Structural geology of the Dugald River ZnPbAg deposit, Mount Isa Inlier, Australia

Abstract

The sediment-hosted ZnPbAg deposit at Dugald River is situated 87 km northeast of Mount Isa, NW Queensland. It is a mid-scale base metal accumulation restricted to a black slate sequence of low metamorphic grade. The orebody is tabular and consists of fine- to medium-grained sulphides with a dominant mineralogy of sphalerite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, galena, quartz and muscovite. Three different ore types have been recognized based on mineralization textures; laminated, banded and brecciated. The present reserve stands at 38 million tons of ore averaging 13.0% Zn, 2.1% Pb and 42 g/t Ag. A structural investigation has revealed that six stages of deformation have affected the metasediments in the Dugald River area. The first four (D 1, D 2, D 3 and D 4) are characterized by the extensive development of folds and associated axial plane cleavage. They were all generated in a ductile regime and are of considerable significance for the structural evolution of this region as well as for the emplacement and localization of the sulphide mineralization. D 5 provides a transition towards brittle deformation developing strong kink folds with subhorizontal axial planes. D 6 was a brittle event, producing E-W-trending open folds and major NE and NW strike-slip faults crosscutting all the pre-existing structural elements plus segmenting the orebody. Correlation between the development of deformation and the formation of mineralization can be observed from macro- to microscales. Relationships of mineralization with folds and cleavage indicate a post-D 2 (dominant deformation event) and probably syn-D 4 deformation timing for the ZnPbAg mineralization at Dugald River, as suggested by the ubiquitous truncations of D 2 fabrics by ore mineral assemblages throughout the deposit.