Chapter 4-17 4-17

Pb-Zn-Cu mineralization in the Filfila Massif,

northeastern Algeria
O. Kolli
Laboratoire de Métallogénie et Magmatisme de l’Algérie, Faculté des Sciences de la Terre, FSTGAT-USTHB, BP n° 32-El Alia,
Alger-16111, Algeria

Abstract. The Filfila Massif, Algeria, comprises four stacked units. They
are, from bottom to top, a para-autochthonous unit of limestone
and dolomite, a metamorphic unit and its Tertiary cover, a pelitic-
sandstone unit and an upper Numidian sandstone unit. The lower
units have been intruded by the Filfila Granite.
Fe, Cu and Cu-Pb-Zn sulphide mineralization is hosted by the
Meçadjet vein set. The Meçadjet Vein is several hundred meters long
and has a width of 0.5 to 3 m. It trends NE and dips 60° SE. This vein
has cross-cuts the basal stacked units of the Filfila Massif. Ore min-
erals include pyrrhotite, hematite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite,
arsenopyrite, galena, sulfosalts, melnicovite, fluorite and barite. This
mineralization is related to the post-orogenic Filfila granite, and is
late Miocene in age.
Keywords. Meçadjet Vein, Miocene, granite, Fe-Cu-Pb-Zn mineraliza-
tion
1 Introduction
Vila 1980; Wildi 1983). The overlying nappe comprises a
metamorphic complex, which is in turn overlain locally
by unmetamorphosed Paleozoic and Upper Jurassic to
Lutetian sediments, which constitute the “Dorsal Kabyle”
(Durand Delga 1969). Granitoids, including the Filfila
granite, have crosscut the entire pile of tectonic nappes.
The structural evolution of the Petite Kabylie in this
area can be summarized as a pile of four tectonic units
(Fig. 1). These are described below.
The Para-autochthonous unit, Djebel Filfila (Fig. 1),
forms the lowest and most complex unit and appears to
be a window through the metamorphic complex. Perrin
(1969) recommended a four-fold subdivision of
lithostratigraphic formations: the lower and upper car-
bonate formations, and the lower and upper detrital for-
mations. The lower carbonate formation is composed of

This paper documents the characteristics and paragen-

esis of mineralization in the Mecadjet Vein, northeastern
Algeria. The vein is hosted by rocks of the Filfila Massif,
and has a protracted history of exploitation. Mining ac-
tivities appear to extend as far back as Roman times, fol-
lowed later by the French (1885-1942) and more recently
by Geological Survey of Algeria (OGRM). Fracture-fill-
ing mineralization found in the Mecadjet Vein and else-
where in the Filfila Massif is linked to metasomatism and
hydrothermal solutions generated by the Miocene Filfila
granite.

2 Geological setting

The Filfila Massif is located in the easternmost part of

the Petite Kabylie region, and adjoins the Cap de Fer-
Edough Massif. In this region, the Alpine Orogeny caused
Miocene southward-directed overthrusting of Kabylie
basement rocks onto the Tellian zones in northeastern
Algeria (Perrin 1969; Lemoy 1969; ORGM 1969; Semroud
1970; Mahdjoub 1991; Ouabadi 1994; ORGM 1998). The
region consists of three superimposed thrusted nappes.
The basal package is the Tellian Nappe, which comprises
Mesozoic and Tertiary sediments of African affinity. These
have been overthrust by the flysch Nappe, which is com-
posed of Cretaceous and Eocene flysch, and Jurassic,
Permo-Triassic and Paleozoic sub-autochthonous sedi-
ments (Durand Delga 1969; Raoult 1974; Bouillin 1978;
418 O. Kolli
bioclastic limestones of Liassic age; the upper carbonate
formation of Dogger-Malm age consists of limestone,
dolomite and thin pelitic beds. The lower detrital forma-
tion of Neocomian age consists of interbedded grey shale
and sandstones, dominated by thin- to moderately-bed-
ded sandstone, olive-grey shale and black slate. This se-
quence is a flysch-type sequence. The Aptian-Albian Up-
per detrital formation consists of white bedded sandstones
with argillite intercalations.
The Kabylian basement (metamorphic complex; Fig. 1)
is composed of blue-grey sericite schists and grey-green
chlorite schists. It is overlain unconformably by the Oli-
gocene-Miocène Kabyle (OMK), a sequence of coarse con-
glomerates, pebbly sandstones and argillites.
The Flysch unit (Fig. 1) is Upper Cretaceous in age. It
occurs as large outcrops and has been subdivided into
three members. The lower member is mainly composed
of sandstones and pelites with thin layers of fine siliceous
schists and radiolarites. The middle member consists es-
sentially of grey shale with green-greyish sandstone in-
tercalations. The upper member is composed mainly of
yellowish shale with some limestone micro-breccia
interbeds. The uppermost part of this member consists
of grey-yellow pelites with scarce micaceous sandstones
interbeds.
The Numidian flysch unit of Lower Miocene age has a
wide distribution throughout the study area (Fig. 1). It
comprises thick massive beds of nearly pure quartzitic
sandstones, with thin pelitic intercalations.
The Filfila granite complex has intruded Unit 1 (Fig. 1).
The granite has a contact aureole that contains andalusite,
cordierite, and muscovite, and locally reaches hornblende
hornfels facies (Bourefis 1994). Granite emplacement co-
incided with an extensional tectonic episode (Bouillin
1983) and has been dated at ca 15 Ma (Langhian; Borsi et
al. 1967). The Filfila pluton is clearly discordant, has been
emplaced at shallow crustal levels and has a post-tectonic
timing (Ouabadi 1994).
3 Mineralization
We have grouped Fe-Cu-Pb-Zn-bearing veins in the Filfila
Massif according to their spatial locations. These are from
east to west: Méçadjet; Mechhada; n° 1 vein and Oued
Saboun. The veins are a few hundred metres in length and
up to a metre thick. They are hosted by the Tellian and meta-
morphic units, and are characterized by a complex paragen-
esis. The Meçadjet vein is the most significant economi-
cally, and is the focus of the following discussion.
3.1 Méçadjet
Méçadjet is located in the extreme northeastern part of
the Filfila Massif, east of the Filfila granite intrusion. The
deposit was discovered in 1885. Pb-Zn-Ag mining com-
menced in 1924 and ceased by the end of 1942. A total of
14,780 tons were mined during this period. In 1969, th
remaining ores reserves were estimated to be 87,000 tons
with grades of 3.4 % Pb, 12.30 % Zn, 0.37 % Cu and 8.1 g/
t Ag. A new exploration programme was started in 1998
by ORGM with the purpose of re-evaluating known min-
eralization, and to investigate the potential for additional
sulphide ores at depth.
The Méçadjet vein system has a strike of N80°E and
dips 60-80° south. The lengths of individual veins are be-
tween 60 m and 1000 m. The thickness of the veins changes
along strike from 10s of centimetres up to 3 m or more.
The veins have cross-cut the Albo-Aptian upper detri-
tal formation, and also the metamorphic unit. Rheologi-
cal properties of the wallrocks have controlled the mor-
phology and enrichment of the vein. Vein thickness in-
crease and the grade is enriched in the metamorphic unit.
The main Méçadjet vein is characterized by horizon-
tal and vertical mineral zonation. Pb is enriched in the
eastern part, whereas Zn is enriched to the west, and Cu
is dominant at depth.
The Méçadjet veins consist mainly of quartz and cal-
cite. Quartz is dominant throughout the vein, but calcite
is more abundant at deeper levels in the western part of
the main vein. Quartz is typically coarse-grained (locally
fine grained), whereas calcite tends to be relatively coarse-
grained.
The veins commonly display open space-filling textures,
although multistage crack- and fill-textures are also ob-
served. Vugs are common. Minor chlorite and hematite, and
rare late-stage barite and fluorite are also present. Chlorite
occurs typically as fine selvages along vein walls, and is par-
ticularly abundant in areas of vein breccia. Hematite and
calcite occur in pre-ore quartz veins at lower levels.
Open space fill textures are characteristic, with evi-
dence of sequential filling, beginning with medium-
grained zoned quartz on the vein walls, followed by
sulphides and coarse-grained quartz then by fine-grained
quartz with yellow brown sphalerite, purple fluorite and
central white barite.
Breccia occurs locally within the veins. It is composed
of silicified and chloritized wall-rock and ore fragments
cemented by quartz ± calcite. Replacement of black slate
clasts by chlorite and metamorphic rock fragments by
quartz is ubiquitous. Late-stage carbonate alteration has
overprinted vein sulphides at deeper levels.
Banded vein textures are best developed in the north-
eastern strike extension of the vein system. There is a
preponderance of banded ore over breccia-hosted and
disseminated ore throughout the deposit. The dissemi-
nated ore is mostly composed of scattered granular ga-
lena and sphalerite with minor chalcopyrite.
The main sulphide minerals, in descending order of
abundance, are sphalerite, galena, pyrite and chalcopy-
rite. Accessory minerals are tetrahedrite, arsenopyrite,
 Chapter 4-17 · Pb-Zn-Cu mineralization in the Filfila Massif, northeastern Algeria
chalcocite, hematite, cerusite, smithsonite, pyromorphite
and malachite. Boulangerite, melnicovite and pyrrhotite
have also been reported (ORGM, 1969). The gangue con-
sists of black slate and metamorphic rock clasts, quartz,
fluorite, barite, calcite and minor chlorite.
3.2 Ore mineralogy and paragenesis
Minerals observed microscopically in this study include
hematite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and galena, as
well as non-sulphides such as quartz, calcite, chlorite, fluo-
rite and barite.
Sphalerite is the dominant ore mineral, and occurs as
massive aggregates in the disseminated ore and as fine to
coarse grains in the banded ores. In general, sphalerite is
intergrown with chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite and quartz in
the massive aggregates, whereas fine-grained sphalerite
is more commonly associated with galena in the banded
ore. Sphalerite in the massive aggregates typically con-
tains exolutions of chalcopyrite.
There are three distinctive types of pyrite. The first is
coarse-grained and zoned (from 0.8 to 5 mm), the sec-
ond is medium-grained (0.2 – 0.5 mm) and the third is
fine-grained (< 0.2 mm). In general, the former is inti-
mately associated with hematite and chalcopyrite and also
displays some evidence of brittle deformation. It has been
replaced locally by sphalerite and also occurs in early-
stage quartz. The second type is associated with dark-
and honey-colored sphalérite. The third type of pyrite
commonly occurs in microfractures that have cross-cut
all earlier-formed minerals. In most cases, medium crys-
talline pyrite grew idiomorphically, typically as cubes.
Galena occurs interstitially to the earlier-formed
sulphides. Hematite occurs as needles cemented by quartz.
419
Arsenopyrite appears as idiomorphic crystals included
in sphalerite and chalcopyrite.
Paragenetic relationships previously described, rep-
resent a sequence consisting of pre-ore, ore, and post-
ore stages (Fig. 2). In the pre-ore stage, the vein miner-
alization started with the deposition of quartz and he-
matite, together with minor pyrite, sphalerite and
chalcopyrite. The veins were then deformed, resulting
in pre-ore cataclasis. During the ore stage, most of the
sphalerite and galena, and subsequently fluorite and bar-
ite, were precipitated. Quartz was the main gangue min-
eral together with chlorite and calcite during the ore stage.
In the post-ore stage, minor amounts of pyrite were de-
posited.
4 Conclusions
The Filfila veins cross-cut the terrains of stacked units,
clearly post-dating thrust tectonics of the late Lutetian
(Raoult, 1974). The veins are similar to those of the Ain
Barabr district, which are related to Miocene magmatic
activity (Marignac 1985). Similarly, we interpret the Filfila
polymetallic vein deposits to be related to Miocene mag-
matic activity. The veins have a strong structural control,
occurring in NE-trending subvertical fractures that have
cross-cut stacked thrust terrains. The Méçadjet veins ex-
hibit lateral and vertical mineral zonation and a complex
paragenetic assemblage.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to two unknown referees from the JAES Team
and also to Assoc. Prof. David Cooke and Dr Tafao Zhao
for their reviews.
420 O. Kolli
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