scholarly journals Typomorphism of fine placer gold and potential primary sources of the Anabar mineral subprovince (North-eastern Siberian Platform)

Author(s):  
Boris Gerasimov
2021 ◽  
pp. 97-114
Author(s):  
Ivan Chetvertakov ◽  
Alexey Ivanov ◽  
Ekaterina Mikheeva ◽  
Tatyana Chikisheva ◽  
Tamara Yakich

Data on geological structure and minerals of the southern Siberian platform are presented. Placer and primary gold occurrences widespread in this region are briefly characterized. Based on placer gold morphological and geochemical property studies using electron microscopy, its four types are revealed. Conclusions are made about potential primary sources of various placer gold types. Using retrospective data and based on the authors’ placer gold morphological and geochemical studies, Ust-Ilimskaya, Chernorechinskaya and Buraevskaya gold areas are characterized, their prospects for discovering primary gold deposits of various genetic types are determined.


Author(s):  
Z. S. Nikiforova

Identification of indicators on placer gold allowed predicting formation types of primary sources of gold and their location in the East Siberian platform, overlapped by thick cover of Meso-Cenozoic deposits, where traditional methods of prospecting of gold deposits are ineffective. Each gold-ore formation is known to have the corresponding geological-structural control. Based on study of mineralogical-geochemical features of placer gold and regularity of its distribution, it has been determined that primary sources of low-sulfide gold-quartz, gold-copper-porphyritic, gold-ferruginous-quartzite, gold—rare-metal and gold-platinoid formations are confined to basement outcrops and their framings; gold-sulfide-quartz formation — to metasomatites, developed within the zones of deep faults, tracing the terrigenous-carbonate series; and manifestations of gold-silver formation are localized in the zones of intracontinental paleorifts. In general, identification of geological-structural location of specific types of gold sources favors more correct selection of prospecting methods for gold deposits in areas with thick sedimentary cover, and evaluating their potential.


2021 ◽  
Vol 906 (1) ◽  
pp. 012082
Author(s):  
Boris Gerasimov

Abstract Typomorphic features of placer gold are carriers of the most important information necessary for the reconstruction of the history of the formation of placer and ore occurrences of gold and can be used as mineralogical criteria in the search for primary sources of placers. The study of these features is relevant for placer areas with unidentified gold sources, which include the territory of the north-east of the Siberian Platform. The internal structure of native gold is one of the most informative typomorphic features is. We studied the internal gold structures of modern placers and conglomerates of the Early Permian age in the north-east of the Siberian Platform. The purpose of the work: to identify the features of the internal structure of placer gold, depending on the chemical composition and the degree of its transformations, as well as the possibility of their use as a prospecting indicator. Structural etching of native gold was performed using the reagent: HCl + HNO3 + FeCl3 × 6H2O + CrO3 + thiurea + water. As a result of the research, it was found that the well-rounded high-grade gold of modern placers has undergone repeated redeposition through intermediate sources. The discovery of slightly rounded gold with an internal structure without signs of exogenous transformation indicates that it entered the modern alluvium from a nearby primary source. This was a prerequisite for setting up ore gold exploration, resulting in identification of apocarbonate hydrothermal-metasomatic formations with disseminated gold-sulfide mineralization were identified. Thus, the features of the internal structures of placer gold in combination with other typomorphic features are additional indications of determining the sources of formation of gold-bearing placers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 906 (1) ◽  
pp. 012081
Author(s):  
Boris Gerasimov

Abstract The article examines the results of exploratory work carried out in the southern part of the Lena-Anabar trough in the north-eastern part of the Siberian platform. Alluvial deposits of the Polovinnaya river, which belongs to the Uele-Udzhinsky placer cluster, were sampled for predictive assessment of commercial prospects for placer occurrences of gold. The mineralogical-geochemical features of the placer gold were studied in order to identify potential primary sources. It is proved that the Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits are the main sources of gold. Its typomorphic features are small size (-0.5 mm), toroidal and flake shape, shagreen surface with casts of pressing of the minerals, and high fineness (950-999 %). The internal structures of gold particles are represented by thick high-grade shells, translation lines and high-grade intergranular veinlets. Along with this, the discovery of the autochtonous gold of ore habit in the studied gold area suggested the presence of an additional primary source. Very small size (-0.2 mm) and angular-lumpy shapes of the individuals, almost unrounded surface and low fineness are typical features of slightly altered gold. The discovery of small (3-4mm) fragments of hydrothermal-metasomatic rocks in the alluvium of the Polovinnaya river confirms the above assumption. The epigenetic mineral composition of these fragments is represented by pyrite, potassium feldspar, fluorapatite, and quartz. Micro-X-ray spectral analysis determined the smallest (first microns) mineral phases of native gold, argentite, galena, sphalerite and greenockite in them. It is worth noting that the described fragments are quite fragile, and they are destroyed with a slight impact with a steel needle. The fragility of these fragments indicates the close proximity of the rewashed ore occurrences. In addition, increased gold content in small classes of heavy concentrate material of small-volume samples was determined according to atomic absorption analysis. All this together is a prerequisite for the discovery of ore occurrences with finely-dispersed and fine gold. It is assumed that the ore occurrences can be localized in the Anabar-Eekit fault zone, which extends parallel to the Pronchishchev ridge, through the Anabar-Olenek trough, to the Sololiy uplift of the Olenek arch. In the area of the Olenek arch, this zone is associated with superimposed gold-bearing low-temperature hydrothermal mineralization, expressed by K-feldspathization and sulfidization of the Permian deposits.


Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 281
Author(s):  
Boris Gerasimov ◽  
Vasily Beryozkin ◽  
Alexander Kravchenko

Precambrian shields and outcropped Precambrian rock complexes in the Arctic may serve as the most important sources of various types of mineral raw materials, including gold. The gold potential of the Anabar shield in the territory of Siberia has, thus far, been poorly studied. A number of primary and placer gold occurrences have been discovered there, but criteria for the prediction of and search for gold mineralization remain unclear. The main purpose of this paper was to study the typomorphic features of placer gold in the central part of the Billyakh tectonic mélange zone in the Anabar shield and to compare them to mineralization from primary sources. To achieve this, we utilized common methods for mineralogical, petrographic, and mineragraphic analyses. Additionally, geochemical data were used. As a result of this investigation, important prospecting guides were identified, and essential criteria for the prediction of and search for gold deposits were elucidated. The characteristics of the studied placer gold were specific for gold derived from a proximal provenance. These characteristics included the poor roundness of the native gold grains, a cloddy–angular and dendritic form, an uneven surface, and a high content of coarse-fraction native gold (0.5–2 mm), which was as high as 24% of the volume of analyzed native gold. In addition, we conducted a study on the mineralogical features of the gold-sulfide mineralization that was disseminated throughout a small exposure area of paleo-Proterozoic para- and orthogneisses in the Anabar shield basement. A comparison of mineral inclusions in the coarse-fraction native gold and mineral assemblages in the ore deposits showed that one of the possible primary sources for placer gold might be small bodies of metasomatically altered orthogneisses associated with large granitoid plutons.


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