Porphyry Short Course Part 5

Richards (2011)
1
Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au Systems
Part 5: Epithermal Deposits
Jeremy P. Richards
Dept. Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
Jeremy.Richards@UAlberta.CA
The fumarolicepithermal environment
Hedenquist et al. (1996)
Active fumaroles on Volcn Lastarra, Chile
Richards (2011)
Mina Julia sulfur mine, NW Argentina
Richards (2011)
Sulfate fumaroles, Corrida de Cori, NW Argentina
Left: Gypsum fumarole spires
surrounded by volcanic bombs (black).
Right: Anydrite veins feeding fossil
fumaroles.
Richards (2011)
Two main types of
epithermal deposits:
(a) High suldation (acid-sulfate)
(b) Low suldation (adularia-
sericite)
Newly recognized class:
(c) Intermediate suldation (base
metal suldes, illite).
Evans, A.M., 1993, Ore geology
and industrial minerals, an
introduction, 3rd edn: Blackwell
Scientic, 390 p.
Porphyry Short Course Part 5
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2
The epithermal environment
Hedenquist et al. (1996)
10 RICHARD H. SILLITOE
0361-0128/98/000/000-00 $6.00 10
Intermediate-
sulfidation
epithermal Au-Ag
High-sulfidation epithermal
disseminatedAu Ag Cu
High-sulfidation
lode Cu-Au Ag
Carbonate-replacement
Zn-Pb-AgAu (or Cu)
Distal Au/Zn-Pb
skarn
Marble
front
Proximal
Cu-Au skarn
Porphyry
Cu Au Mo
Base of
lithocap
1km
1km
Subepithermal
vein Zn-Cu-Pb-
Ag Au
Sediment-
hosted distal-
disseminated
Au-As Sb Hg
Late-mineral porphyry Phreatic breccia LITHOCAP
PORPHYRY
STOCK
PRECURSOR
PLUTON
HOST
ROCKS
MAAR-
DIATREME
COMPLEX
Dacite porphyry plug-dome
Lacustrine sediment
Late phreatomagmatic breccia
Early phreatomagmatic breccia
Late-mineral porphyry
Intermineral magmatic-hydrothermal breccia
Intermineral porphyry
Early porphyry
Equigranular intrusive rock
Dacite dome
Felsic tuff unit
Andesitic volcanic unit
Subvolcanic basement / carbonate horizon
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
FIG. 6. Anatomy of a telescoped porphyry Cu system showing spatial interrelationships of a centrally located porphyry Cu
Au Mo deposit in a multiphase porphyry stock and its immediate host rocks; peripheral proximal and distal skarn, car-
bonate-replacement (chimney-manto), and sediment-hosted (distal-disseminated) deposits in a carbonate unit and subep-
ithermal veins in noncarbonate rocks; and overlying high- and intermediate-sulfidation epithermal deposits in and alongside
the lithocap environment. The legend explains the temporal sequence of rock types, with the porphyry stock predating maar-
diatreme emplacement, which in turn overlaps lithocap development and phreatic brecciation. Only uncommonly do indi-
vidual systems contain several of the deposit types illustrated, as discussed in the text (see Table 3). Notwithstanding the as-
sertion that cartoons of this sort (including Fig. 10) add little to the understanding of porphyry Cu genesis (Seedorff and
Einaudi, 2004), they embody the relationships observed in the field and, hence, aid the explorationist. Modified from Silli-
toe (1995b, 1999b, 2000).
Relationship
between
porphyry and
HSIS
epithermal
deposits
Sillitoe, R.H., 2010, Porphyry
copper systems: Economic
Geology, v. 105, p. 341.
Epithermal deposit characteristics:
Shallow environment: Typically "1 km depth of
formation.
Ore uid: 50300C, typically <5 eq. wt.% NaCl, near-
neutral (low suldation) to acidic (high suldation), and
containing 110 ppb Au.
Sources of uids:
Low suldation: dominated by groundwater circulation.
High suldation: dominated by magmatic uids.
Sources of metals:
Metals and other volatiles may be derived from deep
(magmatic) sources in some cases, but leaching of
metals from host volcanic/sedimentary rocks by heated
groundwaters may be important in others.
Richards (2011)
Epithermal deposit characteristics cont:
Structure: Permeability and structure exercise strong
controls on ore-forming processes and the location of
high grade (bonanza) zones.
Textures: Open vuggy cavities, crustication,
symmetrical banding, hydraulic breccias.
Ore minerals: Au, Ag, electrum, Ag
2
S, sulfosalts,
tellurides, selenides, base-metal-suldes. Commonly
vertically zoned.
Gangue minerals: Quartz, chalcedony, calcite,
adularia, baryte, rhodochrosite, uorite, and roscoelite
(last two esp. in alkalic-type).
Alteration minerals: Quartz, adularia, illite, chlorite (low
suldation); silica, alunite, kaolinite (high suldation).
Richards (2011)
Comparison between high- and low-suldation
epithermal deposits
May reect different levels of hydrothermal activity within
volcanic-hydrothermal systems, or varying distances from
the (magmatic) heat source.
HS uids appear to be derived from near-surface
geothermal activity associated with shallow-level intrusive
and volcanic activity (calderas, stratovolcanoes); timing of
mineralization coincides closely with age of the host rocks.
LS mineralization commonly post-dates volcanic host rocks
by #1 Ma, and may be hosted by varying lithologies,
implying little genetic relationship to country rock (except
permeability). Systems appear to be related to deeper-
seated sources of magmatic heat.
Richards (2011)
18
O/
16
O and D/H compositions of epithermal uids
O and H isotopic compositions of various ore-forming
uids suggest that exchanged meteoric waters are
the dominant uids present in most LS deposits, but
magmatic waters form HS deposits.
Shinohara, H., and Hedenquist, J.W., 1997,
Constraints on magma degassing beneath the Far
Southeast porphyry Cu-Au deposit, Philippines:
Journal of Petrology, v. 38, p. 17411752.
Ohmoto, H., 1986, Stable isotope geochemistry of
ore deposits, in Valley, J.W., Taylor, H.P., and
O$Neil, J.R., eds., Stable isotopes in high
temperature geological processes: Mineral. Soc.
Amer., Reviews in Mineralogy, v. 16, p. 491-599.
LS HS
Porphyry Short Course Part 5
Richards (2011)
3
HS uids
Possible pathways
for magmatic uids
to contract to
moderate salinity
liquids, as seen in
HS systems (0.2 to
4.5 eq.wt.% NaCl
(Mancano and
Campbell, 1995).
Mancano, D.P., and
Campbell, A.R., 1995,
Microthermometry of
enargite-hosted uid
inclusions from the
Lepanto, Philippines, high-
suldation CuAu deposit:
Geochimica et
Cosmochimica Acta, v. 59,
p. 39093916.
Richards (2011)
Possible pathways
for magmatic uids
to contract to
moderate salinity
liquids:
(1) condensation,
(2) non-condensation
paths of Heinrich et
al. (2004) and
Hedenquist et al.
(1998), respectively.
Hedenquist, J.W., Arribas, A., Jr.,
and Reynolds, J.R., 1998,
Evolution of an intrusion-centered
hydrothermal system: Far
SoutheastLepanto porphyry and
epithermal Cu-Au deposits,
Philippines: Economic Geology, v.
93, p. 373404.
Heinrich, C.A., Dreisner, T.,
Steffnson, A., and Seward, T.M.,
2004, Magmatic vapor contraction
and the transport of gold from the
porphyry environment to
epithermal ore deposits: Geology,
v. 32, p. 761764.
Richards (2011)
Physico-chemical
conditions of
epithermal ore
formation
HS
LS
250C, !S = 0.02 m,
salinity = 1 m
Heald, P., Foley, N.K., and Hayba, D.O.,
1987, Comparative anatomy of volcanic-
hosted epithermal deposits: acid-sulfate
and adularia-sericite types: Economic
Geology, v. 82, p. 126.
Physico-chemical
conditions of
epithermal ore
formation
HS
LS
250C, salinity
= 1 m
Heald, P., Foley, N.K., and Hayba,
D.O., 1987, Comparative anatomy
of volcanic-hosted epithermal
deposits: acid-sulfate and
adularia-sericite types: Economic
Geology, v. 82, p. 126.
Gold dissolution as bisulde complexes
(e.g., Au(HS)
2

):
[Au]
measured in natural uids
# 1.5 ppb
Experimentally determined solubilities:
[Au(HS)
2

] % 11.1 ppb
[AuCl
2

] % 1.2 x 10
7
ppb
Therefore, Au is mainly dissolved as
bisulde rather than chloride complexes.
Gold transport and deposition
Richards (2011)
Precipitation of Au caused by destabilization of Au-
bisulde complexes:
Reduction acidication:
Au(HS)
2

+ H
+
+
1
/
2
H
2
O " Au + 2H
2
S +
1
/
4
O
2

Oxidation neutralization:
Au(HS)
2

+ 3
3
/
4
O
2
+
1
/
2
H
2
O " Au + 2SO
4
2
+ 3H
+

Gold transport and deposition
Richards (2011)
Porphyry Short Course Part 5
Richards (2011)
4
Gold solubility in relation to acidity and oxidation state Boiling is an effective ore forming process. Gases such as
CO
2
and H
2
S are lost to the vapour phase:
Au(HS)
2

+ H
+
+
1
/
2
H
2
O " Au + 2H
2
S
(g)
# +
1
/
4
O
2

HCO
3

+ H
+
" H
2
O + CO
2(g)
# (pH increases with loss of CO
2
gas)
Zn
2+
+ HS

" ZnS + H
+
(suldes and calcite ppt with increasing pH)

Ca
2+
+ HCO
3

" CaCO
3
+ H
+

Ca
2+
+ 2HCO
3

" CaCO
3
+ H
2
O + CO
2(g)
# (bladed calcite)
Gold and Ag-tellurides
pseudomorphing
bladed calcite in Py,
Porgera, PNG
Bladed calcite and
vuggy Qz,
Pachapaqui, Peru Richards (2011)
Casts of bladed
calcite in quartz
Casposo LS epithermal
Au deposit,
NW Argentina
PPL
XPL
Richards (2011)
Boiling pointdepth relationships for pure and saline waters,
and CO
2
-bearing waters
CO
2
increases the depth
(pressure) or lowers the
temperature of boiling (phase
separation or effervescence)
Henley, R.W., Truesdell, A.H., Barton, P.D., Jr., and Whitney,
J.A., 1984, Fluidmineral equilibria in hydrothermal systems:
Reviews in Economic Geology, v. 1, 267 p.
Bodnar, R.J., Reynolds, T.J., and Kuehn, C.A., 1985,
Fluid inclusion systematics in epithermal systems:
Reviews in Economic Geology, v. 2, p. 7397.
Wallrock suldation is also effective:
FeO + 2H
2
S +
1
/
2
O
2
" FeS
2
+ 2H
2
O
2Au(HS)
2

+ FeO + 2H
+
" 2Au + FeS
2
+ 2H
2
S# + H
2
O
Gold transport and deposition
Pyritized Mt,
Porgera Au
deposit, PNG
Richards (2011)
Relationship between epithermal systems and
volcanism (Sillitoe, 1973)
Porphyry Short Course Part 5
Richards (2011)
5
Lepanto HS epithermal system linked to FSE porphyry
Shinohara, H., and Hedenquist, J.W., 1997, Constraints on magma degassing beneath the Far
Southeast porphyry Cu-Au deposit, Philippines: Journal of Petrology, v. 38, p. 17411752.
HS: Advanced argillic
alteration: alunite-silica
body surrounded by
quartz-kaolinite
(Aras, Iran)
Richards (2011)
Vuggy silica
lithocap
overlying
alunite-
cemented
breccia,
Richards (2005)
Co. Laguna Pedernal,
NW Argentina
Richards (2011)
5000m
3500m
6409m
Silicied lithocap above high-suldation
epithermal Au mineralization, with marginal
intermediate suldation Pb-Zn-Ag veins
(Volcn Antofalla, Argentina)
Lithocap
Alunite-clay
alteration
Pb-Zn-Ag veins
Richards (2011)
Distal Pb-Zn-Ag intermediate
suldation epithermal veins in
underlying sedimentary rocks
beneath volcanic sequence
Quebrada de las Minas,
Volcn Antofalla
Richards (2011)
Bonanza-type (low suldation) epithermal deposits
Panteleyev, A., 1988, A Canadian Cordilleran model for epithermal gold-silver deposits, in Roberts, R.G., and Sheahan,
P.A., eds., 1988, Ore deposit models: Geoscience Canada Reprint Series 3, Geol. Assoc. Canada, p.3143.
Porphyry Short Course Part 5
Richards (2011)
6
Low-suldation epithermal deposits
Examples: Tonapah (NV), Creede (CO),
Pachuca-Real del Monte (Mexico),
Hishikari (Japan).
Derived from near-neutral, bisulde-
bearing uids.
Commonly associated with rhyolitic rocks.
Alteration is characterized by Qz-adularia-
carbonate-sericite assemblages.
High Ag/Au ratios, variable concentrations
of Cu, and anomalous Mo, W, Mn, F, Se.
Ore minerals include base metal suldes,
sulfates, sulfosalts, selenides, Au,
electrum.
www.jamstec.go.jp/jamstec-e/XBR/suger/en/therod21.html
Hishikari, Japan
Typical boiling textures
(bladed calcite, vuggy quartz)
Pachapaqui Pb-Zn-Ag mine, Pru
Richards (2011)
Hedenquist et al. (1996)
Distal low-
suldation
epithermal Au
mineralization
Hishikari, Japan
Sakurajima volcano
Richards (2011) Richards (2011)
Efemukuru LS Au deposit,
Western Turkey
High grades (up to 210 g/t Au over 1 m)
in quartz-rhodonite-rhodochrosite veins,
with minor sphalerite and galena.
Alkalic-type low-suldation
epithermal Au
mineralization
Porgera, Papua New Guinea
Bonanza grades over
1000 g/t
Richards (2011)
A veins cutting
intrusion
Pyrite, galena,
arsenopyrite, and
rare chalcopyrite
Au in pyrite
Tetrahedrite,
arsenopyrite,
sphalerite, (Au)
Galena, sphalerite,
arsenopyrite, (Au)
Porgera
early (A)
veins
(Stage I)
Au
Richards (2011)
Porphyry Short Course Part 5
Richards (2011)
7
FIs in sphalerite
(Th = 300350C)
Hypersaline FIs in early
quartz with phyllic
alteration
Porgera A veins:
Fluid inclusions
Richards (2011)
A vein with late D-
type vuggy cavity,
showing
paragenetic
sequence (A " D)
(Note: This AD vein
terminology is mine-specic,
and not related to Gustafson
& Hunt$s (1975) porphyry vein
terminology)
Richards (2011)
Breccia-type D veins with visible Au
Richards (2011)
Typical brecciated
D vein
Roscoelite with
pyrite and Au
Au with
pyrite,
tetrahedrite
Au-Ag tellurides with
pyrite
Au-Ag tellurides
pseudomorphing
bladed calcite in Py
Porgera
D veins
(Stage II)
Richards (2011)
Typical layered D vein: Au
occurs near the ne-
grained margin
Rare vapor-rich FIs
FIs in growth zones
in vuggy quartz
(Th % 150C)
Rare CO
2
-rich FIs
Porgera D
veins:
Fluid
inclusions
Richards (2011)
Summary
Epithermal deposits are divided into two main categories:
Low suldation (a.k.a., adularia-sericite) and high
suldation (a.k.a. acid-sulfate). Intermediate suldation
deposits feature more abundant base-metal-suldes and
illite, and may reect higher salinity uids.
HS deposits are closely related to magmatic activity; uids
of direct magmatic origin. Early intense acidic alteration by
magmatic volatiles provides permeability, followed
(sometimes) by later less-acidic mineralizing uids.
LS deposits are commonly distal to magmatic activity, and
post-date it by ~1 m.y. or more. Fluids dominantly of
meteoric origin, although some magmatic uid may be
present. Metals may be derived from country rocks or
magmas. Boiling is a characteristic ore depositional
mechanism.
Richards (2011)