Resolving the role of carbonaceous material in gold precipitation in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits

Carbonaceous material (CM) is commonly associated with gold and sulfides in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits. The role of CM in Au deposition is controversial; CM has been proposed to contribute to gold deposition by reducing Au bisulfide complexes, or by facilitating sulfidation, which de...

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Main Authors: Hu, Siyu, Evans, Katy, Craw, D., Rempel, Kirsten, Grice, Kliti
Format: Journal Article
Published: Geological Society of America 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/50318
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author Hu, Siyu
Evans, Katy
Craw, D.
Rempel, Kirsten
Grice, Kliti
author_facet Hu, Siyu
Evans, Katy
Craw, D.
Rempel, Kirsten
Grice, Kliti
author_sort Hu, Siyu
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Carbonaceous material (CM) is commonly associated with gold and sulfides in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits. The role of CM in Au deposition is controversial; CM has been proposed to contribute to gold deposition by reducing Au bisulfide complexes, or by facilitating sulfidation, which destabilizes Au in bisulfide complexes with resultant Au deposition. Integration of petrographic observations, thermodynamic models, and geochemical data from metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and West Africa reveals genetic links between sulfides, CM, and mineralization. The results are consistent with the coexistence of CM and pyrite as a consequence of their codeposition from ore fluids, with a minor proportion of CM originally in situ in the host rocks. Au is deposited when pyrite and CM deposition decreases H2S concentration in ore fluids, destabilizing Au(HS)2-complexes. Most CM in gold deposits is deposited from CO2 and CH4 in ore fluids. These findings are applicable to similar deposits worldwide.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-503182017-12-13T23:59:06Z Resolving the role of carbonaceous material in gold precipitation in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits Hu, Siyu Evans, Katy Craw, D. Rempel, Kirsten Grice, Kliti Carbonaceous material (CM) is commonly associated with gold and sulfides in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits. The role of CM in Au deposition is controversial; CM has been proposed to contribute to gold deposition by reducing Au bisulfide complexes, or by facilitating sulfidation, which destabilizes Au in bisulfide complexes with resultant Au deposition. Integration of petrographic observations, thermodynamic models, and geochemical data from metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and West Africa reveals genetic links between sulfides, CM, and mineralization. The results are consistent with the coexistence of CM and pyrite as a consequence of their codeposition from ore fluids, with a minor proportion of CM originally in situ in the host rocks. Au is deposited when pyrite and CM deposition decreases H2S concentration in ore fluids, destabilizing Au(HS)2-complexes. Most CM in gold deposits is deposited from CO2 and CH4 in ore fluids. These findings are applicable to similar deposits worldwide. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/50318 10.1130/G38462.1 Geological Society of America fulltext
spellingShingle Hu, Siyu
Evans, Katy
Craw, D.
Rempel, Kirsten
Grice, Kliti
Resolving the role of carbonaceous material in gold precipitation in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits
title Resolving the role of carbonaceous material in gold precipitation in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits
title_full Resolving the role of carbonaceous material in gold precipitation in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits
title_fullStr Resolving the role of carbonaceous material in gold precipitation in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits
title_full_unstemmed Resolving the role of carbonaceous material in gold precipitation in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits
title_short Resolving the role of carbonaceous material in gold precipitation in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits
title_sort resolving the role of carbonaceous material in gold precipitation in metasediment-hosted orogenic gold deposits
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/50318