Gold and antimony metallogenic relations and ore-forming process of Qinglong Sb(Au) deposit in Youjiang basin, SW China: Sulfide trace elements and sulfur isotopes
Jun Chen, Zhilong Huang, Ruidong Yang, Li‐Juan Du, Mingyang Liao
Abstract
In the northwestern margin of the Youjiang basin (NWYB) in SW China, many Carlin-like gold deposits are highly antimony (Sb)-rich, and many vein-type Sb deposits contain much Au. These deposits have similar ages, host rocks, ore-forming temperatures, ore-related alterations and ore mineral assemblages, but the Au and Sb metallogenic relations and their ore-forming process remain enigmatic. Here we investigate the large Qinglong Sb deposit in the NWYB, which has extensive sub-economic Au mineralization, and present a new metallogenic model based on in-situ trace elements (EPMA and LA-ICP-MS) and sulfur isotopes (NanoSIMS and fs-LA-MC-ICP-MS) of the ore sulfides. At Qinglong, economic Sb ores contain coarse-grained stibnite, jasperoid quartz and fluorite, whilst the sub-economic Au–Sb ores comprise dominantly veined quartz, arsenian pyrite and fine-grained stibnite. Three generations of ore-related pyrite (Py1, Py2 and Py3) and two generations of stibnite (Stb1 and Stb2) are identified based on their texture, chemistry, and sulfur isotopes. The pre-ore Py1 is characterized by the lower ore element (Au, As, Sb, Cu and Ag) contents (mostly below the LA-ICP-MS detection limit) and Co/Ni ratios (average 0.31) than the ore-stage pyrites (Py2 and Py3), implying a sedimentary/diagenetic origin. The Py2 and Py3 have elevated ore element abundance (maximum As = 6500 ppm, Au = 22 ppm, Sb = 6300 ppm, Cu = 951 ppm, Ag = 77 ppm) and Co/Ni ratios (average 1.84), and have positive As vs. Au–Sb–Cu–Ag correlations. Early-ore Stb1 has lower As (0.12–0.30 wt.%) than late-ore Stb2 (0.91–1.20 wt.%). These features show that the progressive As enrichment in ore sulfides is accompanied by increasing Au, Sb, Cu and Ag with the hydrothermal evolution, thereby making As a good proxy for Au. As-rich, As-poor and As-free zones are identified via NanoSIMS mapping of the Au-bearing pyrite. The As-rich zones in the Qinglong Au-bearing pyrites (Py2 and Py3) and ore stibnites (Stb1 and Stb2) have narrow δ34SH2S ranges (−8.9‰ to +4.1‰, average −3.1‰) and −2.9‰ to +6.9‰, average + 1.3‰), respectively, indicating that the Au-rich and Sb-rich fluids may have had the same sulfur source. Published in-situ sulfur isotopic data of pyrite As-rich zones from other Carlin-like Au deposits (Shuiyindong, Taipingdong, Nayang, Getang and Lianhuashan) in the NWYB have similar ore-fluid δSH2S34 values (−4.5‰ to +6.7‰, average −0.6‰) to those of Qinglong. Therefore, we infer that the sulfur of both Au and Sb mineralization was derived from the same magmatic-related source (0 ± 5‰) in the NWYB. Moreover, the core of pyrites (Py1) has variable S isotope fractionation (−18.9‰ to +18.1‰, mostly +3‰ to +12‰), suggesting that the higher-34S H2S was produced by bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR). The hydrothermal pyrite (Py2 and Py3) δ34S values gradually decrease with increasing As concentrations, and ultimately, within the restricted range (−5‰ to +5‰) in As-rich zones. This variation implies that the As-rich pyrite was formed through ongoing interactions of the magmatic-hydrothermal fluid with pre-existing sedimentary pyrites, causing the progressive decreasing δ34S values with As content increase, Hence, the fluid/mineral interaction may have generated the observed variation in δ34S and As contents. Overall, comparing the Au and Sb deposits in the NWYB, we favor a magmatic-related source for the Au–Sb–As-rich fluids, but the Au- and Sb-ore fluids were likely evolved at separate stages in the ore-forming system.