GEGN 401 - Mineral Deposits

Lecture 25 - Iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) and Kiruna-

type iron Deposits
What are IOCGs?
Hydrothermal ore deposits characterized by large
amounts of hydrothermally precipitated iron oxide
(magnetite and/or hematite) with associated copper-iron
sulfides and gold.

This is a new (defined early 1990’s) class of deposits that

are now a major exploration target. The class includes
the Olympic Dam deposit in Australia - one of the world’s
great ore deposits.

IOCG = Iron oxide-copper-gold

This is a long lecture – may not finish and you will have to
review yourself and ask questions. Murray Hitzman

Assignment 10
Geological Society of America 125th Anniversary Annual Meeting – Denver, CO

•  Next week the Geological Society of America (GSA) holds its Annual Meeting (its 125th)
in Denver. This will be a special meeting with a number of important talks due to the
125th Anniversary. Many of the faculty and graduate students from the department will
be attending the meeting and I encourage you to attend as well.

•  A number of sessions will deal with economic geology:

•  The assignment is to attend GSA and sit through at least one economic geology
session. Take notes on what you hear and write a two-page summary of the session
that describes the most interesting things you learned technically. I also want you to
critique the actual presentations – what worked well with the presentations and what
did not? Were the presentations suited to a general geology audience or were they too
specific.

•  For those of you who do NOT attend the meeting – go the GSA website and look up the
abstracts for the sessions dealing with rare earth element deposits (T97, T106, and P11
– above). Read these abstracts and put together a two-page paper that discusses the
most important new results coming out of research into the REE deposits – cite the
abstracts correctly in your work and provide a reference list of the abstracts you utilize.

•  This paper is due Friday at 5 pm on November 1. Please send it to me by email:

mhitzman@mines.edu
Murray Hitzman

Page 1
Iron Oxide-Copper-Gold (IOCG) Deposits!

“Consideration of this broad group as a

whole obscures the critical features of the
IOCG sensu stricto deposits, such as
temporal distribution and tectonic
environment, leading to difficulties in
developing a robust exploration model.”

*Groves, D., Bierlein, F., Meinert, L., and Hitzman, M., 2010, Definition
of Iron Oxide-Copper-Gold (IOCG) Deposits and Proposed Associated
Ore Types and Their Distribution Through Earth History: Economic
Geology, v. 105, p. 641-654.

Murray Hitzman

Characteristics of IOCGs!
•  Age - Archean to Pliocene

•  Tectonic setting is variable — located in continental

margin settings with subduction to intercontinental
rifts. Local ore deposit setting generally extensional.

•  Association with igneous activity - vast majority

spatially and temporally related to magmatic events.
No specific magma composition related to deposits.

•  Apparent association with evaporites and/or playa

brines

•  Highly structurally controlled

•  Morphology of deposits is highly variable Murray Hitzman

Page 2
 Characteristics of IOCGs —
Mineralogy and Metals!

•  Mineralogy
Iron oxide minerals (magnetite, hematite)
dominant, minor sulfides (generally
chalcopyrite, lesser pyrite), gangue carbonates,
calc-silicate minerals, barite, (quartz).

•  Elemental Association - Fe, LREE

Other elements in the deposits (U, Cu, Au, Ag,
Co, Zn, etc.) depend on the composition of the
host rocks leached by hydrothermal fluids.

Murray Hitzman

IOCG Deposits!

Iron oxide-Cu-Au deposits display

remarkable diversity in alteration,
metal content, and structural style.
This diversity is akin to the
geologically better understood MVT
(Mississippi Valley-type) family of
Zn-Pb deposits (we will look at later
in the class) formed by a range of
Candelaria, Chile fluids and a range of precipitation
mechanisms.

Pagisteel, Yukon Olympic Dam, Australia Murray Hitzman

Page 3
 Kiruna-type Iron Deposits!

Massive bodies of magnetite (or hematite) – apatite,

generally in volcanic rocks.

Some workers believe due to emplacement of igneous

melt (nelsonite) – remember magnetite layers in
upper Bushveld.

Magnetite in these deposits is titanium-poor while

igneous magnetite is Ti-rich.

Textures suggest Kiruna-types formed by

hydrothermal alteration.

Murray Hitzman

Characteristics of Kiruna-types!
•  Age - Archean to Pliocene

•  Tectonic setting is variable — but most located in

continental margin settings with subduction to
intercontinental rifts.

•  Association with igneous activity – Most spatially and

temporally related to intermediate composition
intrusions or volcanic products of such intrusions.

•  Structurally controlled or controlled by location of

intrusion.

•  Morphology of deposits is highly variable, most are

irregular massive bodies with abundant magnetite-
matrix breccia.
Murray Hitzman

Page 4
 Characteristics of Kiruna-type Iron Deposits —
Mineralogy and Metals!

•  Mineralogy
Iron oxide minerals (magnetite, hematite) very
minor sulfides (pyrite),
gangue apatite.

•  Elemental Association - Fe, LREE (in apatite)

Murray Hitzman

“Kiruna-type” Magnetite
Deposits!

Magnetite-apatite
deposits display
similarities in all settings!

Kiruna

Kantonga, Zambia
Pilot Knob (subsurface)
Murray Hitzman

Page 5
 IOCG vs. Kiruna: Many criteria in common – primary
differences are % sulfides and alteration types
SENSU STRICTO IOCG KIRUNA - TYPE
Magmatic-hydrothermal deposits that Magmatic-hydrothermal deposits of
contain economic Cu + Au grades magnetite with minor/trace sulfides,
(generally 0.7-1.5% Cu; 0.8 – 1 g/t Au). dominantly pyrite.
Structurally controlled and commonly Structurally or intrusive contact
contain significant volumes of breccia. controlled. commonly contain significant
volumes of breccia.
Commonly associated with pre-sulfide Commonly associated with sodic or
sodic/sodic-calcic alteration on regional, sodic-calcic alteration sometimes on a
scale relative to economic large scale relative to economic
mineralization. Have potassic, calcic, or mineralization.
hydrolyitic alteration assemblages with
sulfides.
Generally have elevated (anomalous) Ce Generally have elevated (anomalous) Ce
and La. and La.
Lack significant or abundant quartz veins Lack significant or abundant quartz veins
or silicification. or silicification.
Form from highly oxidized, saline fluids. Form from highly oxidized, saline fluids.

Murray Hitzman

IOCG Deposits!
Hitzman et al. (1992) suggested that Magnetite-apatite (“Kiruna-type”)
deposits were equivalent to Iron oxide-Cu-Au (“Olympic Dam-type”)
deposits.
More recent work suggest that these “types” are end-members of a
continuum of “barren” to “productive” IOCGs.

Murray Hitzman

Page 6
 Sensu Stricto IOCG Ore System Alteration
•  Variable by district:
–  Gawler - abundant hydrolytic with ore; large scale potassic.

–  Chile - huge regional sodic alteration, and well developed potassic and
calcic with ore

–  Cloncurry - structurally controlled, but very extensive sodic (calcic), well

developed potassic (at Ernest Henry, Mt. Dore), little to no hydrolyitic

–  Carajas/ Guelb Moghrein- poorly developed sodic (as presently known),

less well developed potassic, very well developed (but structurally
constrained) calcic alteration with ore, locally constrained hydrolytic.

•  Variability probably depends on:

–  total hydrothermal fluid volumes (water/rock ratio),
–  permeability of rock mass,
–  magmatic/host rock brine ratio of fluids,
–  regional wallrock composition, and
–  depth of formation. Murray Hitzman

Kiruna-type Ore System Alteration

•  Virtually all contain sodic or sodic-calcic

alteration assemblages with magnetite ore.

•  Potassic and calcic assemblages more rarely

developed.

•  Virtual absence of calcic or hydrolytic

assemblages.

Murray Hitzman

Page 7
 Sensu Stricto IOCGs – Elemental Variation!

•  A hallmark of these deposits is that each

district (if not deposit) has a slightly different
trace element signature:

– Olympic Dam (U, Ag, F)

– Salobo (F, anomalous As, Co, Mo, Ni)
– Candelaria (Zn, Co, Ag)
– Cloncurry – Mt. Dore (Zn, Pb); Mt. Cobalt (Co); Mary
Kathleen (U); Tick Hill (Au)
– Guelb Moghrein (anomalous Bi, Te)

•  This reflects the geochemistry of the crust that

the hydrothermal fluids are moving through.
Murray Hitzman

Kiruna-type Ore System

Elemental Variation

•  All virtually the same –

– Fe-rich

– P-rich

– Trace Ce, La

– Often minor Ba

Murray Hitzman

Page 8
 Distribution of IOCG Districts!

Great Bear Fennoscandinavia

Wernecke

Grenville 0!
1!
5! Yunnan
Baja
Carajas
Cloncurry
N. Chile/
Peru Lufilian Gawler

Iron Oxide-Cu-Au districts

World-wide distribution, common ore type. Kiruna-type
deposits are even more wide-spread. Murray Hitzman

IOCG Mines!

Nico
(open 2013?)
Guleb Dahongshan
0!
1!
5!

Moghrein Sin Qyuen

Sossego,
Igarape Bahia Ernest
Raul
Henry,
Candelaria Olympic Osborne
Manto Verde Dam,
Prominent
Hill

Murray Hitzman

Page 9
 IOCG Ore System!

•  Metal and sulfur source - Dominantly oxidized

wallrock package

•  Transport - Oxidized, saline hydrothermal fluids

•  Energy - Dominantly igneous, may be

metamorphic or even basinal dewatering.

•  Trap - Dominantly chemical trap, fluid mixing

probably best means of precipitating uranium,
sulfides and gold.

Murray Hitzman

IOCG Alteration -
Sodic-calcic &
Sodic!

•  Characteristic of this deposit type

•  Alteration mineralogy is wallrock controlled:
–  Albite (scapolite) in more felsic host rocks
–  Albite-actinolite-diopside (scapolite) in more mafic host rocks
•  Magnetite is ubiquitous, variable percentages spatially with zones
of >10% common.
•  Generally this alteration type does not produce ore, but some gold-rich
albitic systems now recognized.
Alteration zones commonly >>100 km2 in plan view. Intensity of alteration
variable with most intense alteration along high-angle structures.

Murray Hitzman

Page 10
 Sodic Alteration!

“White Rock”

Rhyodacite ash flow altered to

albite with disseminated hematite
(“red rock”), footwall of Kiruna
magnetite orebody, Sweden.

Massively albitized diorite with “Red Rock”

minor chlorite-magnetite, El
Espino, Chile.

Murray Hitzman

Sodic Alteration Dahongshan, China

Chlorite-amphibole rock (mafic Magnetite clasts in albite matrix.

metavolcanic rock?) cut by
albite veins.

Murray Hitzman

Page 11
 IOCG Alteration -
Potassic

•  Potassium-bearing minerals include both biotite and orthoclase.

–  Orthoclase in more felsic rocks
–  Biotite in more mafic rocks
•  Potassic zones with variably abundant magnetite - generally >10%.
High level systems may have hematite at expense of magnetite.
•  Potassic alteration primarily as wholesale wallrock replacement,
not vein stockwork at scale of hand specimen.
•  Quartz veinlets relatively rare.
•  Ore bearing portion of many systems.
Potassic alteration zone relatively restricted, generally <10km2 in plan view.
Murray Hitzman

Potassic Alteration - Potassium Feldspar

Rhyolite ash flow

altered to
orthoclase (Ksp) in
the upper Hauki
hematite ores of the
Kiruna system,
Sweden.

Note that it is
sometimes difficult
to distinguish albitic
alteration from Ksp
alteration in hand
specimen.
Murray Hitzman

Page 12
 Potassic Alteration - Biotite

Outcrop
Andesite altered to
massive biotite-
magnetite rock.
Candelaria deposit,
Chile.

Mgt
Bio

Thin section
Murray Hitzman

Potassic Alteration - Ksp + Biotite

Felsic volcanic rock replaced by biotite-magnetite and then

cut by orthoclase alteration. Ernest Henry deposit, Australia.
Murray Hitzman

Page 13
 ICOG Alteration — Calcic
Calcic (Sodic-Calcic)!

•  Not recognized at time of early papers (early 1990’s). Now seen

to be major component of many IOCG systems.
•  Calc-silicate minerals (actinolite, diopside, hornblende, grunerite,
garnet)
•  Calcic zones with variably abundant magnetite - generally >10%.
High level systems may have hematite at expense of magnetite.
•  Calcic alteration may be replacive or stockwork vein (often called
“skarn”).
•  Calcic assemblages may overlap sodic in time and space; they
may come before or after potassic alteration.
•  Contains ore in several districts (Chile/Peru/Carajas/Cloncurry/
Guleb Moghrein)
Calcic alteration zones relatively restricted, generally <10km2 in plan view. They are
commonly smaller than sodic zones, but larger than potassic zones. Murray Hitzman

Sodic-Calcic Alteration

Felsic volcanic rocks altered to albite (red with hematite “dust”)

and actinolite. Archer Prospect, Cloncurry district, Australia.

Murray Hitzman

Page 14
 Calcic Alteration

Grunerite-garnet clasts (Calcic alteration) in a biotite-

grunerite matrix (Potassic-calcic alteration). Salobo deposit,
Carajas district, Brazil.

Murray Hitzman

Calcic Alteration

Siltstone replaced by albite-epidote-garnet-

magnetite. Transitional with sodic-calcic
alteration. El Espino, Chile.

Calcareous siltstone altered to

magnetite-epidote-garnet. El Espino,
Chile.
Murray Hitzman

Page 15
 Calcic Alteration

Coarse-grained pyroxene
(diopside) with later vug filling
calcite. (“Skarn”). Mt. Elliot,
Cloncurry district, Australia.

Calcareous siltstone altered to

diopside-magnetite and cut by
later sulfides. Mt. Elliot.
Murray Hitzman

Calcic Alteration

Ductile deformation with

carbonate layer
boudinaged.

Calcic alteration may

also involve carbonate
as at the Guleb
Moghrein deposit in
Mauritania.
More brittle veining by
amphibole-magnetite. Murray Hitzman

Page 16
 IOCG Alteration —
Hydrolytic!

•  Mineral assemblage of chlorite-sericite-carbonate-(quartz)

•  Hematite is the dominant iron oxide
•  Generally developed at high levels in systems.
•  May contain ore (HSCC – (hm-ser-chl-carb) alteration encases all
major deposits on Gawler Craton, but few other economic
systems recognized elsewhere in the world).
•  Footprint generally small relative to other alteration types.
•  May be difficult to distinguish from “epithermal” alteration types.

Murray Hitzman

Hydrolytic Alteration

Edge of Olympic Dam (Australia) breccia

body with wallrock granite altered to sericite-
carbonate-hematite-(chlorite).

Volcanic rock altered to sericite-carbonate in

hematite matrix. Prominent Hill, Australia.

Murray Hitzman

Page 17
 Hydrolytic
Alteration

Biotitized clasts of volcanic

rocks in a matrix of sericite-
carbonate-(hematite)- and
chalcopyrite. Sossego
deposit, Carajas district,
Brazil.

Murray Hitzman

Hydrolytic Alteration

Dacites altered to sericite -

hematite -(fluorite) with late
calcite veins. San Xavier
deposit, Sonora, Mexico.

Murray Hitzman

Page 18
 Hydrolytic
Alteration

Andesites altered to
quartz-sericite-
hematite and highly
brecciated. El
Espino system,
Chile.

Murray Hitzman

Alteration Assemblage
Depends Partially on Protolith

“Hydrolytic” alteration
Basalt Rhyolite basalt: chl - carb - hm
rhyolite: ser - chl - hm
“Potassic” alteration
basalt: bio - chl - cal - hm
Limestone
rhyolite: Ksp - bio - mgt -hm

Sodic alteration
alb - scap - act - hbl

Sandstone Skarn
garnet - pyrox - act
Evaporites
Hematite /
Intrusive Magnetite

Murray Hitzman

Page 19
 Vertical Variation in
IOCG System
Alteration Patterns
5 km

1 km
Hydrolytic alteration

Potassic alteration

Sodic alteration

IOCG deposit

Mgt-apatite deposit

Murray Hitzman

Pb, Zn?
Vertical Metal Variation
Ag, Co, in IOCG System
5 km U, S

1 km
Fe, Cu, S, Hydrolytic alteration
Au
Potassic alteration

Fe Sodic alteration

IOCG deposit

Fe Mgt-apatite deposit

Murray Hitzman

Page 20
 Metal Content of IOCGs

IOCG system
Potassic alteration
Sodic -calcic
alteration
Source of
wallrock Oxidized
buffered brine Porphyry
brines magmatic Cu
Fluid system
-Na, Ca, K, Si, metals
Intrusion

Each IOCG displays a different metal “fingerprint” (Au, U, Ag, Zn, Ni, Co,
LREE, etc.) This is expected as the enormous hydrothermal systems
which forms these deposits “see” different crust along their flow path.
Murray Hitzman

IOCG Structural Models - Shear Zones / Faults

Olympic Dam
Salobo Sossego
Sequerinho Ernest Henry
Sin Quyen

Most IOCG deposits are essentially vein systems, often in

ductile-brittle transition zones. Larger deposits develop in
fault jogs (or at fault intersections) and form stockwork
deposits or “breccia pipes.”

Murray Hitzman

Page 21
 IOCG Structural Models - Physical Trap!

Candelaria

“Manto” style mineralization is also possible where

IOCG fluids are channeled (structurally) into favorable
units and/or structural traps.
Murray Hitzman

Structural Control of Sensu Stricto IOCG Systems –

Major Crustal-scale Fault Zones!
Southern Cloncurry Carajas

N Lanham

Furnas

Sossego

Alteration
Zone
Alvo
Alteration 118
Zone
Tip Top

intrusion

Blockbuster
Gameleira

Mt Elliot-Swan
Pajuca
Salobo

5 km
Starra Alemao
Mt Dore-Merlin
5 km N Murray Hitzman

Page 22
 Sensu Stricto IOCG
“Hydrothermal
Metamorphism”
•  In a number of Sensu Stricto
IOCG deposits high
temperature (and sometimes
apparent high pressure)
alteration assemblages along
faults suggest significant
upward migration of
“metamorphic” conditions.

•  Sensu Stricto IOCG deposits

associated with “hydrothermal
metamorphism”.

•  Such “hydrothermal
metamorphism” not apparent
at Kiruna-type deposits.

Murray Hitzman

IOCG Deposits on the

Gawler Shelf,
South Australia
including Olympic
Dam

•  The Gawler Shelf includes two producing IOCG deposits - Olympic Dam
and Prominent Hill as well as a number of subeconomic magnetite-
dominant deposits.

•  Olympic Dam has resources of 8 Bt 0.87% Cu, 0.29 kg/t U3O8, 0.3 g/t Au,
1.61 g/t Ag.

•  Olympic Dam is currently the world’s 4th biggest Cu mine, largest U

mine in the world, and 5th biggest Au mine.

•  Owner BHP Billiton announced (and now deferred - 2012) plans to

convert to an open pit operation which will require stripping of 300m of
overburden. Costs are estimated at >$10 billion. Murray Hitzman

Page 23
 Geology of the
Gawler Craton!

•  X

Murray Hitzman

Gawler Craton - IOCG Deposits

Two distinct styles of mineralization present:

–  Magnetite (Cu) — [DEEP]

»  Acropolis, Wirrda Well, Emmie Bluff, Oak Dam,
Manxman

–  Hematite breccia Cu-Au-(U) — [SHALLOW]

Murray Hitzman

Page 24
 Acropolis Prospect - Magnetite Deposit

Prospect is a near coincident magnetic and gravity anomaly.

Murray Hitzman

Acropolis Prospect -
Gawler Volcanic Rocks

•  Gawler volcanic rocks

(dacites) display brick
red color (Ksp - potassic
alteration).

•  In the prospect the rocks

are cut by abundant
magnetite-apatite veins.

DDH ACD-7, ~860m

Murray Hitzman

Page 25
 Acropolis Prospect - Hiltaba Granite

DDH ACD-3, 1012m

Potassically altered Hiltaba suite granite. Biotite altered to chlorite.

Murray Hitzman

DDH ACD-7, 865m

Acropolis Prospect -
Magnetite Mineralized Gawler
Volcanic Rocks

•  Potassically altered Gawler

volcanic rocks cut by apatite-
magnetite-chlorite veins

DDH ACD-7, 867m

•  Potassically altered Gawler

volcanic rocks cut by
unfoliated to weakly foliated
magnetite-apatite veins.

Murray Hitzman

Page 26
 Acropolis Prospect -
Magnetite Mineralization

Potassically altered granite cut by magnetite

veins, locally forming a magnetite matrix breccia.

Breccia with clasts of potassically altered

granite (and volcanic rocks?) in a magnetite
matrix. Texture is similar to the hematitic
breccias of Olympic Dam.

DDH ACD-3, 679.5m

Murray Hitzman

Acropolis Prospect -
Foliated texture in granite cut by sulfides

DDH ACD-3, 711.5m

Potassically altered granite cut by foliated magnetite breccia,
suggesting hydrothermal alteration during deformation, which is then
cut by pyrite-chalcopyrite.

Murray Hitzman

Page 27
 Gawler Craton - IOCG Deposits

•  Two distinct styles of mineralization present:

–  Hematite breccia Cu-Au-(U) — [SHALLOW]

»  Olympic Dam (761Mt @ 1.5% Cu, 0.5 g/t Au, 0.6 kg/t U3O8 or 425
ppm U)
»  Prominent Hill (101 Mt @ 1.5% Cu, 0.55 g/t Au, 103 ppm U)
»  Carrapateena (203 Mt @ 1.3% Cu, 0.56 g/t Au)

Carrapateena

Olympic Dam
Prominent Hill

Murray Hitzman

Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag-LREE Deposit

•  The deposit occurs
within an elongate
breccia body sitting
within granite.

•  The breccia body is

zoned from an outer
zone of veined and
weakly brecciated
granite into hematite
matrix granite breccias
to hematite-rich breccias.

•  The core of the pipe

contains massive
hematite breccia, zones
of silicification, and
down dropped blocks of
volcaniclastic rocks (from Reynolds, 2001, MESA Journal)
(Gawler volcanics).
Murray Hitzman

Page 28
 Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag-LREE Deposit
•  More recent drilling (from Reynolds, 2001, MESA Journal)
has shown that
outmost alteration
recognized is biotite-
out line.
•  The company then
uses 5% Fe contour
as edge of main
hydrothermal system.
•  They state that all the
Ksp in the OD granite
is igneous and that
the plagioclase in the
granite is dominantly
albitic — both these
seem questionable —
early sodic alteration
and later potassic?

(from Ehrig Murray

et al., 2012)
Hitzman

Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag-LREE Deposit

•  The deposit
occurs within an
elongate breccia
body sitting
within granite.

•  The breccia
units flair out
upwards.

•  The pipe is cut

by a number of
vertically-
oriented mafic
and felsic dikes.
(from Reynolds, 2001, MESA Journal)

Murray Hitzman

Page 29
 Olympic Dam - Structural Controls

•  Most recent
structural
interpretation
(Ehrig et al., 2012)
still has complex
network of faults
with NW-trending
faults cut by NE-
trending faults.

•  Difficult to pick
out fundamental
structure.

(from Ehrig et al., 2012)

Murray Hitzman

Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag-LREE Deposit

Granite cut by
hematite veins;
anomalous U.

Granite-rich
breccia.

Heterolithic
hematite breccia
with granite and
hematite clasts.

Hematite-quartz
breccia.
(from Reynolds, 2001, MESA Journal) Murray Hitzman

Page 30
 OD - Replacement of Host Rock Granite
(from Reynolds, 2001, MESA Journal)

Granite-rich breccia. Feldspar being replaced by hematite along cleavage.

The hematite breccias at

Olympic Dam often preserve
original granite textures.
This textural evidence (from
Oreskes
indicates that some hematite and
Einaudi,
formed by replacement of 1990, Econ
granite. Other hematite Geol.)

formed as a breccia matrix or

as hematitic sediments. Massive hematite preserving plagioclase textures
Murray Hitzman
from granite

Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag-LREE Deposit -

Mineralization

Mineralization is concentrated along the axis of

(from Reynolds, the
2001, breccia
MESA Journal) pipe,
coincident with the location of hematite-rich breccias.
Murray Hitzman

Page 31
 Olympic Dam – Sulfide Zonation
More work has refined the patterns. Probably not
well preserved supergene blanket.

Ehrig et al., 2012

Murray Hitzman

Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag-LREE Deposit -

Mineralization

Bornite-chalcocite mineralization in a
hematite granite breccia. Disseminated chalcopyrite
mineralization in both clasts and matrix
of a hematite-rich breccia.
(from Reynolds, 2001, MESA Journal)

Mineralization at Olympic Dam occurs as disseminated grains and

veinlets of sulfides (cpy, bn, cc) and uraninite (pitchblende), with
lesser coffinite and brannerite. Gold and silver occur with copper
sulfides. Most mineralization is within the matrix of hematitic
breccias. Murray Hitzman

Page 32
Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag-LREE Deposit - Mineralization

Mineralization at Olympic Dam occurs

as disseminated grains and veinlets
of sulfides (cpy, bn, cc) and coffinite
with uraninite lesser uraninite and
brannerite. Gold and silver occur with
copper sulfides. Most mineralization
is within the matrix of hematitic
breccias.

Murray Hitzman

Olympic Dam – Sulfide Zonation

More work has refined the patterns. Probably not
well preserved supergene blanket.

Ehrig et al., 2012

Murray Hitzman

Page 33
 Gawler IOCGs - Hydrothermal Fluids
•  Two hydrothermal fluids are currently recognized:
–  CAM (calc-silicate-alkali feldspar-mgt)—- High temperature (>350°C,
hypersaline, multiphase, high pressure? (Fluid inclusions decrepitate
before 400°C). Associated with albitic, calcic, and potassic alteration.
Dominant fluids observed in magnetite-copper systems.
–  HSCC — Medium to low temperature (<250°C), variable salinity, few
daughter minerals. Associated with HSCC or hydrolytic alteration.

(Bastrakov, Skirrow,
and Barovich, 2002)

Murray Hitzman

Gawler IOCGs - Hydrothermal Fluids

Which of the fluids carried

copper? (or did both?)

Clearly the CAM fluid

had copper
(chalcopyrite daughters)
and PIXE (in-situ
analysis of fluid
inclusions) indicates
that the flincs had
significant Cu. Murray Hitzman

Page 34
 Gawler IOCGs - CAM & Cu

CAM fluids can carry plenty of copper. Interesting that many of

magnetite bodies formed by these fluids do not contain much
copper - is it passing through and not being trapped?

(Bastrakov, Skirrow,
and Barovich, 2002)

Murray Hitzman

Gawler IOCG System — Source(s)

•  Metals —
–  Crustal (large-scale hydrothermal system) [mgt-Cu]
–  Magmatic [HSCC contributor?]

•  Sulfur —
–  Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks with evaporites (?)
–  Magma?

•  Fluids —
–  Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary basins - already
dehydrated at time of alteration/mineralization?
–  Magmas - not enough volume of fluid
–  Lower crustal dehydration

Murray Hitzman

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 Gawler IOCG System — Migration Paths

Deep seismic profile

•  Crustal-scale —
–  Along terrane boundaries and upper-crustal major fault complexes active at
1575-1595 Ma (may be both extensional and compressional)
•  District-scale —
–  NW-trending regional and district transpressive (?) fault/shear zones and
district- to deposit-scale NE-trending faults.
•  Deposit-scale —
–  Localized extension, such as dilational jogs, during alteration/mineralization;
breccias are a product of these structural-magmatic-hydrothermal settings.

Murray Hitzman

Gawler IOCG System — Trap

Still not known. For large, high-grade deposits there
are probably few choices:

•  Fluid mixing:
–  Reduced fluid (+Cu,Au) with Oxidized fluid (+Cu,Au)

•  Water-rock interaction
–  Oxidized fluid with Cu, Au interacts with reduced wallrock
(could be mgt if hm-stable fluid) - redox change
–  Note: could possibly leach Cu from magnetite-Cu bodies
and concentrate in hematite zone.

•  Rapid change in physiochemical conditions

–  Temperature drop
–  pH change
Murray Hitzman

Page 36
 Exploration for IOCG Ore Systems
•  Look for old magnetite (iron) districts, especially
those with trace copper.

•  IOCG deposits can be with magnetite or hematite.

•  High level systems (such as Olympic Dam) with

hematite. Deeper systems (such as Ernest Henry and
many in Carajas, Brazil) with magnetite.

•  Look for large-scale structural controls.

•  Geophysics can be helpful:

–  Magnetics to define magnetite bodies - but does not indicate if
sulfides present.
–  Induced Polarization (IP) to look for disseminated sulfides.
Murray Hitzman

Criteria to Discriminate Sensu Stricto IOCG from

Kiruna-type Deposits:
SENSU STRICTO IOCG KIRUNA - TYPE
Magnetite or hematite with copper Magnetite (or more rarely hematite) only.
sulfides.
Well developed structures with Generally moderate to poor structural
numerous jogs and/or fault control.
intersections.

Intrusive rocks roughly equivalent in Direct spatial relationship with intrusive

age to mineralization event present in
region but may not be host rocks for all
mineralized systems.
Well developed potassic and hydrolytic
alteration.
rocks roughly age equivalent to
mineralization event.
Less well developed (or absent)
potassic, calcic, and hydrolytic
alteration.

Magnetitic anomalies that have been Sharp magnetitic anomalies.

degraded in some areas - caused by
conversion of mgt to hm
Magnetic anomalies extend to great Magnetic anomalies discrete, with
depth. obvious “bottom”.
Murray Hitzman

Page 37
 Conclusions & Challenges

•  Fluid evidence suggests Sensu Stricto IOCGs and Kiruna-type are

related.
•  Pragmatic field results suggests districts contain one or the other
deposit type predominantly.
•  Groves et al. (2010) noted that: “Most Precambrian … magnetite-
apatite (Kiruna-type) deposits have a different temporal
distribution (than sensu stricto IOCGs), apparently forming in
convergent margin settings prior to or following supercontinent
assembly.”
•  Could this difference in tectonic setting be responsible for more
likely presence of second fluid (“HSCC”) in the sensu stricto IOCG
districts?

•  Further detailed geological and geochemical work on BOTH sensu

stricto IOCGs and Kiruna-types is required to determine the
answer. Murray Hitzman

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