The Mesoproterozoic Abra polymetallic sedimentary rock-hosted mineral deposit, Edmund Basin, Western Australia

Abstract

Abra is a blind, sedimentary rock-hosted polymetallic Fe–Pb–Zn–Ba–Cu±Au±Ag±Bi±W deposit, discovered in 1981, located within the easterly trending Jillawarra rift sub-basin of the Mesoproterozoic Edmund Basin, Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia. The Edmund Basin contains a 4–10km thick succession of siltstone, sandstone, dolomitic siltstone, and stromatolitic dolomite. The age of the Edmund Group is between 1.66 and 1.46Ga. The Abra polymetallic deposit is hosted in siltstone, dolostone, sandstone and conglomerate of the Irregully and Kiangi Creek Formations, but the mineralised zones do not extend above an erosion surface marking the change from fluvial to marine facies in the lower part of the Kiangi Creek Formation. The Abra deposit is characterised by a funnel-shaped brecciated zone, interpreted as a feeder pipe, overlain by stratiform–stratabound mineralisation. The stratiform–stratabound mineralisation includes a Red Zone and an underlying Black Zone. The Red Zone is characterised by banded jaspilite, hematite, galena, pyrite, quartz, barite, and siderite. The jaspilite and hematite cause the predominant red colouration. The Black Zone consists of veins and rhythmically banded sulphides, laminated and/or brecciated hematite, magnetite, Fe-rich carbonate and scheelite. In both zones, laminations and bands of sulphide minerals, Fe oxides, barite and quartz commonly exhibit colloform textures. The feeder pipe (Stringer Zone) merges with Black Zone and consists of a stockwork of Fe-carbonate-quartz, barite, pyrite, magnetite and chalcopyrite, exhibiting fluidised and/or jigsaw textures.The Abra mineral system is characterised by several overprinting phases of hydrothermal activity, from several stages of brecciation and fluidisation, barite and sulphide veining to barren low-temperature chalcedonic (epithermal regime) veining. Hydrothermal alteration minerals include multi-stage quartz, chlorite, prehnite, Fe-rich carbonate and albite. Albite (Na metasomatism) is an early alteration phase, whereas Fe-rich carbonate is a late phase. Fluid inclusion studies indicate that the ore fluids had temperatures ranging from 162 to 250°C, with salinities ranging from 5.8 to about 20wt.% NaCl. In the course of our studies, microthermometric and Raman microprobe analyses were performed on fluid inclusions in carbonate, quartz and barite grains. Fluid inclusions in quartz show homogenisation temperatures ranging from 150 to 170°C with calculated salinities of between 3.7 and 13.8wt.% NaCl.The sulphur isotopic system shows δ34S values ranging from 19.4 to 26.6‰ for sulphides and from 37.4 to 41.9‰ for barite (Vogt and Stumpfl, 1987; Austen, 2007). Sulphur isotope thermometry between sulphides and sulphide–barite pairs yields values ranging from 219 to 336°C (Austen, 2007).Galena samples were analysed for Pb isotope ratios, which have been compared with previous Pb isotopic data. The new Pb isotope systematics show model ages of 1650–1628Ma, consistent with the formation of the host Edmund Basin.Re–Os dating of euhedral pyrite from the Black Zone yielded an age of ~1255Ma. This age corresponds to the 1320–1170Ma Mutherbukin tectonic event in the Gascoyne Complex. This event is manifested primarily along a WNW-trending structural corridor of amphibolite facies rocks, about 250km to the northwest of the Abra area. It is possible that the Re–Os age represents a younger re-activation event of an earlier SEDEX style system with a possible age range of 1640–1590Ma.A genetic model for Abra is proposed based on the above data. The model involves two end-members ore-forming stages: the first is the formation of the SEDEX style mineral systems, followed by a second multi-phase stage during which there was repeated re-working of the mineral system, guided by seismic activity along major regional faults.