Mineralogy and geochemical environment of formation of the Perama Hill high-sulfidation epithermal Au-Ag-Te-Se deposit, Petrota Graben, NE Greece

Abstract

The Perama Hill deposit is a high-sulfidation Au-Ag-Te-Se epithermal system hosted in silicic- and argillic altered andesitic rocks and overlying sandstones, which were emplaced on the eastern margin of the Petrota graben, northeastern Greece. The deposit evolved from an early stage silica-pyrite rock and argillic alteration followed by the deposition of sulfide-, sulfosalt- and telluride-bearing quartz-barite veins and stockworks. Early ore formation is characterized by a high-sulfidation-type enargite-galena-bearing ore assemblage (consisting of enargite, watanabeite, Fe-free sphalerite, covellite, kesterite, bismuthinite, selenian bismuthinite, lillianite homologues, kawazulite-tetradymite, goldfieldite, and native gold), followed by the formation of an intermediate-sulfidation-type tennantite-bearing assemblage characterized by ferrian/zincian tennantite, tellurobismuthite, tetradymite, melonite, native tellurium, Au-Ag-tellurides (calaverite, krennerite, sylvanite, hessite, petzite, stutzite), altaite and electrum. Quartz, barite, kaolinite, sericite and minor aluminum-phosphate-sulfate minerals are gangue minerals. Fluid inclusion data demonstrate that the ore system evolved from an initial high temperature (up to 330°C) and low salinity (up to 4.9 wt.% NaCl equiv.) fluid towards a cooler (200°C) and very low salinity (0.7 wt.% NaCl equiv.) hydrothermal fluid suggesting progressive cooling and dilution of the ore fluid. The ore minerals at Perama Hill reflect variable fS2 and fTe2 conditions during base and precious metal deposition. Early ore deposition took place at ~300°C, at logfS2 values between ≈−8.2 and −5.5, and logfTe2 from −11.8 and −7.8. Late ore deposition occurred at logfS2 = −11.8 to −9.8 and logfTe2 of ≈−9.2 and −7.8. These data and paragenetic studies indicate a shift towards higher logfTe2 and lower logfS2 and logfSe2 values for the mineralizing fluids with time. The kawazulite/tetradymitess-gold association at Perama Hill suggests that it formed from a sulfide melt in the Bi-Au-Se-Te system as Au was scavenged from the hydrothermal ore-forming fluid at elevated temperatures. The presence of tellurides, and Bi- and Sn-bearing minerals in the ore system is compatible with direct deposition of metals from the vapor phase of a degassing magmatic (porphyry) body.