COURSE

Advanced Geology of Ore Deposits

(2 SKS)

INTRODUCTION
METALLOGENESIS
CLASSIFICATION OF MINERAL DEPOSITS
MAGMATIC DEPOSITS
EPITHERMAL DEPOSITS

Dr.rer.nat. Arifudin Idrus

Associate Professor in Economic Geology

Graduate Program of Geological

Engineering
Universitas Gadjah Mada
Yogyakarta

Stolberg, Germany, 200

THE SCOPE OF DISCUSSION

Introduction
Metallogenesis: the formation of ore deposits
Classification of ore mineral deposits
Magmatic deposits (Chromite, Nickel and PGM)
Hydrothermal deposits I: Epithermal and
Porphyry
Hydrothermal deposits II: Skarn and
Mesothermal
Volcanic hosted deposits (VMS) and SEDEX
(Sedimentary Exhalative)
Residual deposits (chemical weathering)
Sedimentary deposits (placer)
Evaluation: homework and test

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Evans, A.M., 1993. Ore geology and industrial
minerals, an introduction, Blackwell Science,
389 p..
Edwards R., Atkinson K. (1986), Ore deposit
geology and its influence on mineral
exploration, Chapman and Hall, London, 466 p.
Robb, L. 2005, Introduction to Ore Forming
Process...
International journals:
1.Economic Geology
2.Mineralium Deposita

INTRODUCTION
Ore is a metalliferous mineral, or an aggregate of
metalliferous minerals, more or less mixed with gangue,
which from the standpoint of the miner can be won at a
profit, or from the standpoint of the metallurgist can be
treated at a profit.
Ore minerals are defined as those from which metals are
extracted, e.g., chalcopyrite and galena from which we
extract copper and lead.

Opaque minerals and metalliferous minerals are used

as synonym of ore minerals.
Economically mineable aggregates of ore minerals are
termed orebodies, oreshoots, ore deposits or ore reserves.

Metal Concentration in the crust

The average concentration ofmetal inthe earth's crust,a
minimumconcentration of economic valueandenrichmentthrough the
process ofgeologicalfactors(geological enrichmentfactors).

Ore deposits can be divided into five groups

(Evans, 1993):
Precious metals : gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt)
Non-ferrous metals : copper(Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), tin
(Sn), and aluminium (Al). the first four being commonly known
as base metals.
Iron and ferroalloy metals : iron (Fe), manganese (Mn),
nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W),
vanadium (V), cobalt (Co).
Minor metals and related non-metals: antimony (Sb),
arsenic (As), berylium (Be), bismuth (Bi), Cadmium (Cd),
magnesium (Mg), mercury (Hg), REE, selenium (Se), tantalum
(Ta), tellurium (Te), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), etc.
Fissionable metals: uranium (U), thorium (Th), radium (Ra).

CLASSIFICATION OF ORE DEPOSITS

(Pohl,.)

Magmatic-hydrothermal deposits

Magmatic liquid deposits (Cr in ophiolite or banded intrusion with

Pt, Fe/Ti and Ni by product)
Pegmatite (Sn, Nb/Ta, Li, Be, etc).
Hydrothermal deposits: Cyprus-type (VMS); skarn (W, Sn, Cu, etc),
porphyry (Cu, Mo, Sn, etc); veins (Sn, W, U); epithermal Au-Ag; BIF
(Algoma type)

Diagenetic hydrothermal deposits

Kupferschiefer type (Cu, Pb, Zn) SEDEX

Mississippi type (MVT): Pb-Zn-Ba-F

Matamorphic-hydrothermal deposits

Quartz veins in the metamorphic rocks (Au) orlode gold.

Residual deposits (Chemical)

residual: bauksit dan Fe-laterit

supergene: Ni and Au laterite; Mn, Fe, Cu, Ag enrichment

Sedimentary deposits (mechanical)

Alluvial and sea placer deposits (Au, Sn, Ti, REE)

Eurasia Plate

North America Plate

Pasific palte

Africa Plate

Hindia-Australia Plate

Nazca Plate
South America Plate

Antartic Plate

Plate Tectonic boundary

TECTONICS VS MINERALIZATION

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC RIM

INDONESIAN ISLAND ARCS

1a. MAGMATIC DEPOSITS

Magmatic Processes

Ore minerals formed in the early phase

of magma differensiation, along with the
formation of olivine, pyroxene, Caplagioclase such as magnetite, ilmenite,
chromite, sulfide nickel, PGM (Platinum
Group Metals).

MAGMATIC PROCESSES

Crystallization process (disseminated), diamond

(C ) in Kimberlite
Segregation process (cumulate, gravity settling):
chromite (Cr), magnetite (Fe), platinum (Pt)
Liquid immiscibility : Ni
Pegmatite : Fe, Sn

1a. Magmatic deposits

1. Chromite:
(1) Stratiform type (layered mafic
intrusions or Bushveld-Type),
(2) Podiform type (Ophiolite-bound
or Alpine-Type)
2. Nickel (Nickel sulfide)
3. PGM/E (Platinum Group
Metals/Elements)

Chromite-Nickel-PGM
deposits
Chromitite is a layer (seam), composed of 50-95&% fine

size chromite cumulus (~0,2 mm), interstitial with olivine,

orthopyroxene, plagioclase, clinopyroxene or its alteration
products.

Primary chromite deposits are asociated with primary nickel

as Ni-sulphides, such as pentlandite (Ni,Fe)9S9, millerite
(NiS) and gersdorffit (NiAsS).

Ni-sulphide minerals are also asociated with other sulphides

such as chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite.

Can be formed together wiht PGE (Platinum Group Elemets)

including Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt dan Pd. This PGE is ususally
attached in the stucture of those sulphide minerals.

Nickel
Nickel deposit classification:

Nickel sulphides deposit

Nickel Silicates ~ lateritic nickel deposit
Nickel Sulphides
Early magmatic deposit magmatic
segregation
Classification of Nickel Sulphides Ore
Dunite Peridotite Class
Intrusive Dunite Association
Volcanic peridotite Assosiation
Gabbroic Class
Intrusive mafic/Ultramafic Complexes
Large Layered Intrusions, e.g. Bushveld
Complex, RSA; Great Dyke & Sudbury, Canada

Nickel sulphides deposit

Segregation causes the deposition of heavy sulphides (nickel

sulphides) on the bottom and separated from rock-forming
minerals.

Geology of Bushveld complex,

RSA

Chromite layers of Bushveld

complex

Bushveld
complex layered
series

Subdivision of the Layered

Series of the Bushveld
Complex. MR. Merensky Reef,
SC, Stcelpoort chromite (from
Duke 1983, after Verrnaak, C.
F. and von Gruenewaldt, G.
(1981) The Bushveld Complex
Excursion Guide, Geocongress

PGM associated with Bushveld

complex

1b. Hydrothermal deposits

Focus of discussion:
1. Epithermal Au-Ag deposits
2. Pophyry Cu-Au deposits
3. Skarn Cu-(Au) deposits
4. Mesothermal deposits (quartz-Au
lode)

Magmatisme-hydrothermal
process

Sub-volcanic hydrothermal system

epithermal deposits
Characteristics:

T relatively low (50 250C) with variable

salinities (0 5 wt.% NaCl equivalent)
Formed in shallow depth (~1 km)
Fluid type: meteoric water and low magmatic fluid
Classification:

High sulfidation (acid sulfate type)

Low sulfidation (adularia-sericite type)
Disseminated (e.g., in epithermal Ag-(Sn-Pb-Zn))

Epithermal deposits (high sulfidation)

Endapan
Yanacocha/Peru
Pueblo Viejo
Pascua
Pienina/Peru
Lepanto
El Indio
Chinquashih
Summitville
Rodalquilar

Au (ton)
820
680
640
250
210
190
150
20
10

Umur
M/P
Cret
M/P
M/P
Quat
M/P
Quat
M/P
N/P

Epithermal deposits (low sulfidation)

Endapan
Lihir
Porgera
Round Mountain
Baguio District
Hishikari
Kelian
Gunung Pongkor
Dukat
Cerro Korikollo
Cerro Vanguardia

Au (ton)
924
600
443
300
250
180
175
150
147
100

Umur
Quat
M/P
M/P
Quat
Quat
M/P
M/P
Cret
M/P
Jura

Hishikari
Hishikari

Pongkor

Hishikari Gold Ore - Photomicrograph

Epithermal high sulfidation

Two stage model for the formation of high-sulfidation epithermal deposits (after
Arribas et al., 1995). (a) Initial stage where a dominantly magmatic vapor phase is
responsible for leaching of the country rock and development of an advanced argillic
alteration halo around the main fumarolic conduit. (b1) Ore deposition stage, in this
case where gold is transported as a chloride complex, and (b2) ore deposition stage
where gold is transported as a bisulfide complex.

Kind of open-space filling

Kind and geometry of

epithermal deposits that
describing the hydrothermal
structure and lithology
controlling permeability
scematically.

Hydrothermal alterations

Au-Ag-Cu deposits
Silicification
Advanced argillic
Sericitization
Potassic

Note: the absence of silicification is not too important to

characterize an epithermal deposits, for example: Kelian

Alteration Zone

Lateral: residual silica qtz-alu

qtz-kao kao-ill ill/sme

Vertical:
Residual silica py en
Qtz kao ser, py, ccp
Qtz ser py, ccp
Bio, or, cpy, bn, mag

Depth

Qtz alu pyroph kao py

Hydrothermal
Alteration

Alteration, metals & texture zoning model

CHc
CHb
CHm
CCh
CCx
Xas
Xc

Epithermal gold
vein/model

Paulingan epithermal
vein, North Sulawesi

Vein
modeling: An
example

Vein
modelin
g: An
Example

Reserves from ore

modelling
NO Vein

Volume
Z Minimum
Z MaximumKedalaman
m
meter meter
meter
1 Kapitu_Vein
98854 -41.687
243.5 285.187
2 Paulingan1_vein
71236 13.924 219.842 205.918
3 Paulingan2_vein
36490 45.703 234.275 188.572
4 Prospek Samoy (blok sakong) 486610 100.58 222.576 121.997
Total
693190

Tonnage = reserve
= Volume x BJ
= 693.190 m3 x 2,7 g/t
= 1.871.613 ton bijih