The Elatsite porphyry copper deposit occurs in an island-arc setting hosted by Late Cretaceous monzonitic-monzodioritic porphyry stocks which were emplaced into Precambrian-Cambrian phyllites. Trace element data of the Late Cretaceous intrusive rocks suggest that they are I-type volcanic arc granitoids. Two main ore mineral assemblages are distinguished:(1) magnetite-bornite-chalcopyrite, and (2) chalcopyrite-pyrite. The first one is linked to potassic-propylitic, and the second to phyllic-argillic alteration. Minor ore minerals are hematite, molybdenite, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, marcasite, hessite, and solid solutions of linnaeite-siegenite-carrollite, tetrahedritetennantite, clausthalite-galena, gold-electrum and merenskyite-moncheite. Precious-metal contents are relatively high throughout the deposit but Au, Pd and Pt are concentrated more strongly in the magnetitebornite-chalcopyrite assemblage. Average grades of Au, Ag, Pd and Pt calculated for the 0.33% Cu ore body are 0.96, 0.19, 0.007 and 0.002 g/t respectively. Analyses of flotation concentrates revealed 25.6% Cu, and Ag, Au, Pd and Pt contents of 33.0, 13.6, 0.72 and 0.15 g/t respectively. The copper mineralisation at Elatsite took place at pressures of 120 to 300 bar, corresponding to depths of formation of 1 to 3 km under hydrostatic conditions. The precious metals were probably transported jointly as chloride complexes in highly saline magmatic-hydrothermal solutions. The fluids had temperatures of 340 to >700°C and salinities of 28 to 64% NaCl, and mixed with meteoric water.
The Radka deposit is one of the largest Cu-Au epithermal deposits related to Late Cretaceous volcanic arc-type magmatic activity in the Panagyurishte ore region, central part of the Srednogorie zone, Bulgaria. The mineralogical and geochemical features of a vinciennite-bearing Cu-As-Sn (± Au) assemblage at Radka show very similar characteristics to those in other vinciennite-bearing high-sulfidation epithermal deposits worldwide. The assemblage consists of enargite, Cu-excess tennantite, chalcopyrite, gold, vinciennite, colusite, and minor covellite, within a gangue of barite, illite, and quartz. A detailed electronmicroprobe study of vinciennite and associated minerals reveals the heterovalency of Cu and Fe. New data on the composition of vinciennite sheds light on aspects of its crystal chemistry, such as incorporation of Cu 2+ and Fe 3+ and Sn 4+ Ge 4+ substitution, and leads us to propose a new empirical formula: Cu + 8 Cu 2+ 2 Fe 3+ 3 (Fe,Cu) 2+ (Sn,Ge) 4+ (As,Sb) 5+ S 16 2-. Infrared microthermometry of enargite-hosted fluid inclusions provides constraints on the conditions of deposition of this unusual assemblage in the context of the evolution of the magma-related ore-forming system at Radka. The assemblage was formed by oxidized and slightly acid fluids, with a dominantly magmatic signature, high fugacity of sulfur and intermediate salinity (about 10 wt.% eq. NaCl) at a temperature of about 275°C. In view of the geology of the Radka deposit, its mineralogical and geochemical peculiarities, ore textures, type of hydrothermal alteration and the character of the fluids, we interpret the deposit as a deep part of a high-sulfidation epithermal mineralization, possibly genetically related to a porphyry copper system.
Vlaykov Vruh-Elshitsa represents the best example of paired porphyry Cu and epithermal Cu-Au deposits within the Late Cretaceous Apuseni-BanatTimok-Srednogorie magmatic and metallogenic belt of Eastern Europe. The two deposits are part of the NW trending Panagyurishte magmato-tectonic corridor of central Bulgaria. The deposits were formed along the SW flank of the Elshitsa volcano-intrusive complex and are spatially associated with N110-120-trending hypabyssal and subvolcanic bodies of granodioritic composition. At Elshitsa, more than ten lenticular to columnar massive ore bodies are discordant with respect to the host rock and are structurally controlled. A particular feature of the mineralization is the overprinting of an early stage high-sulfidation mineral assemblage (pyrite ± enargite ± covellite ± goldfieldite) by an intermediate-sulfidation paragenesis with a characteristic Cu-Bi-Te-Pb-Zn signature forming the main economic parts of the ore bodies. The two stages of mineralization produced two compositionally different types of ores-massive pyrite and copper-pyrite bodies. Vlaykov Vruh shares features with typical porphyry Cu systems. Their common geological and structural setting, ore-forming processes, and paragenesis, as well as the observed alteration and geochemical lateral and vertical zonation, allow us to interpret the Elshitsa and Vlaykov Vruh deposits as the deep part of a high-sulfidation epithermal system and its spatially and genetically related porphyry Cu counterpart, respectively. The magmatichydrothermal system at Vlaykov Vruh-Elshitsa produced much smaller deposits than similar complexes in the northern part of the Panagyurishte district (Chelopech, Elatsite, Assarel). Magma chemistry and isotopic signature are some of the main differences between the northern and southern parts of the district. Major and trace element geochemistry of the Elshitsa magmatic complex are indicative for the medium-to high-K calc-alkaline character of the magmas. 87 Pb=37.497-38.630) allow attribution of ore-formation in the porphyry and epithermal deposits in the Southern Panagyurishte district to a single metallogenic event with a common source of metals.
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