RECOGNITION OF A 600-KM-LONG LATE TRIASSIC RARE METAL (Li-Rb-Be-Nb-Ta) PEGMATITE BELT IN THE WESTERN KUNLUN OROGENIC BELT, WESTERN CHINA

The rising demand of strategic metals, especially lithium, necessitates discovery of new resources to meet the global supply chain. Recently, several pegmatite-hosted rare metal (Li-Rb-Be-Nb-Ta) deposits have been discovered in the Western Kunlun orogenic belt, making it a new world-class rare metal resource (estimated ~7 Mt Li2O and 0.16 Mt BeO). Understanding the metallogenesis of this belt is critical to further evaluate the rare metal potential. In this study, columbite-tantalite (coltan) and monazite from rare metal pegmatites and zircon from potential parental granites were collected from five representative rare metal pegmatite deposits in the western, middle, and eastern parts of the Western Kunlun orogenic belt for U-Pb geochronology. The results indicate that despite the distances of the sampling localities in different parts of the Western Kunlun orogenic belt, the ages of pegmatite-hosted rare metal mineralization fall in a narrow range of ca. 208–204 Ma. These rare metal pegmatites are temporally and spatially related to adjacent postorogenic granites emplaced following the closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. The compositional characteristics of K-feldspar, biotite, and muscovite of the granites and pegmatites, along with regional mineralogical and textural zonation of the pegmatites, suggest that the rare metal pegmatites were derived from the volumetrically much more important, highly fractionated granitic intrusions. We propose that, in combination with the data from previous studies, the 218–204 Ma interval represents a newly recognized rare metal metallogenic period linked with granitic intrusions in the Western Kunlun orogenic belt, revealing a 600-km-long late Triassic rare metal pegmatite belt composed of multiple ore fields formed in a similar metallogenic setting. These results emphasize the importance of identifying fertile, Late Triassic to Early Jurassic granitic intrusions for rare metal pegmatite exploration. Furthermore, combined with recent studies on the Songpan-Ganzi rare metal pegmatite belt along the eastern segment of the Paleo-Tethys, this study further highlights the great potential of rare metal resources in this global tectonic zone.

Pan-African rare metals bearing pegmatites in Wadi Ghadir, South Eastern desert, Egypt: the geochemical evolution and implications for mineralization

Quartz-diorites, monzogranites and pegmatites are the main rock units in the studied area. The pegmatites occur as zoned pockets within monzogranites with zonal arrangement: border, wall, intermediate, and core zones. The wall zone have enrichment of radioactive and RREs-bearing minerals. K-feldspar, plagioclase and quartz are essential minerals, whereas uranothorite, columbite, zircon, xenotime, monazite, sphalerite and pyrite are accessories. Geochemically, the pegmatites of W. Ghadir have peraluminous character, ferroan with alkalic–calcic affinity and emplaced in within plate setting. These pegmatites revealed Li-bearing variety and high level of rare earth elements mineralization. The studied pegmatites exhibit high contents of Li, Nb, Cu, Ta, U, Th, Pb, Zr, Zn and Ga, can be from the previous data, the studied pegmatites can be classified as a Niobium–Yttrium–Fluorine (NYF) pegmatite or rare metal pegmatite. The trace elements ratio supports a low degree of fractionation and metasomatism in the evolutionary history of the pegmatites, and the very low Cs values (2.2–4.3 ppm) indicate paucity of alkali metal fractionation. Spectrometric investigation revealed that monzogranites are not uraniferous, while the radioactive anomaly is confined to the pegmatites. Applying the U mobilization equation proved that pegmatite samples have been originated from a late magmatic phase of magma very rich in radioelements, and the pegmatites affected with hydrothermal solutions rich in uranium than thorium which indicates uranium addition. Radioactive and important heavy minerals are represented by uranothorite, columbite, zircon, monazite, xenotime, sphalerite and pyrite.

Mineralogical Tracers of Gold and Rare-Metal Mineralization in Eastern Kazakhstan

Replenishment of mineral resources, especially gold and rare metals, is critical for progress in the mining and metallurgical industry of Eastern Kazakhstan. To substantiate the scientific background for mineral exploration, we study microinclusions in minerals from gold and rare-metal fields, as well as trace-element patterns in ores and their hosts that may mark gold and rare-metal mineralization. The revealed compositions of gold-bearing sulfide ores and a number of typical minerals (magnetite, goethite, arsenopyrite, antimonite, gold and silver) and elements (Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, and Sb) can serve as exploration guides. The analyzed samples contain rare micrometer lead (alamosite, kentrolite, melanotekite, cotunnite) and nickel (bunsenite, trevorite, gersdorffite) phases and accessory cassiterite, wolframite, scheelite, and microlite. The ores bear native gold (with Ag and Pt impurities) amenable to concentration by gravity and flotation methods. Multistage rare-metal pegmatite mineralization can be predicted from the presence of mineral assemblages including cleavelandite, muscovite, lepidolite, spodumene, pollucite, tantalite, microlite, etc. and such elements as Ta, Nb, Be, Li, Cs, and Sn. Pegmatite veins bear diverse Ta minerals (columbite, tantalite-columbite, manganotantalite, ixiolite, and microlite) that accumulated rare metals late during the evolution of the pegmatite magmatic system. The discovered mineralogical and geochemical criteria are useful for exploration purposes.

Rare-Metal Pegmatite Deposits of the Kalba Region, Eastern Kazakhstan: Age, Composition and Petrogenetic Implications

The paper presents new geological, mineralogical, and isotope geochronological data for rare-metal pegmatites in the Kalba granitic batholith (Eastern Kazakhstan). Mineralization is especially abundant in the Central-Kalba ore district, where pegmatite bodies occur at the top of large granite plutons and at intersections of deep faults. The pegmatites contain several successive mineral assemblages from barren quartz-microcline and quartz-microcline-albite to Li-Cs-Ta-Nb-Be-Sn-bearing cleavelandite-lepidolite-spodumene. Ar-Ar muscovite and lepidolite ages bracket the metallogenic event between 291 and 286 Ma. The pegmatite mineral deposits formed synchronously with the emplacement of the phase 1 Kalba granites during the evolution of hydrous silicate rare-metal magmas that are produced by the differentiation of granite magma at large sources with possible inputs of F and rare metals with fluids.

Ta-Nb mineralization in rare-metal pegmatite from north-western frame of Lypniazhka granite-migmatite structure

The three type of rare-metal pegmatites are know in Stankuvatske ore field (Ingul megablock, the Ukraianian Shield), such as: Li-bearing, Bi-As-U and Ta-Nb pegmatites. For the first time Ta-Nb mineralisation from Ta-Nb bearing albite-K-Feldspar rare metal pegmatite have been described. Investigated pegmatite is located on the Norh-West frame of the Lypnazky granitemigmatite massive among hosted amphibolites. Rare-metal pegmatite doesn’t have obvious zonality and consist of alkaline feldspar, biotite, muscovite, dark to black colour quartz, blue-greenish apatite, nigerite, gachnite, tourmaline, monazite. The primary ferrocolumbite and Nb-rutile-II have undergone strong hydrothermal alteration. Thus primary rutile-II decomposed with formation of skeletal intergrowths of secondary cassiterite and rutile-III with a much lower volume of Nb and Ta under the influence of hydrothermal fluid. Primary homogenous Nb-rutile-I (Nb2O5+Ta2O5 from 33,5 to 42,9 wt.%) exsolved a fine trellis-like pattern and lamellar of Nb-pure rutile-III, cassiterite and Mn-rich ilmenite. The Nb-rutile-II is occurred in tabular grains with unclear internal zonation. Primary ferrcolumbite breakdown to Ti-ixiolite and Nb-rutile-III. Primary oscillatory zonality is transformed into irregularly patchy and veinlety. Recrystallized ferrotantalite is secondary and uncommon mineral. Ferrocolumbite contains 2.93 to 4.74 wt.%TiO2, and titanian ixiolite 7,33-10,76 wt.%. The (Ti,Nb)>Ta mineral assemblages, and compositional trend of columbite with very low Ta/(Ta+Nb) and Mn/ (Mn+Fe) imply a general low level of fractionation in comparison with typical beryl-columbite rare-metal pegmatites.