Mineralogy of the ores on the southern flank of the Mutnovskoe gold-silver-polymetallic deposit (Southern Kamchatka)

Abstract

The Mutnovskoe deposit is one of the largest and most prospective ore deposits in South Kamchatka. The northern and southern flanks within the main veining zone Opredelyayushchaya, composed of low-sulfi (goldsilver) and sulfide-polymetallic (gold-silver-polymetallic) types of ores, respectively, are distinguished. The paper presents the results of the complex mineralogical and geochemical studies of the gold-silver-polymetallic ores of the southern flank of the deposit. Features of textures and structures, mineral, chemical compositions and genesis of the ores, as well forms of precious and base metals occurrences are shown. Typomorphic features of pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, tennantite-tetrahedrite, Au, Ag, Pb and Bi tellurides, native gold, Bi, Se and Ag sulfosalts are characterized. The pyrite-sphaleritequartz, sphalerite-galena-quartz, and chalcopyrite-tennantite-tetrahedrite mineral associations are distinguished. The temperatures and composition of ore-forming solutions are shown.