Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG)

Deposits: general
characteristics
Roberto Perez Xavier (xavier@ige.unicamp.br)
Departamento de Geologia e Recursos Naturais
Instituto de Geocincias
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)
Campinas (SP) Brasil

IOCGs: their diverse and common

features
Cu sulphides, with or without Au, spatially associated with
abundant (>10%) magnetite or hematite, relative to the
surrounding host rocks.
Fe oxides with low Ti contents (<2 wt% TiO2) than those in
most igneous rocks and bulk crust. Magnetite and hematitedominated deposits. Mushketovite (magnetite replacing
hematite).

Mushketovite at the Bacaba IOCG deposit, Carajs,

drilcore DH00052

IOCG vs. IOA deposits

Fe - P

Fe P
REE

El Laco Romeral
(Chile) + Marcona
(Peru) Fe - P

Fe P F -REE - Cu

Corriveau (2007)

Space and time distribution of IOCGs

There is no specific time more favourable for the IOCG systems, although
the Mesoproterozoic seems to be important.

IOCGS: TIME - SPACE DISTRIBUTION

Modified from Groves et al (2005) in Slack & Trumbull (2011)

Mostly continental settings.

Marine arcs and ridges lack evidence for
IOCGs.

Hitzman (2000)

(1) Extensional = intracratonic

e.g.
rift, pull-apart basins
Carajs,
Cloncurry district.
(2) Continental magmatic arcs
Verde (Chile).

intra-arc; back-arc

Sillitoe (2003)

Candelaria e Manto

Precambrian deposits (> 100 Mt resources) = intracratonic settings near

the margins of Archean or Paleoproterozoic cratons (e.g. Olympic Dam
Gawler; Carajs Amazon).

IOCGs: their diverse and common

features

Strong structural control at crustal to lithospheric scale:

Major IOCG provinces at margins of lithospheric blocks,
controlled by transcrustal structures.

Regional structures and IOCG systems

Courtesy of Sovereign Metals

Limited.

IOCGs: Associated magma compositions

Vast majority are spatially and/or broadly coeval with
significant magmatic events.

Compositions are
highly variable:
Subalkaline to
alkaline, mafic to
felsic magmatism.

Barton (2014)

IOCGs: Associated magma compositions

No specific magma composition related to
deposits # from porphyry and skarn Cu-Au
deposits
Felsic magmatism volumetrically dominant
association with A-type and I-type batholithic
granitoids.

Some IOCG deposits display no apparent

connection to magmatism (e.g., Wernecke NW
Canada)

IOCGs: host rocks

Range widely in some terrains, particularly in arc
settings, the vast majority of rocks are igneous-affiliated
(plutonic, volcanic, and volcaniclastic). In others, there
is an abundance of (meta) sedimentary lithotypes with
fewer igneous components (e.g., Cloncurry, Tennant
Creek - Australia).
Strongly reduced (carbonaceous) host rocks are scarce
(e.g., important at Cloncurry - Australia).

Evidence for evaporitic environments and related

materials, whether contemporaneous or older, is
documented in most IOCG regions genetic
significance remains controversial.

STYLES OF MINERALIZATION
Heterolithic breccias are the most common
host to IOCG deposits.
Replacement bodies and skarn-like also
common but difficult to recognize.
Veins typically present but subordinate.
Stratiform ore bodies exist but are less
common.

Olympic Dam (Australia)

Ernest Henry (Australia)

magnetite dominated

Hematite dominated

Salobo (Carajs -Brazil)

Magnetite - hematite dominated

Alvo 118
118 (Carajs
(Carajs -Brazil)
-Brazil)
Alvo

magnetite dominated

Structurally controlled breccia, veins

and/or replacement ore styles.

IOCGs: Magnetite and hematitedominated deposits

K-spar-altered metavolcanic breccia with magnetite-pyrite-chalcopyrite matrix

Magnetitedominated ore,
Ernest Henry,
Cloncurry
District,
Australia
Hematite-sericite-quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite breccia

Carrapateena,
S. Australia,
hematitedominated
ore

Hematite--related mineralization
Hematite

Olympic Dam,
Australia

Skirrow 2010
Geoscience Australia

Matrix--supported breccias
Matrix

Replacement
and chemical
corrosion of
host rock
abundant in
deep ore.

Ernest Henry Cloncurry (Australia)

Infill dominated ore with some

replacement

Shallow ore from Ernest Henry

Mineralogy and Geochemistry

Fe (magnetite, hematite, biotite, chlorite, Feamphibole, pyrite, pyrrhotite, siderite)
U (uraninite, coffinite, brannerite)
REE (florencite, bastnaesite, allanite, apatite,
gadolinite)
P (apatite, monazite)
Ba (barite), F (fluorite), CO2 (carbonates)
Mo, Ag, Bi, Co, Se, Ni
Abundances depend upon host rocks

Uranium in IOCGs
Gawler Craton
Olympic Dam
Oak Dam
Prominent Hill
Cloncurry, Australia
Ernest Henry
Monakoff
Other Cloncurry deposits
Carajas, Brazil
Igarap Bahia
Salobo
Chile
Candelaria/Punta del Cobre

U (ppm)
425
~400
103
50 (up to 980)
~100
<50
~80
15-60
<5

All the deposits have anomalous U relative to normal crustal rocks.

However, only deposits in the Gawler Craton (Australia) area have
routinely high values.

10

IOCGs HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION

Alteration is regional or district scale,
extensive (`00s of km2) of altered rocks.
Very intense commonly texture destructive
and pervasive.
Where intense, alteration products (new
minerals) and textures are independent of
original host rock precursor rocks can be
modified beyond recognition. Careful
mapping required.

Na alteration
Pedra Branca (Carajs -Brazil)

Pink albite
presence
of
microscopic
inclusions of
hematite.

Anastomosing Na (albite
scapolite) alteration in granitoid

Sequeirinho granitoid Sossego

mine Carajs, Brazil

11

Pedra Branca (Carajs -Brazil)

Na alteration: scapolite

Na alteration

Strongly foliated granitoid affected by Na (albite)

alteration, Pedra Branca, IOCG prospect, Carajs
district, Brazil
Mizuno (2009)

12

Na ALTERATION (Na-Scapolite)

Scp
Act + mgt

Humboldt Fe-P Complex Nevada (USA)

Scapolite:
Marialite
(Na3Al3Si9O24NaCl) hydrothermal
NaAlSi3O8 : CaAl2Si2O8 + H4SiO4 (sol) + Na+ +

Meionite
(Ca3Al6Si6O24CaCO3) granulites

2NaAlSi3O8 + Al3+ + Ca2+ + 4OH-

Na - Ca ALTERATION
Sequeirinho
Granitoid
Sossego IOCG
mine Carajs,
Brazil (Monteiro et
al. 2008).
2008).

Albite, Ca- actinolite,

epidote

Amp
albite

Pedra Branca IOCG prospect,

Carajs (Brazil); Mizuno
(2009)

13

Na - Ca ALTERATION

IOCGS: Na and Na Ca ALTERATION

Characteristic of this mineral system
Alteration mineralogy is wallrock controlled:
Albite (scapolite) in more felsic host rocks
Albite-actinolite-diopside (scapolite) in more
mafic host rocks
Magnetite is ubiquitous, variable percentages
Regional and pervasive
Structurally controlled
Early, predates ore formation
Both types indicate interaction of rocks with hot
(> 5000 C) highly saline brines deep and
laterally extensive

14

HOW DO METALS PRECIPITATE FROM

HYDROTHERMAL FLUIDS: Cu
1m NaCl; Kf+muscovite+qtz;
hm+mgt+py (HMP) e
mgt+py+po (MPP)

400C 0,5 kb; hm+mgt+py

(HMP) e mgt+py+po (MPP)
Liu & McPhail (2005)

CuClx1-x + 1/2 H2O + FeCly2-y + S29g) = CuFeS2 + (x+y) Cl- + 3H+ + 0,75 O2

Ca-Fe alteration
Actinolite, albite, carbonate,
magnetite, apatite.

Pedra Branca IOCG; Mizuno, 2009

High temp alteration, typically

makes dark black and green rocks
(actinolite and magnetite common).
Regionally extensive.
May form magnetite-apatite
deposits where intense.
Not commonly mineralized (except
in Carajs e.g., Sequeirinho).

15

Ca-Fe alteration

Mt Elliot (Australia)

Ca-Fe alteration (px - act + mgt) in banded calc-silicates (skarn-type alteration)

275 Mt @ 0.6 % Cu and 0.40 g/t Au

Ca-Fe alteration

Mt Elliot (Australia)

Ca-Fe alteration (px - act + mgt) in banded calc-silicates (skarn-type alteration)

16

Mt Elliot (Australia)

calc-silicate - host rock

Ca-Fe alteration

Magnetite-amphibole-apatite veins and replacements,

Corriveau, 2010
GBMZ

17

IOCGs: hydrothermal alteration patterns

Deposit or district scale -<10km2

Regional
extent

K-Fe alteration (high T)

Corriveau, 2010

K-Fe alteration without mineralization

18

K-Fe (high T)

Ernest Henry (Australia)

Although
potassic
alteration
commonly
occurs with
sulphides, these
may be
paragenetically
later and the
mineralizing
event may be
distinct from the
potassic
alteration event.

166 Mt @ 1.1 % Cu and 0.54 g/t Au

breccia = K alteration in volcanic clasts in a matrix with mgt + sulphides

K-sparspar-hematite alteration (low T)

Corriveau et al., 2010

Hematite-matrix breccia, K-spar altered clasts Sue Dianne,

GBMZ

19

K-Fe alteration
High T = K-feldspar (felsic rocks) and or biotite (mafic
rocks) with magnetite (> 10%); sulphides common.
Low T = K-feld, hematite, sericite, chlorite, carbonate,
sulphides.
Commonly proximal or host to magnetite- (high T) or
hematite (low T)-related ore.
Commonly overprints Na-Ca-Fe alteration. Relatively
restricted, generally <10km2 in plan view.
Brick-red when K-feld dominant; black when biotite
dominant.

K-Fe alteration (high T)

Can be very difficult to distinguish potassic alteration from
sodic alteration in the field, but K is important to recognize.
Corriveau, 2010

http://minerva.union.edu/hollochk/c_petrology/staining_feldspars.htm

Staining:
hydrofluoric
acid (52 %
conc.) +
saturated
solution of
sodium
cobaltinitrite
FK = yellow;
Plagioclase =
light grey.
MUST BE DONE
IN THE LAB!!

20

IOCGs: hydrothermal alteration patterns

Deposit or district scale -<10km2

Regional
extent

Hydrolytic Alteration (Low T)

Muscovite, chlorite, hematite,
carbonate, quartz
Shallower systems
Commonly breccia matrix or vein fill
Hematite may replace magnetite

21

Courtesy BHP Billiton and www. minerals.pir.sa.gov.au

IOCGs: hydrothermal alteration

Deposit or district scale -<10km2

Regional
extent

Range in depth of formation > 10 km (Ernest Henry, Salobo) to shallow

deposits (Olympic Dam, Alvo 118)
porphyry + skarns Cu-Au systems
< 5 km !

22

IOCGs: hydrothermal alteration

Extracted from Chen

(2008)

Vertical Metal
Variation in IOCG
Systems

Pb, Zn?

Ag, Co,
5 km U, S
1 km

Hydrolytic alteration

Cu, S,
Au, U

Potassic alteration
Sodic alteration

Fe
IOCG deposit
Mgt-apatite deposit

Fe
Metal
depleted
zone

+Na,
(Ca)
Fe
Hitzman (2005)

It depends on the
crustal level !!

23

Evoluo paragentica
Alterao sdica
regional

Fase xido de ferro

(pr-mineralizao)

Fase sulfeto
mineralizao

Na

Veios tardios
(calcita-quartzoclorita-sericita)

Cu-Au

K
Na-Ca

Fe

Fase tardia

K
Cloritizao
Hidroltica

Silicificao
(Carajs)

Albita, escapolita,
magnetita

Magnetita
Hematita
Na-Ca anfiblio,
Na-Ca
piroxnio, albita,
escapolita

Biotita, K-feldspato,
Magnetita/Albita

Sericita, clorita,
carbonato,
quartzo

24

Deposit types based on alteration type

Corriveau et al., 2010

25

IOCG deposits based on alteration types

Corriveau et al., 2010

IOCG-Uranium Ore System

To form a uranium-rich IOCG

deposit you need to have very
large volumes of relatively
uranium-enriched host rocks
that can be leached by the
oxidized hydrothermal ore fluid.

26

IOCG-Uranium Ore System

Source - Dominantly oxidized wallrock package
containing high heat flow granites or other rocks with U
at levels high above normal crustal averages.
Transport - Oxidized, saline hydrothermal fluids
Energy - Dominantly igneous, may be metamorphic or
even basinal dewatering.
Trap - Dominantly chemical trap, fluid mixing, possibly
involving reductant to precipitate uraninite.

Ore Mineralogy

<1 5% total sulphides:

chalcopyrite, bornite,
and chalcocite - most
common ore minerals

low activities of
reduced sulphur (e.g.
high ratios of iron
oxides to iron
sulphides)

27

IOCG SYSTEMS: FLUID REGIMES

Torresi et al. (2012)

Highly saline aqueous fluids (35 to 70

wt%
wt% NaCl eq.)
Carvalho (2009)

Involvement of multiple
fluid types = mixing?

low to moderate salinity (5 up to 30

wt% NaCl eq.) aqueous fluid
low salinity (< 6 wt%
wt% NaCl eq.) CO2-rich

ORIGIN OF IOCG ORE FLUIDS, METALS

AND SULPHUR?

Skirrow (2011)

28

ORIGIN OF IOCG ORE FLUIDS, METALS

AND SULPHUR?

ORIGIN OF IOCG ORE FLUIDS?

Williams et al. (2005)

29

IOCGs: SUMMARY
Diversity

Common features
Structural control
Hypogene magnetite or
hematite
Low sulphur deposits
Geochemically distinct
group of elements (Cu,
Au, U, Ag, As, Co, P, F,
Ba, LREE, Mo, Zn, Ni)
Alteration Types
Evaporites
Fluid types

Tectonic
environment
Relation to
magmatism
Host rocks
Metal enrichment
and distribution

CONCLUSIONS
Essential ingredients IOCG mineral systems
Crust-scale fluid pathways
major fault complexes

e.g. terrane boundaries, + upper-crustal

Local fluid pathways

localised extension(?) (e.g. dilatant jogs)
during (e.g. breccias)
Regional alteration Na and Na-Ca with magnetite amphibole,
epidote, cpx red albite - scapolite (high-T hypersaline fluids)
District to local alteration
depends on the crustal level !
Deep = magnetite Kf Bt - Act ; skarn-type (garnet pyroxene)
Shallow = hematite sericite chlorite - carbonate
Geochemistry signature - Fe, Cu, Au, U, LREE, Ag, Ba, F, CO3, P, Co,
Mo .....
Hypersaline high-T brines (associated with magnetite alteration) +
lower salinity lower T brines CO2

30

CONCLUSIONS
Large fluid masses implicated (cf. porphyries)
Variable/mixed sources of salinity for the fluids (e.g.
magmatic versus non-magmatic, including bittern or
evaporite-derived fluids)
Cu and Au source(s) unclear
Why are IOCGs so diverse ?
Host rock compositions
Depth of formation
Fluid fluid rock interplay
Variation may be driven by differing input of two endmember fluids

CONCLUSIONS
No general agreement about which deposits should be
included in this deposit classification
Tectonic settings and source(s) of ore fluids debatable
in key examples

There may be fundamentally distinct IOCG types that

require different exploration models

More important than placing hydrothermal

ore deposits into specific boxes is the
understanding of their ore-forming
processes

31