Supergene gold mobility in orogenic gold deposits, Otago Schist, New Zealand

Abstract

Gold has been chemically mobilised by groundwater from host sulphide minerals in orogenic gold deposits of Otago. Mobilisation occurred near the Cenozoic Otago Schist erosional surface beneath a sedimentary cover. Initial Au mobilisation, on a scale of micrometres, occurred when solid solution and microparticulate gold in pyrite and arsenopyrite grains were liberated by sulphide oxidation to iron oxyhydroxide pseudomorphs. Larger-scale mobilisation involved leaching of gold from up to 100-m-thick zones which were the target of historic mining, with up to 10× enrichment of Au in reprecipitation zones. Gold in the supergene zones is commonly crystalline with octahedral shapes and nuggety forms which fill cavities and coat prismatic quartz crystals. This gold retains some or all of the Ag (typically 2–8 wt%) from the primary source gold. Oxidised groundwaters that have interacted with sulphides become enriched in dissolved sulphate, but retain high pH (7–8.5). Under these conditions, metastable thiosulphate ions can dissolve and transport Au and Ag to be precipitated later by either oxidation or reduction.