Origin of Bornite Pods in Intrusive Rocks at the Kingking Porphyry Copper‐gold Deposit, Southeastern Mindanao, Philippines

Abstract

AbstractAt the Kingking porphyry copper‐gold deposit, Compostela Valley, south‐eastern Mindanao, Philippines, bornite pods occur in the brecciated parts in the biotite diorite porphyry, together with the volcanic rock and diorite fragments without associated stockworks of quartz veinlets. These pods are generally elongated in shape and measure several centimeters across their longest axes. They are composed of bornite and chalcopyrite with traces of calaverite. The δ34S of bornite and subordinate chalcopyrite of bornite pods ranging from −2.2‰ to +0.1‰ are similar to the δ34S of sulfides associated with quartz veinlets such as bornite and chalcopyrite ranging from −4.7‰ to ±0.0‰. This suggests that the ultimate source of sulfur is identical for bornite pods and sulfides associated with quartz veinlets. Bornite pods are associated with volcanic rock and dioritic fragments in the brecciated portion of the biotite diorite porphyry. It was observed that some dioritic fragments contain quartz veinlets, which may indicate an earlier episode of mineralization. Fragments of the earlier dioritic intrusive rocks and the volcanic rocks, together with the sulfides were incorporated into the biotite diorite porphyry magma. A molten sulfide is possible for the composition between bornite and intermediate solid solution at ∼800°C. The sulfides from the earlier dioritic intrusive rocks in the molten state were segregated and then eventually coalesce to form the bornite pods in the brecciated section of the biotite diorite porphyry.