SEG 2018 - Metals, Minerals, and Society

ID: 1093 | | Requested Presentation: Oral | Track: Base Metals: Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb | Subject:

Structural geology of the Kansanshi Cu-Au Deposit, North-Western Province, Zambia

Timothy J. MacIntyre1, Murray W. Hitzman2, Alexander P. Gysi1
1. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA, 2. iCRAG, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Body:
The Kansanshi deposit is a mid-Cambrian, post-peak metamorphism Cu-Au deposit hosted within
Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks. The deposit is located in the Domes region of the Central African
Copperbelt and is Africa’s largest operating copper mine with resources of 1.4 Bt grading 0.65% Cu and
0.11g/t Au, and a total endowment of 12 Mt Cu and 7.2 Moz Au.  Mineralization is focused around three
domes distributed ~6km along the crest of the NW trending Kansanshi antiform.  Each dome hosts swarms of
large subvertical quartz-calcite-chalcopyrite-pyrite-(molybdenite) veins, and disseminated sulfides in
carbonaceous siliciclastic wallrock.

This research utilizes >83,000 meters of new deep drilling along with pit mapping to create a revised
structural and stratigraphic interpretation of Kansanshi. The local tectono-stratigraphy can be subdivided into
four domains, 1) a thick (>1km) quartzite dominated Lower Roan Subgroup basal unit, 2) an evaporite-rich
Upper Roan Subgroup consisting of carbonate-rich breccia zones and dismembered carbonate and siliciclastic
units with large mafic bodies, 3) a recumbently folded siliciclastic and carbonate sequence of the Nguba
Group that is the principle ore host, and 4) an overturned sequence of Upper Roan Subgroup through Nguba
Group rocks separated from underlying stratigraphy by a scapolite-rich polylithic breccia zone containing
mafic igneous mega-clasts.    

This study highlights the importance of structural apices, rheologic contrasts, fluid pathways, and late brittle
faulting on the location of ore. During syn- to post-folding extension and boudinage, veining initiated at
boudin necks and propagated through more competent siliciclastic lithologies before terminating at more
ductile carbonate horizons. An albitized calcareous mylonite horizon and a low angle reverse fault appear to
have been important fluid conduits.  However, the highest grade portions of the deposit occur along later NE-
SW trending, albite altered, brittle fault zones. These areas are deeply weathered and contain abundant
supergene mineralization.