Main types of rare-metal mineralization in Karelia

Abstract

Rare-metal mineralization in Karelia is represented by V, Be, U deposits and In, Re, Nb, Ta, Li, Ce, La, and Y occurrences, which are combined into 17 types of magmatic, pegmatite, albitite–greisen, hydrothermal–metasomatic, sedimentary, and epigenetic groups. The main vanadium resources are localized in the Onega ore district. These are deposits of the Padma group (556 kt) and the Pudozhgorsky complex (1.5 Mt). The REE occurrences are primarily characterized by Ce–La specialization. The perspective of HREE is related to the Eletozero–Tiksheozero alkaline and Salmi anorthosite–rapakivi granite complexes. Rare-metal pegmatites bear complex mineralization with insignificant low-grade resources. The Lobash and Jalonvaara porphyry Cu–Mo deposits are potential sources of rhenium: Re contents in molybdenite are 20–70 and 50–246 ppm and hypothetical resources are 12 and 7.5 t, respectively. The high-grade (∼100 ppm) and metallogenic potential of indium (∼2400 t) make the deposits of the Pitkaranta ore district leading in the category of Russian ore objects most prospective for indium. Despite the diverse rare-metal mineralization known in Karelia, the current state of this kind of mineral commodities at the world market leaves real metallogenic perspective only for V, U, Re, In, and Nb.