SAN VICENTE MVT

Zn-Pb DEPOSIT:
MINERAL SYSTEM
ANALYSIS
Helen McFarlane & Steffen Hagemann
Centre for Exploration Targeting, School of Earth Sciences
The University of Western Australia

Final SIMSA presentations

Mineral System approach

Source Pathway Fluid Trap Modification

Critical process
Constituent processes
Targeting parameters
Mappable proxies
 The Mineral System
MINERAL SYSTEM
= all geological factors that control the generation and
preservation of mineral deposits

= emphasises the total system of fluid-rock or magma

interaction that led to the formation of ore deposits

= can extend to distances of tens and hundreds of km

around the deposit

When mapped out the total mineral system

provides a far larger exploration target than the
actual ore deposit or depositional site
Important Geological Factors defining a
Mineralizing System
Wyborn et al., 1994 (AUSIMM annual conference proceedings)

1. Sources of the mineralizing fluids and transporting ligands

2. Sources of the metals and other ore components
3. Migration pathway
4. Thermal gradient
5. Energy Sources
6. Mechanical and structural focussing mechanism at the trap side
7. Chemical and/or physical traps for ore participation
 Rational behind Mineral System
Approach

Ore body cross-section of <1 km: does NOT

offer a large target

Ore deposits result from exceptional

coincidence of geological processes at larger
scale than the depositional site (or deposit)

These processes are mappable on a deposit to

district to regional scale: CONSTITUTE A
MINERAL SYSTEM
Multi-scale & Multi-technique Approach

regional scale:
data mining, testing remote sensing (ASTER)

deposit scale:
3D visualisation, studying structural
controls and alteration

sample scale:
petrography, geochemical
anomalies and mass
balance

mineral scale:
mineral chemistry,
elemental
mapping,
geochronology, isotopes,
halite
San Vicente Mineral System
Regional-scale criteria

Local-scale criteria
 Source & Pathway

Deposition of rift sediments and platform Oolitic horizons within

carbonate rocks Pucará Group
(Davila et al. 2000)
 Source & Pathway
Syn-sedimentary basin
bounding faults

Rosas et al. (2007) JSAES

Regional scale thrust faults Kilian (2005) after Davila et al.

(2000)
Requires fluids capable of
transporting base metal

Need to understand
processes controlling fluid
characteristics including:

- Source
- Fluid temperature
- Salinity
- Redox state
- pH

Important for fluid-fluid and

fluid-rock interactions
 Fluids

San Vicente
fluid Fluid
characteristics inclusion
studies of
gangue
carbonates

(Fontbote et al.
1990;
Spangenberg et
al. 1995;
Moritz et a.
1996)

Leach et al. (2010 and references therein) USGS Report

 Local
Criteria

Need to understand:

- The physical and

chemical traps
focussing sulfide
precipitation

- Structures
responsible for the
modification of ore
bodies
Rosas et al. (2007) JSAES
Mineral matrix distribution and structural skeleton with
kinematics for the San Vicente deposit
Summary