Mineralogical Tracers of Gold and Rare-Metal Mineralization in Eastern Kazakhstan

Boris A D’Yachkov,Ainel Y Bissatova,Sergey V Khromykh,Saltanat S Aitbayeva,Natalya A Zimanovskaya,Tatiana A Oitseva,Oxana N Kuzmina,Marina A Mizernaya

doi:10.3390/min11030253

Abstract

Replenishment of mineral resources, especially gold and rare metals, is critical for progress in the mining and metallurgical industry of Eastern Kazakhstan. To substantiate the scientific background for mineral exploration, we study microinclusions in minerals from gold and rare-metal fields, as well as trace-element patterns in ores and their hosts that may mark gold and rare-metal mineralization. The revealed compositions of gold-bearing sulfide ores and a number of typical minerals (magnetite, goethite, arsenopyrite, antimonite, gold and silver) and elements (Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, and Sb) can serve as exploration guides. The analyzed samples contain rare micrometer lead (alamosite, kentrolite, melanotekite, cotunnite) and nickel (bunsenite, trevorite, gersdorffite) phases and accessory cassiterite, wolframite, scheelite, and microlite. The ores bear native gold (with Ag and Pt impurities) amenable to concentration by gravity and flotation methods. Multistage rare-metal pegmatite mineralization can be predicted from the presence of mineral assemblages including cleavelandite, muscovite, lepidolite, spodumene, pollucite, tantalite, microlite, etc. and such elements as Ta, Nb, Be, Li, Cs, and Sn. Pegmatite veins bear diverse Ta minerals (columbite, tantalite-columbite, manganotantalite, ixiolite, and microlite) that accumulated rare metals late during the evolution of the pegmatite magmatic system. The discovered mineralogical and geochemical criteria are useful for exploration purposes.

Highlights

The territory of Eastern Kazakhstan is an exceptional natural metallogenic laboratory which stores iron, copper, lead, gold, metals, rare earths, and other mineral resources that maintain a large mining and metallurgical industry [1]
The detection of hidden, buried, and unconventional resources requires new prospecting and exploration technologies based on comprehensive knowledge of geology and constrained so far, and the conventional exploration approaches become ever less workable in the metallogenic provinces of Eastern Kazakhstan
We have studied gold and rare metal mineralization in Kazakhstan yearsgold while formineralization production enterprises

Summary

Introduction

The territory of Eastern Kazakhstan is an exceptional natural metallogenic laboratory which stores iron, copper, lead, gold, metals, rare earths, and other mineral resources that maintain a large mining and metallurgical industry [1]. Most of known mineral deposits were discovered by the classical geological prospecting in the second half of the 20th century. The vertical structure of ore zones and their host formations have been poorly constrained so far, and the conventional exploration approaches become ever less workable in the metallogenic provinces of Eastern Kazakhstan. The detection of hidden, buried, and unconventional resources requires new prospecting and exploration technologies based on comprehensive knowledge of geology and constrained so far, and the conventional exploration approaches become ever less workable in the metallogenic provinces of Eastern Kazakhstan. The progressive depletion of old mining areas calls for advances in exploration, especially for base, rare, and precious metals

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Discussion

Conclusion