SEDEX DEPOSITS

Sedimentary exhalative Lyndon (1990): a sulphide deposit formed in a sedimentary basin by the submarine venting of hydrothermal fluids and whose principal ore minerals are sphalerite and galena Goodfellow and Lyndon (2007):Sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) deposits are typically tabular bodies composed predominantly of Zn, Pb, and Ag bound in sphalerite and galena that occur interbedded with iron sulphides and basinal sedimentary rocks, and that were deposited on the seafloor and in associated sub-seafloor vent complexes from hydrothermal fluids vented into mostly reduced sedimentary basins in continental rifts. There is a continuum of characteristics between SEDEX and VMS de posits

Goodfellow, W.D., and Lydon, J.W., 2007, Sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) deposits, in Goodfellow, W.D., ed., Mineral Deposits of Canada: A Synthesis of Major Deposit Types, District Metallogeny, the Evolution of Geological Provinces, and Exploration Methods: Geological Association of Canada, Mineral D eposits Division, Special Publication No. 5, p. 163 -183.

Subtypes
Broken Hill type (BHT) : are characterized by high metamorphic grade, elevated base metal to S ratios, a spatial and temporal association with Fe-Si-Mn oxide exhalites, and bimodal felsic-mafic volcanic/intrusive and fine- to coarse-grained, mostly clastic sedimentary host rocks. Irish type are hosted predominantly by carbonate rocks may show characteristics of both seafloor deposition and epigenetic features typical of Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits

Global Distribution

Economic Importance
Key source for Zn and Pb In 2004, SEDEX deposits accounted for 38.8% and 65.1% of the western worlds Zn reserves and resources, respectively ( VMS and MVT deposits accounted for 30.2% and 15.3%, and 4.2% and 1.4%, of Zn reserves and resources, respectively) SEDEX Zn reserves has shown a consistent increase over the past two decades. In 2004, SEDEX deposits also accounted for 32% of Zn production that was followed by VMS at 27%, Zn oxide at 12%, and MVT at 6%. The size (in tonnes of Pb + Zn metal) of SEDEX deposits is on average about an order of magnitude greater than that of VMS deposits (Goodfellow et al., 1993).

Characteristics
SEDEX deposits occur intracratonic and epicratonic basins. Most SEDEX deposits formed during periods of tectonism characterized by fault reactivation, intrabasin clastic sedimentation, and in many cases magmatism (represented by volcanism and/or sill emplacement). Most deposits occur in reduced marine basins.

 Most of the ore minerals in SEDEX deposits are in the bedded facies (stratiform sulphide bodies) and are generally fine grained showing intergrowth low recovery. Metamorphism and recrystallization may contribute to coarser grains better recovery. For most SEDEX deposits, metal sulphides are precipitated at or above the seafloor by reaction with H 2S in the overlying reduced water column (Goodfellow, 1987).

Deposit anatomy & Zonation

Vent-proximal deposits are characterized by four distinct facies: 1. bedded sulphides, 2. vent complex, 3. sulphide stringer zone, and 4. distal hydrothermal sediments. Near the center of fluid up-flow represented by the stringer zone, the bedded sulphides are characteristically infilled, veined, and variable replaced by a higher-temperature mineral assemblage, producing the vent complex. The distal hydrothermal sediments probably represent plume fallout that has been dispersed by bottom currents or alternatively clastic sulphides shed from sulphide mounds. Examples of deposits with zone-refined vent complexes include the Sullivan, Tom, Jason, and Rammelsberg deposits.

 The distal hydrothermal sediments probably represent plume fallout that has been dispersed by bottom currents or alternatively clastic sulphides shed from sulphide mounds. Examples of deposits with zonerefined vent complexes include the Sullivan, Tom, Jason, and Rammelsberg deposits. Vent-distal deposits, however, are typically weakly zoned, well bedded, and conform to the basin morphology. There is no evidence of the type of zone refining that accompanies veining, infilling, and replacement of bedded sulphides by a typically highertemperature assemblage and that characterizes vent proximal deposits.

Distal hydrothermal sediments : pyrrhotite and pyrite containing disseminated sphalerite interlaminated with finegrained turbiditic sedimentary rocks, Concentrator Hill, Sullivan deposit, B.C.

Vent complex : tourmalinized breccia infilled with pyrrhotite, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite, Sullivan Deposit, B.C. From: Goodfellow and Lyndon (2007)

Texture and Mineralogy

Bedded facies include sulphides and other hydrothermal minerals such as carbonates, chert, barite and apatite and non hydrothermal clastic , chemical and biogenic sedimentary rocks Main suphide: Pyrite, some cases Pyrrothite The main ore minerals: galena and sphalerite, some few cases chalcopyrite (e.g. Ramelsberg, Germany)

Alteration
Footwall: Extensive, sericite alteration eg. at Sullivan extends more than 200 m below the ore Hanging Wall: Not very well documented

Vent Complex, Sullivan

Replacement front of massive pyrrhotite that replaces high grade ore in then lower core of the Vent Complex. From Ransom and Lydon, 2000.

Main Band vent complex. Layers of galena in pyrrhotite. Sullivan.

Bedded Ores, Sullivan

Polished slab of ore from the B-Band, 3200SE Crosscut, illustrating the typical laminated nature of pyrrhotite-rich Bedded Ores. From Lydon and Reardon, 2000.

Layered pyrrhotite-galena-sphalerite ore with siliciclastic layers (dark coloured) typical of the upper part of the Main Band in Bedded Ores. From Hamilton et al., 2000.

Host Rocks
Most SEDEX are hosted by basinal marine sedimenatary rocks that consists mainly of shales and chert. Turbidirtitic and coarser clastic sediments intercalations may occur.

Bedded facies: sphalerite and galena interlaminated with pyrite, hydrothermal carbonate, and carbonaceous chert, Howards Pass (XY) deposit, Yukon and Northwest Territories.

 Interpretative pre deformation cross section of the Paleozoic sediments in the Brooks Range, Alaska, illustrating depositional setting of host rocks at the red Dog Mine (~100 Mt @ 18% Zn, 5%Pb, 85 g/t Ag)

Distal and Post Ore Hydrothermal Sediments. KEY FOR EXPLORATION

Laminated and disseminated barite and pyrite (e.g., Tom, Jason, Rammelsberg, Meggen) Manganese and iron carbonates (e.g., Meggen, Silvermines, McArthur River (HYC)) Phosphatic and pyritic chert (e.g., Howards Pass, Anniv) Metal-rich laminated pyrite (e.g., HYC, Mt. Isa, Tom, Jason) Albite-chlorite-pyrite alteration (e.g., Sullivan)

Genetic Model
The ideal basinal rchitecture for the formation of SEDEX deposits is a continental rift basin with at least 2 to 5 km of coarse-grained permeable clastics and related volcanics and/or volcaniclastics that form the syn-rift phase overlain by an impermeable cap or seal of basinal shales and/or carbonates (Lydon, 1983; Large, 1986). The source for Zn and Pb is syn-rift dominantly clastic sedimentary rocks (Lydon et al., 2000b). The ideal traps for the metals are reduced sub-basins with an adequate supply of bacteriogenic H2S in the ambient water column. Although an association with magmatism is not indicated for all SEDEX deposits, mafic volcanic rocks and sills are spatially and temporally associated with many deposits

Genetic models for SEDEX deposits. (A)Vent-proximal deposits formed from buoyant hydrothermal plume (e.g., Sullivan, B.C.; Tom and Jason, Yukon; Rammelsberg, Germany); (B)Vent-distal deposit formed from a bottom-hugging brine (e.g., Howards Pass and Anniv, Yukon; HYC deposit, Australia). Vent-distal deposits are typically weakly zoned, well bedded, and conform to the basin morphology There is no evidence of the type of zone refining that accompanies veining, infilling, and replacement of bedded sulphides by a typically highertemperature assemblage and that characterizes vent-proximal deposits.

Dairi Prospect area

Dairi Prospect area

Source: http://www.herald.net.au

Dairi Prospect area

Source: http://www.herald.net.au

Dairi Prospect area

Source: http://www.herald.net.au

Dairi Prospect area

Source: http://www.herald.net.au

Source: http://www.herald.net.au