Mossman orogenic gold province in north Queensland, Australia: regional metallogenic controls and undiscovered gold endowment

Abstract

The Hodgkinson and Broken River provinces of the Mossman Orogen in north Queensland host numerous orogenic gold deposits and still remain under-explored. This paper discusses regional metallogenic controls and results of a probabilistic quantitative assessment of undiscovered gold potential in the region. Significant orogenic gold deposits in the region occur only within relatively small well-endowed metallogenic zones, likely to be controlled by the eastern margin of the Paleoproterozoic continental crust underlying the western Mossman Orogen. Three distinct styles of primary orogenic gold deposits are present in the area: gold–quartz veins, refractory gold associated with quartz–pyrite–arsenopyrite veins and stockworks and stibnite–quartz±gold veins. Refractory gold deposits are estimated to have the highest potential for significant undiscovered resources in the region. The Hodgkinson Province is estimated to host between one and ten significant undiscovered refractory gold ore fields, with a 50 % probability of at least 20 t of total contained gold and a 90 % probability of at least 1 t. The Broken River Province is estimated to host up to five significant undiscovered refractory gold ore fields, with a 50 % probability of at least 12 t of contained gold.