The investigation on physico-chemical conditions of sulfides and sulfates based on petrographic and sulfur - oxygen stable isotope studies from the Darreh-Zar porphyry copper deposit, Kerman

Abstract

The Darreh-Zar porphyry copper deposit, located in the Urumieh – Dokhtar magmatic belt, lies about 10 km southeast of Sar-Cheshmeh porphyry copper deposit. The ore body with hydrothermally altered zones including potassic, chlorite-sericite, sericite, argillic and propylitic all related to the Darreh-Zar porphyry stock intruded the Eocene volcanic rocks. Pyrite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite, with different textures as disseminated and veinlet, are the major sulfide minerals and chalcocite and covellite are considered as the secondary minerals. Sulfur isotopic composition of the sulfates and sulfides studied fall on the magmatic values. Two different origins may be suggested for the gypsums studied: 1- hydration of anhydrite and 2- oxidation of pyrite during supergene enrichment. The stable isotopic data calculated on couple minerals (pyrite-anhydrite) point to the formation temperature of about 485-515οC for the fluids involved in mineralization. The fluid responsible for mineralization suggests magmatic sources for all sulfide phases and reduced aqueous sulfur species. Isotopic zoning, based on the δ34S pyrite values, divided the area into the east and the west parts with negative and positive correlation against the depth, respectively. Also, a negative correlation is observed between the Cu and the δ34S in the eastern portion of the area.

Keywords

• Ore minerals
• Cu porphyry
• stable isotopes
• Darreh-Zar