Mineralogy, petrography, geochemistry of magnetite ore and sulfide minerals and the possible model of mineralization at Anomaly#3, Gol-e-Gohar, iron mine, Sirjan, Kerman

Abstract

The Gol-e-Gohar anomaly#3 of Sirjan was initially formed by synchronous submarine basaltic volcanism and sedimentary rocks (basalt, shale, carbonates, sandstone, marl, chert-iron hydroxide-oxides) during Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran) and subsequently metamorphosed to greenschist facies during Cimmerian orogeny. The anomly contains 643 million tonnes iron ore with an average grade of 52.70% Fe, 0.76% S and 0.11% P and is enclosed by alternation of quartzite, sericite schist, chlorite schist, talc schist, biotite schist, actinolite schist. Magnetite occurs as massive, banded, cataclastic and disseminated ore and is associated with pyrite, minor chalcopyrite and bornite. Pyrite occurs as, layered, banded, folded and cataclastic and minor within the magnetite crystals. Minor minerals are tourmaline, apatite, zircon and garnet. Geochemical data demonstrate that enrichment of Cu, Pb,Co, Sn, As and Sb in magnetite ore is 2-10 times higher than the crustal abundance. The enrichment of Cu, Mo, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Co, As and Sb in sulfide minerals is 3-67 magnitudes higher than the crustal abundance. The alternation of different schist bands with banded magnetite-pyrite ores, the presence of dropstones and Al-Fe-Mn, V-Ti and V/Ti-Ni/Ti diagrams indicate that the iron mineralization in anomaly#3 is similar to the Ediacaran-type banded iron formation.

Keywords

• geochemistry
• sulfide minerals
• magnetite ore
• banded iron formation
• ediacaran
• gol-e-gohar anomaly#3
• sirjan