Mineralogy of telluride-bearing epithermal ores in the Kassiteres-Sappes area, western Thrace, Greece

Abstract

The Kassiteres-Sappes district represents a multi-centered, porphyry-epithermal system developed during the Oligocene to Miocene at a composite calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline volcanic edifice. Precious and base metal mineralization postdates the emplacement of dacite and rhyolite porphyries and is partly superimposed on earlier microdiorite-related porphyry-style mineralization exposed at the Koryfes Hill prospect. A second mineralized porphyry-type system genetically related to a dacite porphyry body developed near the St Demetrios deposit. Tellurides occur mainly at the St Barbara prospect and the St Demetrios deposit. Based on petrographic, electron microprobe, and scanning electron microscope analyses, hessite, petzite, sylvanite, altaite, stutzite and native tellurium occur in the St Barbara prospect. These tellurium-bearing minerals are hosted in intermediate-sulfidation type veins and accompanied by pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite-group minerals, galena and native gold/electrum. The St Demetrios mineralization includes hessite, altaite, stutzite, and tetradymite in close spatial relation to a high-sulfidation assemblage composed of enargite, chalcopyrite, goldfieldite, and native gold. Tellurides were deposited at logfTe2 values of −8.5 to −7.1 and logfS2 values of −10.7 to −7.9 (275 °C). The ore systems are characterized by Au, Ag, Te, Bi, and Mo, which suggests a magmatic contribution to the mineralizing fluids. Ore-forming components were likely derived from both the dacite and rhyolite porphyries.