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The Paleo-Tethyan arc belt is host to a small number of porphyry Cu deposits the key controls on which remains poorly understood. It has been hypothesized that the Paleo-Tethyan arc magmas were reduced and therefore less fertile for porphyry Cu formation but few studies have been conducted to directly assess the magmatic oxygen fugacity. We investigate the magma fertility of eastern Paleo-Tethyan arc igneous rocks in the Sanjiang region, SW China, represented by the Maoding (268.3 ± 2.3 Ma), Suwalong (275.6 ± 1.4 Ma to 264.7 ± 1.4 Ma) and Baimaxueshan (255.7 ± 1.5 Ma to 249.3 ± 1.1 Ma) granitoids. They have geochemical features consistent with typical continental arc rocks, formed from partial melting of the mantle wedge, with increasing contamination of crust-derived melts over time. The presence of amphibole, high Sr/Y ratios (35 ± 20, n = 17), and lack of negative Eu anomalies (Eu N /Eu N ⁎ = 1.04 ± 0.3, n = 17) are consistent with derivation from hydrous magmas. Zircons from the intrusive rocks have relatively low Eu N /Eu N ⁎ (mostly <0.4) ratios and calculated ΔFMQ values (−2.1 ± 1.2, n = 86). Combined with apatite microphenocrysts with extremely low sulfur contents (< 0.12 wt% SO 3), it suggests that the intrusions originated from water-rich but reduced arc magmas, that were less fertile for porphyry Cu formation. Our study highlights that magmatic f O 2 is probably a critical control on the prospectivity of arc systems and confirms that zircon and apatite compositions can be used to evaluate porphyry Cu fertility. • The Paleo-Tethyan arc igneous rocks were dated from ~275 to 249 Ma. • They were derived from partial melting of mantle wedge during MASH processes. • These arc magmas were reduced and less fertile for porphyry Cu formation. • Zircon and apatite compositions can be used to evaluate porphyry Cu fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jinshajiang-Red River alkaline igneous belt in the eastern Indian-Asian collision zone, of southwestern China, hosts abundant, economically important Cu-Mo-Au mineralization of Cenozoic age. Major- and trace-element compositions of titanites from representative Cu-mineralized intrusions determined by LA-ICP-MS show higher values for FeO/AlO, ΣREE + Y, LREE/HREE, Ce/Ce*, (Ce/Ce*)/(Eu/Eu*), U, Th, Ta, Nb and Ga, and lower values for AlO, CaO, Eu/Eu*, Zr/Hf, Nb/Ta and Sr than those for titanites from barren intrusions. Different ΣREE + Y, LREE/HREE, U, Th, Ta and Nb values of titanites between Cu-mineralized and barren intrusions were controlled mainly by the coexisting melt compositions. However, different Sr concentrations and negative Eu anomalies of titanites between Cu-mineralized and barren intrusions were most probably caused by different degrees of crystallization of feldspar from melts. In addition, different Ga concentrations and positive Ce anomalies of titanites between Cu-mineralized and barren intrusions were most likely caused by different magmatic fO conditions. Pronounced compositional differences of titanites between Cu-mineralized and barren intrusions can provide a useful tool to help discriminate between ore-bearing and barren intrusions at an early stage of exploration, and, thus, have a potential application in exploration for porphyry Cu deposits in the Jinshajiang - Red River alkaline igneous belt, and to other areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Jinshajiang–Red River alkaline igneous belt with abundant Cu–Mo–Au mineralization, in the eastern Indian–Asian collision zone, is an important Cenozoic magmatic belt formed under an intra-continental strike-slip system in southwestern (SW) China. The Tongchang deposit is a representative porphyry Cu–Mo deposit in southern segment of the Jinshajiang–Red River alkaline igneous belt, with 8621t Cu @ 1.24wt.% and 17,060t Mo @ 0.218wt.%. In this study, He, Ar and S isotopic compositions of the Tongchang deposit were determined. He and Ar isotopic compositions suggest that the ore-forming fluids, with 3He/4He ratios varying from 0.17 to 1.50Ra and 40Ar/36Ar ratios from 299.1 to 347.3 for the deposit, are a mixture between a crust-derived fluid (MASW) with near atmospheric Ar and crustal He, and a mantle-derived fluid. However, the δ34S values of the hydrothermal pyrite samples ranging from 1.0‰ to 1.5‰ with an average of 1.2‰, indicate that the sulfur in the ore-forming fluids of the Tongchang deposit was primarily derived from the magma or indirectly mantle-derived without assimilation of crustal sulfur. In combination with previously published He and Ar isotopic data of the Yulong and Machangqing deposits in northern and central segments of the Jinshajiang–Red River alkaline igneous belt, respectively, the ore-forming fluids of the Yulong and Machangqing deposits are obviously richer in 3He and 40Ar, and poorer in 36Ar in comparison with the Tongchang deposit, implying that more mantle-derived fluids were involved in the ore-forming fluids of the Yulong and Machangqing deposits than those for the Tongchang deposit. This might be one of the most important factors producing larger scales of mineralization in the Yulong and Machangqing deposits than the Tongchang deposit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]