Geology and geophysics as successful tools in the discovery of the Lagoa Salgada Orebody (Sado Tertiary Basin - Iberian Pyrite Belt), Gr�ndola, Portugal

Abstract

Gravimetry was the main exploration method used in this high risk area to the north of the Grândola fault, in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). It showed several targets, among which the Valverde-Lagoa Salgada area stood out. Here, in August 1992, a polymetallic massive sulphide orebody was found, named Lagoa Salgada. According to the geological characteristics of the area and to the nature of the surveyed targets, other exploration techniques were used, namely: geology, magnetometry, resistivity, electrical sounding, magneto-telluric, seismic and mechanical drilling. The deposit was found under a Tertiary cover, 128 m in depth, complete with a 15 m thick gossan, caused by paleoalteration, with a supergene enrichment zone. This gossan gave way to massive sulphides, with intersections, at times, exceeding 60 m. They are limited towards the footwall by an important fault with strong associated kaolinization, which is interpreted as a reverse fault, placed on the inverse limb of an anticlinal structure. Throughout the deposit, the chemical composition of the mineralization showed great variation reaching significant values of Zn, Pb, Sn, Cu, As, Hg, Sb, Cd, Au and Ag. In the initial phase the deposit has an estimated tonnage of 5 Mt. It is related to a large gravity anomaly with the general orientation NW-SE, which was investigated by 15 boreholes made by the Instituto Geologico e Mineiro. The drilling cut an important volcanic centre of an acid to intermediate nature, around which intense hydrothermal activity was associated with contemporaneous sulphide mineralization. The gravity anomaly has two nuclei, a NW and a central one, about 450 m apart, where a pyrite orebody with polymetallic sulphides and stockwork sulphide mineralization are developed. This discovery led to an extensive exploration project that confirmed the mining potentialities of the NW sector of the IPB, to the north of Grândola fault, where previously no polymetallic sulphide occurrences were known.