Geochemical alteration associated with the Selbaie copper-zinc-silver deposit

Abstract

The object of this study is to establish the nature of geochemical alteration in the wall rocks of the Selbaie Cu-Zn-Ag deposit, and to ascertain whether bedrock geochemistry could be applied in exploration for deposits of this type. The Selbaie Cu-Zn-Ag deposit, in northwestern Quebec, is atypical of base-metal deposits in the Canadian Shield, as mineralization occurs in epigenetic veins and as disseminations in volcanic wall rocks, rather than as syngenetic massive sulfide bodies which have been the focus of extensive comparable studies in the past. The deposit comprises three mineralized zones in felsic tuffs and quartz porphyry. Two of these, the A1 and A2 zones, which are the focus of the present study consist of quartz-carbonate veins containing chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and pyrite, and accessory sulfide minerals. The B zone is not considered in this study. Samples of drill core were collected from sections crossing the A1 and A2 zones and analyzed for total Si, Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Ti, Mn, P, and S by X-ray fluorescence, and for aqua-regia-extractable Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Fe, and Mn by atomic absorption. Although the distribution of individual element concentrations is clearly related to bedrock type, rocks proximal to mineralization have higher SiO 2, Fe 2O 3, Cu, Zn, Fe, and S contents, and lower Al 2O 3 and K 2O contents, than rocks more distal from mineralization. MgO content shows an irregular distribution and may also increase toward mineralization. CaO and Na 2O contents are very low in all pyroclastic rocks. In order to take into account the effect of bedrock type, linear regression analysis was performed on the data to estimate the normal concentration of individual elements using SiO 2 contents as the predicted variable. Spatial distributions of residual values of element concentrations indicate that rocks close to mineralization have higher residual Fe 2O 3, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Fe contents, and lower residual Al 2O 3 and K 2O contents, compared to rocks more remote from mineralization. These distribution patterns are clearer than in the case of the single-element data but variations between element responses still exist in some instances. In an attempt to overcome the variation in patterns revealed by some element distributions, discriminant analysis was undertaken to see whether mineralized areas could be distinguished on the basis of an element association. Discriminant functions were calculated for data from areas adjacent to mineralization, and from areas remote from mineralization. Areal distribution of discriminant scores outlined an anomalous area extending up to 200 m beyond the mineralization. Petrographic studies of selected samples correlated high SiO 2 and low Al 2O 3 content with silicification in the most altered rocks adjacent to mineralization. High Fe 2O 3, MgO, and extractable Fe concentrations were found to occur in chlorite- and carbonate-rich zones. Samples rich in S, Cu, Zn, and b, and to a lesser extent Fe, were characterized by the presence of sulfides. High concentrations of Al 2O 3 and K 2O relative to that of SiO 2 are typical of sericitization. On this basis, the results demonstrate that anomalously high or low concentrations of element associations, revealed by discriminant analysis, occur in large coherent zones exceeding the size of the deposit. The procedure is potentially useful as an exploration guide for epigenetic disseminated and vein-type base-metal styles of mineralization as well as the syngenetic massive sulfide type of deposits that have been extensively studied in the past.