Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Tonopah, NV: 1901 to late 1920s+, 1.9 Moz Au, 174 Moz Ag

Ag-Au intermediate-sulfidation vein

Environments and variations of epithermal gold deposits

J.W. Hedenquist 1
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

J.W. Hedenquist 2
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Broadlands, New Zealand:

Pilot plant at well head

FeS2, CuFeS2,
+ 5 wt.% gold

K.L. Brown, 1986

J.W. Hedenquist 3
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Ohaaki Pool

Simmons and Browne, 2000

musc

LS, shallow (<300-400 m)

<220-230 C
IS, deeper (~300-800 m)
>220-230 C) Hedenquist et al., 1996

J.W. Hedenquist 4
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Sl
Ya

Wa RMt

Vi To

HS IS LS LS(a)

Hedenquist et al., 1996, 2000

J.W. Hedenquist 5
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Sherlock et al., 1995

Silica sinter
H2S + 2O2 = H2SO4
Steam-heated

25 m

Sheeted gold-
quartz vein
below sinter

J.W. Hedenquist 6
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

migration
of volcanism

Hishikari, southern Kyushu

Footprint of
11 Moz Au
deposit
1 Ma now

0.7 Ma

J.W. Hedenquist 7
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Hishikari:
Gold-quartz veins
in greywacke
basement

Hishikari, S Kyushu

500 m tridymite gone

smectite-
smectite, chl
st p kaolinite
he
hig otem
le
pa

Zoned clays around vein

projections: high T paleo-plume

Izawa et al. (1990)

J.W. Hedenquist 8
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Old surface,
NW SE
before erosion

Outflow down valley to

distant hot springs

smectite-chl sme
ctite
, kao
linite
chlorite

J.W. Hedenquist 9
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

~500 m

Sleeper vein

Opt
West Wood 0.05 - 0.10
vein 0.10 - 0.25
0.25 -0.50
0.50 - 1.0
>1.0

Wood vein Sleeper mine

blast hole Au contours
Courtesy of X-Cal

J.W. Hedenquist 10
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

1 cm
Sleeper pit
Long section 16
(blast hole data, 50)

200 m

Courtesy of Jim Saunders Opt

0.05 - 0.10
0.10 - 0.25
0.25 -0.50
0.50 - 1.0
>1.0

Courtesy of X-Cal

J.W. Hedenquist 11
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Saunder and
Einaudi, 1990

1
9
2
4, 8

J.W. Hedenquist 12
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

B 500 m

Stebbins
Hill

Round Mtn.
Fairview
Chlorite Hill
Saunder and N
Einaudi, 1990
A

A Alteration Silicification B
2000
(m)
1800
Argillic
Argillic
Quartz-adularia-sericite 1600

Saunder and
Einaudi, 1990

J.W. Hedenquist 13
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Sillitoe and Hedenquist, 2003

Lake beds

Porphyry systems: arcs High-sulfidation Au-Cu

Intermediate
sulfidation
Au-Ag (Pb-Zn)

Base of lithocap
Distal Pb-
Zn skarn

Replacement
Zn-Pb-Ag

Porphyry
Cu-Au Proximal Cu-
Au skarn

Sillitoe, 2010
Economic Geology

J.W. Hedenquist 14
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

800oC hypogene
vapors, HCl, SO2

High-temperature
hypogene vapors,
850 oC with HCl, SO2

J.W. Hedenquist 15
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Porphyry systems Residual quartz (vuggy),

barren
Sillitoe, 2010

pH 1-2,
Quartz-alunite,
H2SO4
barren
HCl

Early: High T magmatic

Base of lithocap O Coupled brine + vapor
O Potassic (~500oC) +
advanced argillic lithocap
O Wavy qtz veins, no halo
O Metal sulfides

White Island, New Zealand: drowned fumaroles, 2007

Fluid:rock reaction
Satsuma Iwojima, Japan

pH~0.2

acidic stream,
pH ~0.6

J.W. Hedenquist 16
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Sampling of 770 C vapor

with acidic gases

Satsuma Iwojima, Japan

pH
1.7 -- 1.1

Hedenquist et al., 1994

dissolved rock

J.W. Hedenquist 17
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Steven and Ratt, 1960

Summitville, Colorado

Steven & Ratt, 1960 10 - 100s m

pH ~ >6 4-6 2 - 4 <2

J.W. Hedenquist 18
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

500 m >10 g/t

Residual quartz, vuggy : Tucari

Residual quartz, vuggy: Pierina Hypogene alunite, El Tambo

Arribas et al., 2000

Residual quartz, vuggy: Summitville Quartz-alunite, Summitville

J.W. Hedenquist 19
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Sonomi
volcano

1 km

Nansatsu district, S Kyushu, looking east:

Iwato HS deposit, Maruyama pit
Inset: qtz-alun halo, sharp ctc with vuggy qtz, to r.)

J.W. Hedenquist 20
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Urashima et al., 1981

Tuff breccia
Nansatsu Group

Mohong Hill
quartz-alunite
lithocap

J.W. Hedenquist 21
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Most ore (~70%) in

root zone of lithocap,
in Lepanto fault

Lepanto
fault

Hedenquist et al., 1998;

Chang et al., 2011

Late Oligocene to mid-

Miocene Apaoan
volcaniclastics

Slightly younger Balili

volcaniclastics

Cretaceous-
Paleogene
Lepanto
metavolcanics

12-13 Ma Bagon
intrusive complex

Qtz diorite
1 km porphyry

Chang et al., 2011

J.W. Hedenquist 22
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Late Oligocene to mid-

Miocene Apaoan
volcaniclastics Pliocene
volcanism
Slightly younger Balili
volcaniclastics
3.3 - 1.8 Ma,
multiple eruptions
Imbanguila
dacite
porphyry
(3.3-1.8 Ma)
Cretaceous-
Paleogene
Lepanto
metavolcanics

12-13 Ma Bagon
intrusive complex

Imbanguila
pyroclastics
(3.3-1.8 Ma)

Qtz diorite
1 km porphyry

Chang et al., 2011

Late Oligocene to mid-

Young
Miocene Apaoan
volcaniclastics

Slightly younger Balili

cover:
volcaniclastics
<1.2 Ma
Imbanguila
dacite
porphyry
(3.3-1.8 Ma)
Cretaceous-
Paleogene
Lepanto
metavolcanics

12-13 Ma Bagon
intrusive complex

Bato pyroclastics Imbanguila

(1.2 Ma) pyroclastics
(3.3-1.8 Ma)

Bato dacite
porphyry (1.2 Ma)
Qtz diorite
1 km porphyry

Lapangan Tuff
(0.19 Ma) Chang et al., 2011

J.W. Hedenquist 23
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

NW end of lithocap:
qtz-alunite cliffs at
unconformity, with
1 km
kaolinite halo

Chang et al., 2011

X Small
workings,
1-4 g/t Au

Breccias

< 50 ppb Au

1 km

Chang et al., 2011

J.W. Hedenquist 24
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Lepanto HS: 1 Mt
Cu & 120 t Au

Buaki
porphyry FSE porphyry: >650
Mt @ 0.65% Cu &
1.2 g/t Au

Victoria veins, 11 Mt
@ 7.3 g/t Au + Ag-
Cu-Pb-Zn
Guinaoang
porphyry, 500
Teresa veins, 0.8 Mt Mt @ 0.4% Cu
@ 5.74 g/t Au & 0.4 g/t Au

Nayak veins
1 km
Mohong Hill
porphyry + HS
Chang et al., 2011

1.8-2.2 Ma

1.45 Ma

J.W. Hedenquist 25
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

X-section

Porphyry systems Residual quartz (vuggy)

enargite, Au
Sillitoe, 2010

Quartz-alunite

itic
e ric tn
S p,
C Early: High T magmatic
Base of lithocap O Coupled brine + vapor
O Potassic (~500oC) +
advanced argillic lithocap
O Wavy qtz veins, no halo
O Metal sulfides

J.W. Hedenquist 26
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Erosion level?

J.W. Hedenquist 27
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Cu-Au

Intrusion-centered: ~40% of world Au

Porphyry: 70% of world Cu

after R. Goldfarb, from Groves et al. (2005)

Sillitoe and Hedenquist, 2003

Sillitoe & Hedenquist, 03

Hedenquist et al., 2001

J.W. Hedenquist 28
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

Einaudi et al., 2003

Einaudi et al., 2003

J.W. Hedenquist 29
Formation of high- and low-sulfidation deposits SEG Nevada: May 2013

2 km

2M mica

Hudson
(2003)

J.W. Hedenquist 30