Li Xiaohui, Hu Xunyu, Jowitt S.M., Li Yang., Wang Jinlin, Yuan Feng, Zhou Jie, Zhou Kefa, Zhou Taofa, Li Xiaohui, Hu Xunyu, Jowitt S.M., Li Yang., Wang Jinlin, Yuan Feng, Zhou Jie, Zhou Kefa, and Zhou Taofa
This study focusses on the Shaxi deposit, a concealed porphyry Cu-Au deposit located in the Anhui Province, China, and uses singularity techniques to identify and extract geochemical anomalies associated with porphyry Cu-Au-related fracture fills. These data were used to examine the relationships between geochemical anomalies and known deep and concealed mineralisation distinguished from unaltered and unmineralised wall-rock material using a concentration-volume model in the study area. Areas defined by fracture fills containing anomalous concentrations of Cu only effectively delineate known areas of shallower Cu mineralisation, whereas areas with fracture fills containing anomalous concentrations of Au effectively delineate areas containing either Au mineralisation and/or deep-seated Cu mineralisation. The study also identified several other targets that have not been explored in the peripheral areas of the Shaxi deposit, some of which should be considered high priority targets for future exploration for concealed orebodies. This indicates that combining singularity mapping with fracture fill geochemical analysis can effectively delineate geochemical anomalies associated with deep-seated or concealed porphyry-type mineralisation, an approach that also may well be applicable to exploration for other types of magmato-hydrothermal or hydrothermal mineral deposits., This study focusses on the Shaxi deposit, a concealed porphyry Cu-Au deposit located in the Anhui Province, China, and uses singularity techniques to identify and extract geochemical anomalies associated with porphyry Cu-Au-related fracture fills. These data were used to examine the relationships between geochemical anomalies and known deep and concealed mineralisation distinguished from unaltered and unmineralised wall-rock material using a concentration-volume model in the study area. Areas defined by fracture fills containing anomalous concentrations of Cu only effectively delineate known areas of shallower Cu mineralisation, whereas areas with fracture fills containing anomalous concentrations of Au effectively delineate areas containing either Au mineralisation and/or deep-seated Cu mineralisation. The study also identified several other targets that have not been explored in the peripheral areas of the Shaxi deposit, some of which should be considered high priority targets for future exploration for concealed orebodies. This indicates that combining singularity mapping with fracture fill geochemical analysis can effectively delineate geochemical anomalies associated with deep-seated or concealed porphyry-type mineralisation, an approach that also may well be applicable to exploration for other types of magmato-hydrothermal or hydrothermal mineral deposits.