to the epithermal type, even if such
a classification is the subject of discussion.
Sazonov et al. (1999) regard the deposit as a
gold-porphyry, whereas Lehmann et al. (1999)
consider that it is epithermal, and Kisters
(2000) considers it to be mesothermal. The
deposit is located within a fragment of the
island arc emplaced onto continental crust.
This structure is not immediately connected
with the Magnitogorsk system, but may be a
part of that system which became separated
during the Uralian orogeny.
The ore is associated with an andesite-
dacite stock (D
3
-C
1
) that cuts andesite tuffs of
S
2
-D
1
. The host rocks are altered by serici-
tization, silicification, propyllitization and
minor carbonatization. The silicificated rocks
with the highest Au concentrations form a
stockwork in the central part of deposit and are
considered a phreatic breccia by I. Savinov
(pers. comm., 2003). Ores are both disse-
minated and veinlet-disseminated. Pyrite ore is
disseminated, whereas pyrite-tennantite and
pyrite-enargite-tennantite ores are veinlet-
disseminated.
Economic mineral associations includes
native gold and tellurium, Hg-bearing elec-
trum, and the following tellurides: hessite,
petzite, altaite, calaverite, pilsenite, aikinite,
sylvanite, clausthalite, tellurobismuthite, weis-
site, coloradoite and kostovite (Sazonov et al.,
1999; Lehmann et al., 1999). Gangue minerals
are quartz, chalcedony-like quartz, sericite, and
paragonite; calcite and adularia are rare.
Specific collomorph, concentric zonal
textures in pyrite-tennantite were found in the
deposit. Petzite and calaverite, in association
with tennantite and pyrite, are located in the
central part of such structures. Native gold,
(Au
0.90
Cu
0/05
Ag
0.04
), lies at the periphery, in
association with pyrite.
The Bereznyaki deposit displays a spatial
relation with the Tominskoye copper-porphiry
deposit. These two deposits are possibly parts
of a single genetically-related porphyry-
epithermal system.

11
Superposition of different mineralization
styles
Superposition of different styles of minera-
lization is sometimes noted. Such features
relate to inheritance of island arc ore-forming
structures, island arc evolution and subsequent
collisional processes. For example, Au and
porphyry Cu-like veinlet mineralization is
noted within dykes (D
3
), which cut rhyolite-
basalts complex with pyritic lodes (D
2
) at the
Sabanovka VHMS ore occurrence in the
Alexandrinka orefield.
Native gold, Au
0.75
Ag
0.25
,

and petzite are
here associated with sphalerite, chalcopyrite,
hessite, tellurobismuthite, and aikinite. Gangue
minerals are quartz and calcite. Alteration
styles include carbonatization, silicification,
chloritization and sericitization (Belogub et al.,
2002).
Gold-bearing arsenide-sulphoarsenide
mineral associations relating from the
collisional stage are superimposed on Co-
bearing pyritic ores in the Ishkinino deposit,
which lies in the Main Urals Fault zone
(Zaykov et al., 2001).
Quartz-albite veins with visible gold cut
orebodies consisting of quartz-pyrite metaso-
matites with m-scale inclusions of gold in
sulphides from the Krasnaya Zhila (Red Vein)
deposit, Ilinskoye orefield. The primary disse-
minated ores are volcanoclastic and relate to
the late stage of island arc formation; they
contain about 3-5 g/t Au. The main minerals
are pyrite and quartz, with minor chalcopyrite.
The superposed ores relate to the syn-
collisional granitoids. The main minerals are
quartz and albite. Gold may form bonanza ores,
with nuggets, 5 mm in size, and containing no
more then 5-6% Ag. A similar situation can be
recognized in another gold occurrence in this
area (see Novoselov et al., this volume).
Continental weathering and supergene
zones
The most economically important sources of
gold from the oxidized ores are the iron caps
of VHMS deposits and the oxidized parts of
gold-polymetallic and epithermal deposits.
Supergene gold enrichment in the VHMS
deposits can reach 100 g/t in the leaching zone,
in contrast with 2-3 g/t in the primary ores.
Enrichment is the result of the remobilization
of fine gold during exposure to high acidity
porous solutions (Sergeev et al., 1996). There
is no serious supergene gold concentration
associated with the low-pyritic epithermal
deposits.
A purification of gold is associated with
the weathering processes. Real supergene gold
is fine and free of impurities; the Au/Ag ratio
in the supergene gold is high. Embolite,
Ag(Br,Cl), and another halogenides are Ag-
carriers, as well as amalgam alloys of silver
with mercury.
Conclusion
The paleoisland structures in the Southern
Urals contain many different types of Au-
bearing deposits. Each stage of island arc
evolution is characterized by a specific ore
type, characterised by specific mineral associ-
ations and forms of the noble metal, in turn
reflecting the conditions of mineral formation.

Acknowledgement. The studies were supported by
the Program "Universities of Russia" (UR.09.01.
048) and RFBR (04-05-96014-p2004).
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