Granitoid-related gold deposits in the Alta Floresta Gold Province (MT), Amazon Craton: ore-forming processes, genetic models and implications to exploration

Author(s)

Rafael Rodrigues de Assis

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Geociências
• Defense date: 2011-02-28

Examining board members

Roberto Perez Xavier; Lena Virginia Soares Monteiro; Valdecir de Assis Janasi

• Advisor: Antonio João Paes de Barros; Roberto Perez Xavier

Abstract

The Alta Floresta Gold Province, eastern portion of the Amazon Craton, extends between the Ventuari - Tapajós (1.95 to 1.8 Ga) and Rio Negro - Juruena (1.8 to 1.55 Ga) geochronological provinces. This provinces represents a tectonic unit composed primarily of plutono-volcanic sequences generated in continental arc settings during the Paleoproterozoic. At the easternmost segment of the province, in region that comprises the districts of Nova Santa Helena - Peixoto de Azevedo - Guarantã do Norte - Novo Mundo (MT), a significant number of gold deposits are distributed along a NW-SW striking belt (Peru - Trairão belt). Within this belt, the Pé Quente and Francisco gold deposits, currently exploited by local prospectors (garimpeiros), are the main case studies of this work. The Pé Quente deposit is hosted by the Pé Quente Suite that consists of quartz-monzodiorite to leucomonzonite with apatite, rutile and zircon as accessory phases. Several other later granitic intrusions occur in the vicinity of the deposit, but geological relationships and geochemical data suggest neither genetic nor temporal links to the Pé Quente Suite. These suites are mainly granitic composition and have biotite, hornblende, titanite, apatite and magnetite as accessory phases. Volcanic dikes are often in the area and crosscut all these plutonic suites. The Pé Quente suite exhibits geochemistry affinities to the medium-K, calc-alkaline, meta- to peraluminous and magnesian granitic series, thus similar to the I-type orogenic granites, whereas the other suites are medium to high-K, metaluminous and magnesian, but slightly ferroan. Additionally, petrographic and geochemical data indicate that these rocks correspond to I-type granitic series that probably had been generated in a volcanic arc setting that have also evolved to a post-collisional one. The Pé Quente Suite has been affected by the following hydrothermal alteration types (temporal sequence): (i) strong sodic alteration with albite; (ii) potassic alteration with orthoclase and microcline; (iii) sericitic alteration; (iv) carbonate alteration represented by calcite; (v) pervasive to venular coarse muscovite alteration; (vi) silicification with breccias and comb-texture quartz veins; (vii) fissural sodic alteration that consists of quartz + albite and; (viii) later and regional propylitic alteration. The ore zones comprise pyrite + barite ± hematite ± chalcopyrite ± galena that are related to both earlier sodic alteration and later veins with quartz and albite. Gold generally occurs as small inclusions within pyrite and shows Ag concentrations that range from 14.2 to 46.3%. Preliminary studies of fluid inclusions within the disseminated ore-zones indicate carbonic fluids that coexisting with aqueous biphasic. The main geological feautures of this deposit are: (i) close association with rocks that have been originated in the onset of volcanic arcs (granite type I), (ii) widespread and zoned hydrothermal alteration, with oscillations in aNa+, aK+, aH+ and aCa2 +; (iii) ore that represents oxidized fluids. Therefore, the Pé Quente deposit is interpreted to have been formed from multiple pulses of hydrotermal fluids, possibly generated by episodes of magma degassing. The ore precipitation might have taken place by fluid immiscibility within a high-temperature and high-¿O2 system, similar to those related to root zones of porphyry systems. Very dissimilar from the Pé Quente gold deposit, the Francisco gold deposit, in the União do Norte region, is hosted by an epiclastic volcaniclastic unit that is crosscut by a series of Paleoproterozoic granitic intrusions. This unit contains mainly feldspathic-arenite and feldspathic-wake, besides lenses of matrix-supported conglomerate, both volcaniclastics. The sediments that compose the rocks of this unit have possibly derived from the erosion of old volcanic centers of intermediate composition in a active continental setting. Furthermore, the sediments might have been deposited in a retroarc basin, near to the source-area. The intrusive suites are sequentially represented by: (i) granodiorite with tonalite and quartz-monzodiorite subordinate; (ii) sieno- to monzogranite and; (iii) União do Norte Porphyry, a subvolcanic manifestation that comprises porphyritic alkali-feldspar granite and porphyritic monzogranite. The firt two suites are tentatively correlated with the Matupá Intrusive Suite (1.872 ±12Ma), whereas the porphyry could be related to the post-collisional A-type granitic rocks from the Teles Pires Intrusive Suite (1.782 ±17 Ma to 1.757 ±16 Ma). Mafic to felsic volcanic dikes that consist of trachybasalt, basaltic-trachyandesite, andesite and dacite crosscut both the volcaniclastic unit and the granitic suites. Litogeochemical data from the União do Norte Porphyry indicate that this suite represents an alkaline, high-K, magnesian to ferroan, meta- to slightly peraluminous magmatism, whereas the volcanic dikes and the two other plutonic suites exhibit geochemical affinities with to the calc-alkaline, high-K, metaluminous and magnesian to slightly ferroan series. Additionally, field and geochemical data indicate that the granitic suites represent a magmatic series that were probably formed in the onset of a volcanic arc setting, manly with granodioritic rocks (Matupá Intrusive Suite), which evolved to the emplacement of highly-evolved granitic rocks, such as the União do Norte Porphyry (Teles Pires Intrusive Suite) in a postcollisional setting. All these units are still overlain by arenaceous sediments of the Dardanelos Formation (1.987 ±4Ma to 1.377 ±13Ma). In this geological setting, the Francisco deposit represents the first intermediate-sulfidation epithermal gold mineralization associated with base metals (Zn+ Pb±Cu) in the Alta Floresta Gold Province. Pyrite + sphalerite + galena + chalcopyrite ± hematite ± magnetite ± digenite represent the ore zones, hosted at the Volcanilcasto unit. The ore occurs in veins with strong silicification and extensive sericitic halo. The potassic (ortoclase ± hematite ± quartz ± biotite), argillic (kaolinite + sericite + quartz ± hematite), propilitic (chlorite + epidote + magnetite ± actinolite ±calcite ± apatite ± pyrite ± chalcopyrite ± quartz ± shalerite ± margarite) alterations, plus the late-hematite veins, correspond to the distal hydrothermal alterations to the ore zone. The potassic and argililic alterations generally are closely associated to the União do Norte Porphyry. Preliminary studies of fluid inclusions within the ore zones indicate the presence of an aqueous fluid system represented by primary aqueous inclusions with heterogeneity in the vapor-phase filling degree (10-70%). The main geological feautures of the deposit are: (i) hydrothermal alteration and ore closely associated with a subvolcanic granite (União do Norte Porphyry) that could have saturated in an residual aqueous fluid phase due to its crystallization; (ii) alunite, although in small concentrations, associated to the occurrences of silica cap; (iii) ore zones hosted in epiclastic sedimentary rocks; (iv) ore zones that often exhibit textures that indicate fluid percolation at shallow crustal level; (v) gold ore associated either to high concentration of base metals and silver; (vi) ore paragenesis dominated by phases rich in sulfides that are indicative of oscillations in the sulfidation state of the sulfur. All these feautures are similar to those found in epithermal polymetallic deposits of intermediate sulfidation. Due to the constant presence of textures that typify the percolation of fluids in shallow crustal level in the inner, proximal and contact regions of the Porphyry North Union, besides the existence of subvolcanic apophyses strongly sericitized and/or silicified, it is proposed that this suite has been responsible by the causative thermal event of gold mineralization associated with base metals at the Francisco deposit. Therefore, it is suggested that the Teles Pires Intrusive Suite, so far known to be barren of gold mineralizations, may have potencial, even if restricted to occurrences of the subvolcanic from this suite, to host gold mineralizations with associated base metals. In addition, the post-collisional setting in which the deposit have been formed would have promoted its preservation from the later erosion, metamorphism and deformation events, which could have affected and destroyed the deposit. The ore precipitation might have taken place by increase in the ¿O2 of the fluid (hematite precipitation), possibly due to influx of oxidizing external fluids (meteoric) after hydraulic fracturing events when the subvolcanic granite had been oversaturated in a residual aqueous fluid phase. The high concentrations of base metals suggest that the variations on the temperature and pH of the fluid could have been an important key in the formation of the mineralized ore zones. In this context, the identified plutonic suites around the Pé Quente and Francisco would have been initially formed before the magmatic event that resulted in the Matupá Intrusive Suite (1.872 ±12Ma), with the emplacement of the Pé Quente suite. With the continuity of the magmatic event, more evolved granitic suites would have been created by the emplacement of the Teles Pires Intrusive Suite (~ 1757 Ma), which represents the later intrusions (União do Norte Porphyry) within a post-collisional setting. Therefore, depending on the tectonic model adopted, all of these suites would have been created during the installation of the magmatic arc Cuiú-Cuiú (2.1-1.9 Ga) and Juruena (1.8-1.75 Ga), or then, during the Ventuari-Tapajós Magmatic Arc (1.95 to 1.8 Ga). In this scenario, the Pé Quente and Francisco deposits could be classified as different mineralizing systems within the general model of gold-porphyry - epithermal, which the emplacement of Paleoproterozoic granitic intrusions may have served as source of heat, fluids and metals to the installation of the magmatic-hydrothermal system. The Pé Quente deposit, for instance, could correspond a system of greater depth and higher temperature, where the strong pervasive albite alteration plus highly oxidized-aqueous and carbonic fluids represent the root zones of porphyry gold deposits. The Francisco deposit, however, could be correlated to mineralization nested in shallow crustal levels with great influx of meteoric fluids and relatively distal from felsic intrusive subvolcanic granite. Therefore, the Francisco deposit could be similar to the polymetallic epithermal deposits of intermediate-sulfidation. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/04438-5 - Granite-related gold deposits in the Alta Floresta Gold Province (MT), Amazon Craton: ore styles, genetic models and implications to exploration.
• Grantee: Rafael Rodrigues de Assis
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master