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EXPLORATION MODEL
Examples peNasive foliation in volcanics
Golden Mile, Norseman, Sons ofGwalia, Mt C harlotte, younging dirjction of strata
Hill 50, Wiluna, Victory-Defiance, New Celebration, Jundee, pit outline
Kanowna Belle, Bronzewing, (Australia); ~~~~~~ff1f~ . :;-' '-' -' n ' "
Hollinger-McIntyre, Dome, Hemlo (Canada) base of o;rdatro~: ;:;:;:;:;:
Target 1111/1/1
//11111/
1/1/11.'''•
'/11/11,'
ultramafic;
o Grade: > I g/t (open cut); >5g/t (underground). schist
'/1/1
o Low Cu/ Au; low- medium Ag/Au; low- medium Te/ Au; rare
'/1//
SUB-
(reaction with Fe-rich host rock), phase separation, or fluid
GREENSCHIST Wiluna Group mixing.
• Metamorphic or magmatic origin postulated for hydrother•
Mt Pleasant Group mal fluids and Au. Isotopic data indicate deep crustal source
GREENSCHIST Mt Charlotte
Golden Mile
for primary ore fluid, although the fluid has been modified
New Celebration
by the wallrocks in hydrothermal conduits, and there is
Victory-Defiance evidence of mixing with surface waters at high crustal levels.
Crown-Mara rOB
AMPHIBOLITE • Magmatic fluids may be important for higher T deposits.
Frasers
Marvel loch
GRANULITE
Griffins Find
Geophysical criteria
I
• Orebodies normally have very weak (or absent) geophysical
i
signature.
Figure 2. Variation of deposit style, critical wall-rock alteration • Geophysical techniques mainly used to define host rocks
assemblages, and examples of lode-Au deposits at meta• and structural targets under cover.
morphic conditions ranging from snb-greenschist facies, near
surface «1 km depth) deposits to granulite facies, lower crustal
• Airborne and ground magnetics most widely used geophysical
exploration techniques.
(approx. 25 km depth) mineralisation (modified from Groves
et aI. 1992).
III ~ (a p PfO)( _ )
ru
~ Gold deposit Deasa't
~ Conglomerates Komatiite
Figure 3. Schematic representation of the nature of Archaean lode-Au mineralisation, illustrating variable structural
styles, host rocks and metamorphic settings (from Groves et al. 1990).
ARCHAEAN LODE-GOLD DEPOSIT S 255
Ma. Mueller et al. (1996) dated the main Au mineralising event greenschist facies, respectively (Mikucki et al. 1990). In tholeiitic
at Big Bell in the Murchison Province at 2662±5 Ma, using U• mafic rocks (by far the dominant hosts to Au mineralisation),
Pb in garnet thought to have formed during Au mineralisation, chlorite-muscovite stable alteration is typically characterised
and a later, secondary event (±Au) has been dated at 2614±2 by distal chloritic alteration which grades into proximal carbonate
Ma, using titanite . However, the structural timing of (ankerite ± siderite)-sericite-pyrite ± pyrrhotite alteration
mineralisation at the Big Bell Au deposit remains controversial adjacent to mineralisation. Alteration patterns in mafic-hosted
and the textural relationship between the minerals used for the biotite- muscovite stable alteration zones broadly parallel those
geochronology and the Au mineralisation is equivocal. At Lawlers, in the lower temperature types, with the notable differences
a SHRIMP U-Pb titanite study by Fletcher et al. (submitted) that up to 40% biotite may be developed in intermediate alter•
has dated the later of two Au mineralising events at 2592±9 Ma, ation zones (cf. Phillips & Groves 1984, Clark et al. 1989) and
distinctly younger than any other mineralisation reliably dated that sericite is much less extensively developed. Deposits which
elsewhere in the Yilgarn. A number 0[39 Ar-40Ar plateau ages for are hosted in ultramafic, intermediate, felsic or metasedimentary
hydrothermal muscovite from the eastern part ofthe craton also rocks show alteration assemblages that reflect the same chemical
give younger ages for Au mineralisation. However, given the uncer• changes as those noted for the mafic-hosted examples. However,
tain cooling history of the Yilgarn, the validity of this method mineral species and absolute abundances reflect the nature of
remains a matter of debate. Nevertheless, clear evidence is emerg• the host rock. For example, highly magnesian phases, such as
ing that lode-Au mineralisation occurred in the Yilgarn Craton at talc and tremolite, are commonly present in alteration assemblages
times other than -2640-2630 Ma. At this early stage of re• in ultramafic rocks (Mikucki et al. 1990).
search, pre- and post- -2640-2630 Ma mineralisation appears Lode-Au deposits hosted in amphibolite and granulite-facies
to be much less widespread than the main event. However, domains exhibit wall-rock alteration assemblages which are
further work is needed to confirm this. geochemically consistent with those in lower metamorphic grade
At Mount York in the Pilbara Craton, Neumayr et al. (1993) deposits, although alteration is less extensive and lateral zonation
recorded similar general structural and relative temporal relation• is generally poorly developed or absent. Carbonate species are
ships to those observed for lode-Au mineralisation in the Yilgarn. not major alteration minerals under these conditions, reflecting
However, no research has been done on the absolute timing of the instability of ankerite-quartz-bearing assemblages at higher
Au mineralisation in the Pilbara. temperatures and pressures (Ridley & Barnicoat 1990). In the
Southern Cross greenstone belt, mafic-hosted Au mineralisation
Host rocks in an amphibolite-facies domain is associated with quartz- pyrite•
pyrrhotite ± plagioclase veins with diopside- calcite or fibrous
Any lithology may host lode-Au mineralisation within an indi• tremolite ± chlorite rims, which are surrounded by biotite•
vidual greenstone sequence, but spatial analysis of Au pyrrhotite ± amphibole ± chlorite alteration haloes, several
mineralisation on a district or craton scale reveals that specific centimetres wide, in the wall rock (Bloem et al. 1994). The
rock types are preferential hosts (Groves et al. 1990). Two deposits of the Coolgardie Goldfield display similar alteration
factors are considered to be important in the mineralising process. assemblages, with the addition of garnet (Knight et al. 1993). Au
The rheological properties of the host rock may physically mineralisation in a granulite-facies domain at Griffins Find is
localise fluid flow, with relatively brittle lithologies more prone associated with a quartz- diopside-microcline- pyrrhotite•
to fracturing and veining and, consequently, mineralisation. The arsenopyrite-Ioellengite assemblage (Barnicoat et al. 1991), again
chemical properties of the rock may also play an important reflecting similar chemical changes to those seen at lower meta•
role. For example, Fe-rich rocks and/or rocks with a high Fe/ morphic grades.
Fe+Mg ratio are capable of destabilisingAu bisulphide complexes,
causing the formation of Fe sulphides and coprecipitation of
Au. Not surprisingly, the contribution to total Au production Exploration strategies
from deposits in relatively Fe-rich mafic volcanic and intrusive Exploration for Archaean lode-Au deposits relies heavily on
rocks is by far the most significant in the Yilgarn Craton, although geochemical methods in Western Australia (in particular the
this figure is strongly influenced by the giant mafic-hosted Yilgarn Craton), owing to widespread deep weathering (generally
deposits at Kalgoorlie and, to a lesser extent, Kambalda. In these 20-100 m deep) and the presence of surficial laterite. Lode-Au
districts, granophyric zones in thick layered gabbroic intrusions mineralisation generally has a poor geophysical signature. Air•
combine a high degree of competency with a high Fe/Fe+Mg, borne and ground magnetics have been used extensively as a
providing a physically and chemically ideal site for Au mapping tool, to define exploration targets such as Fe-rich host
mineralisation. BIF and other Fe-rich sedimentary units are also rocks and favourable structures by designating areas of pro•
relatively important contributors as host rocks (e.g. the Hill 50 spective geology beneath residual or transported cover. In addition,
deposit at Mount Magnet), particularly when their low overall at some localities, there may be positive magnetic anomalies
abundance in greenstone belts is taken into account. associated with Au mineralisation (owing to the presence of
In contrast to the Yilgarn Craton, sedimentary and ultramafic magnetite as an alteration phase), or negative anomalies due to
rocks are the major hosts to known Au mineralisation in the sulphidation of primary magnetite in strongly magnetic host
Pilbara Craton (Groves et al. 1990). However, as stated earlier, rocks (e.g. BIF).
Au mineralisation in the Pilbara is minor, when compared to Soil, rock-chip, and regolith geochemistry are the most
that in the Yilgarn Craton. widely used regional exploration tools, followed by shallow
RAB drilling of surface targets (cf. AMF 1995). In areas overlain
by transported regolith, exploration may proceed directly from
Wallrock alteration regional magnetic target generation to RAB drilling. Au itself,
Wallrock alteration associated with Archaean lode-Au analysed to low (Ppb) levels, is generally the most effective
mineralisation, as stated above, varies according to host rock pathfinder element. However, As, Bi, Sb, Wand Mo have also
and metamorphic grade. However, mineral assemblages indica• been utilised in exploration. Au is commonly depleted within
tive of carbonation, K±Na metasomatism and sulphidation are the saprolitic profile up to 40 m depth, but both in-situ and
common across a broad range of metamorphic conditions, ranging transported lateritic material may retain the signature of primary
from sub-greenschist to granulite facies. mineralisation (Butt et al. 1993, Lawrance 1993). Consequently,
In lode-Au deposits in sub-amphibolite-facies domains, an understanding of regolith evolution and chemistry is of vital
laterally zoned alteration assemblages may be split into chlorite• importance to lode-Au exploration in Western Australia. More
muscovite and biotite-muscovite stable sequences, broadly sophisticated geochemical techniques, such as the mobile metal
reflecting formation at the chlorite and biotite subzones of the ion (MMI) method (cf. Mann et al. 1993), are beginning to be
ARCHAEAN LODE-GOLD DEPOSITS 25 7
applied to Au exploration, but their effectiveness is yet to be Hagemann, S.G., Hronsky, J.M.A. , Knight, J.T., McNaughton,
proven. N .J., Ojala, 1. , Vielreicher, R.M ., McCuaig T.C. & Holyland,
The late tectonic timing of Archaean lode-Au mineralisation P.w. , 1995. Lode-gold deposits of the Yilgarn block: prod•
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Geomechanical modelling at Kalgoorlie (Holyland 1990), Granny J.R., 1992 . The Archaean lode-gold deposit at Wiluna, West•
Smith (Ojala et al. 1993) and Coolgardie (Knight et al. 1993) has ern Australia: high level, brittle-style mineralization in a
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men t (Key Centre) an d University Ex tension, Un ivers ity of
Western A ustra li a, Publication 20, 407pp.
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