The Weizigou Au deposit in Heilongjiang Province, NE China, located in the southern Jiamusi Massif, shows similarities to IOCG deposits. To determine the mineralization age, sources of ore-forming materials and genetic type, pyrite Re-Os dating, S-Pb isotopic analysis, in situ sulfur analysis and LA-ICP-MS analysis of trace elements in magnetite, pyrite and pyrrhotite were conducted. Four pyrite samples yielded a Re-Os isochron age of 197 ± 11 Ma, implying the occurrence a metallogenic event in the Early Jurassic. The δ³⁴S values of sulfides display a relatively narrow range from 4.70‰ to 12.83‰ (mainly 9.90‰ to 12.83‰), which may be accounted for the extensively exposed granitic gneiss and meta-gabbro, with δ³⁴S values of 7.44‰ to 8.44‰ and 4.37‰ to 10.54‰, respectively. Sulfide lead isotopic compositions have ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 18.605–20.136, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 15.637–15.710 and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 38.534–39.129, indicating that the lead was derived from a mixed source. Magnetite has the characteristics of a lower Ti content and higher Zn content, indicating that it should be of hydrothermal origin, which may be related to IOCG-type mineralization. Pyrite and pyrrhotite have a Co/Ni ratio greater than 1 and a lower As content, indicating that they are of magmatic hydrothermal origin. Integrating the above analysis results, we inferred that the Weizigou Au deposit experienced the IOCG-type mineralization in the Middle-Late Permian, associated with magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization in the Early Jurassic. Full article

The Zn-Pb ores of the Castellanos shale-hosted, clastic-dominated deposit in northwest Cuba average nearly 1 g/t Au, with local maximum concentrations up to 34 g/t Au. This deposit is stratiform with respect to the bedding in the host black shales and shows a bottom to top zoning of ore assemblages made up of a stockwork underlying the main orebody, a basal pyrite-rich zone and a disseminated to massive Zn-Pb ore zone capped by a discontinuous, thin barite-rich zone. Petrographic data and textural relations allow distinguishing five textural types of pyrite (framboidal Py I, colloform Py IIa, euhedral Py IIb, massive Py IIc and banded colloform Py III) successively formed during ore deposition. The main Zn-Pb ore formed after the crystallization of disseminated, sedimentary framboidal pyrite (Py I) in black shales by the superimposition of several crystallization events. The crystallization sequence of the main ore-forming stage evolved from the precipitation of colloform sphalerite and pyrite (Py IIa) with skeletal galena and interstitial dolomite-ankerite to similar ore assemblages but showing subhedral to euhedral crystal habits (Py IIb) and interstitial calcite-rich carbonates. This stage ended with the development of massive pyrite (Py IIc), mainly occurring at the base of the stratiform orebody. A late fracturing stage gave way to the development of a new generation of colloform banded pyrite (Py III) just preceding the crystallization of early barite. Au is mainly concentrated in pyrite showing variable contents in the different textural types of pyrite and a bottom to top enrichment trend. Minimum contents occur in massive pyrite (Py IIc) from the basal pyrite-rich zone (0.18 ppm Au average), increasing in pyrite IIa (from 0.29 to 2.86 ppm Au average) and in euhedral pyrite (Py IIb) (from 0.82 to 9.02 ppm Au average), reaching maxima in colloform banded pyrite (Py III) formed just before the crystallization of early barite at the top of the orebody. Au enrichment in pyrite correlates with that of Sb (0.08–4420 ppm), As (0.7–35,000 ppm), Ag (0.03–1560 ppm) and to a lesser extent Cu (3–25,000 ppm), Ni (0.02–1600 ppm) and Mn (0.6–5030 ppm). Au deposition should have taken place by oxidation and, probably cooling, of reduced (H₂S-dominated) fluids buffered by organic matter-rich black shales of the host sedimentary sequence. The input of such reduced fluids in the ore-forming environment most probably occurred alternating with that of the main oxidized fluids which leached Zn and Pb from the large volume of sandstones and siltstones making up the enclosing sequence, thus being responsible for the precipitation of the majority Zn-Pb ore. Supply of Au-carrying reduced fluids might progressively increase over the course of ore formation, reaching a maximum at the beginning of the late fracturing stage. This evolution of Au supply is consistent with the early crystallization of barite since Ba can also only be transported at low temperature by highly reduced fluids. These results highlight the potential of medium-sized, shale-hosted, clastic-dominated deposits to contain economic (by product) Au amounts and show that ore-forming fluids can change from oxidized (SO₄²⁺ dominated) to reduced (H₂S-dominated), and vice versa, throughout the evolutionary history of a single deposit. Full article

Gold deposits in the Jiaodong Peninsula represent a primary gold resource in China and mostly exhibit similar ore-forming features related to sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration and other controls from (micro-)structural deformation. This study investigates the pyrite textures and trace elements in the Sizhuang gold deposit (>100 t Au) to document the key factors impacting on the genesis of the Jiaodong-type orogenic deposits. Three main types of pyrite are identified: (1) the first generation of pyrite (Py1) occurs as disseminated euhedral to subhedral grains in K-feldspar-albite-rutile-hematite and sericite alteration (stage 1), (2) Py2 as aggregates in quartz-sericite-pyrite altered rocks or quartz-pyrite veins (stage 2) can be subdivided into Py2a as irregular cores, Py2b as a zoned overgrowth on Py2a, and Py2c as overgrowth on early pyrite, and (3) Py3 as fine-grained crystals in siderite-polymetallic veins (stage 3). Primary gold at the Sizhuang deposit is coevally or slightly later deposited with Py2b, Py2c, and Py3. Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) analyses show that the highest Co and Ni contents in Py1 and high but variable Co in Py2b favors the involvement of deep high-temperature magmatic waters at stage 1 and middle stage 2. The elevated As contents from Py2a to Py2c and depletion of trace elements (e.g., Co, Ni, As and Te) and high Au/Co, Cu/Ni, and As/Ni values in Py2a and Py3, combined with published H-O isotope data, imply a meteoric water ingress during stage 2–3. Thus, the fluid evolution at Sizhuang is a consequence of pulsed deep magmatic fluid release plus progressive meteoric fluid ingress. The rhythmic Co–As–Ni–Au bands of Py2b additionally suggest episodic changes in the composition of ore-forming fluids. Moreover, the sharp textural features (e.g., pyrite overgrowth on previously cataclastic crystals) of Py2 and As-Cu-rich and Co-poor bands in zoned Py2b probably also reflect rapid metal deposition and self-organization and subsequent mineral crystal growth due to the pressure release during phase separation in the Sizhuang deposit. Considering the significantly concentrated gold (>1300 t) in the regional Jiaojia fault zone and Au-bearing mineral formation related to phase separation (boiling) in the Sizhuang deposit, gold mineralization in the Sizhuang deposit was interpreted to be controlled by the pressure-driver owing to the seismic activities in the Jiaojia fault system. Full article

The Mollehuaca and San Juan de Chorunga deposits are hosted in the poorly explored gold and copper trends of the Nazca-Ocoña metallogenic belt in Arequipa, Perú, which extends from Trujillo (9 °S) to Nazca-Ocoña (14 °S). The aim of this study is to characterize the age, occurrence, and distribution of quartz vein-hosted Au-Ag mineralization and associated trace elements (e.g., Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Bi) in these deposits. Here, we present geological mapping, geochemical whole rock inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS data of the veins, petrographic observations, backscattered electron images, quantitative SEM-based automated mineralogy, and electron microprobe analyses (EMPA). Despite the fact that there are numerous small-scale gold mines in the Nazca-Ocoña metallogenic belt, there have been few studies that document the origin and geological evolution of these deposits or the implications for decision-making in exploration, metallurgical processing, and environmental management. In this research, we document the host rock age of the mineralized veins (129.2 ± 1.0 Ma; U-Pb in zircon), the mineralization age (95.86 ± 0.05 Ma; ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar in secondary biotite), the occurrence and distribution of Au-Ag in the veins, the mineral zonation present in the vein system, and the zircon geochemistry, in order to provide tools for natural resource management in the metallogenic belt. Full article