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The Kago low-sulfidation gold and silver deposit : A peripheral mineralisation to the Nansatsu high-sulfidation system, southern Kyushu, Japan

Tindell, Thomas ; Watanabe, Koichiro ; Imai, Akira ; Takahashi, Ryohei ; Boyce, Adrian J. ; Yonezu, Kotaro ; Schersten, Anders LU ; Page, Laurence LU and Ogata, Takeyuki (2018) In Ore Geology Reviews 102. p.951-966
Abstract

The Kago deposit is a small deposit located at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula of Southern Kyushu, Japan. It lies proximal to the well-known Nansatsu-type mineralisation province dominated by high-sulfidation type epithermal deposits. The deposit was heavily mined in the 18 th Century, largely for its relatively higher gold compared to that of surrounding and regional deposits. The Kago deposit is a typical low-sulfidation deposit, characterised by adularia-quartz veins, composed of electrum, Ag-tetrahedrite, polybasite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. Based on mine records, the grade ranged from 4.1 to 13.3 g/t Au and 2.6-6.6 g/t Ag. Alteration grades from low to high temperature argillic into a propylitic zone at the... (More)

The Kago deposit is a small deposit located at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula of Southern Kyushu, Japan. It lies proximal to the well-known Nansatsu-type mineralisation province dominated by high-sulfidation type epithermal deposits. The deposit was heavily mined in the 18 th Century, largely for its relatively higher gold compared to that of surrounding and regional deposits. The Kago deposit is a typical low-sulfidation deposit, characterised by adularia-quartz veins, composed of electrum, Ag-tetrahedrite, polybasite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. Based on mine records, the grade ranged from 4.1 to 13.3 g/t Au and 2.6-6.6 g/t Ag. Alteration grades from low to high temperature argillic into a propylitic zone at the extremes of the vein exposures. Carbonate is absent. Fluid inclusion microthermometry reveals a typical temperature range of 220-240 °C with salinity of 0.7-2.6 NaCl eq. wt%. Electrum from high-grade ore ranges from 66 to 69 wt% Au. 40Ar/39Ar age dating of adularia bearing colloform/crustiform and brecciated veins, suggests a mineralisation event from 4.23 to 4.0 Ma. δ18O of veined and silicified quartz ranges from +4.0 to +18.4‰. δ18OH2O of fluids in equilibrium with quartz, in the dominant range of measured fluid inclusion temperatures, ranges from -6.5‰ to -0.2‰. δ34S of pyrite has a narrow range from -1.8 to 2.7‰. The deposit lies at the northern extent of the classic Nansatsu high-sulfidation epithermal area, in which a number of silicified bodies punctuate the region in a roughly semi-circular shape. The Kago deposit lies within the principle mineralisation age range of the high-sulfidation deposits, which range from 5.5 to 3.7 Ma. The structural displacement of the Kago deposit from the Nansatsu mineralisation and the differing host rocks has greatly influenced alteration, ore and rock-water interaction of the ore depositing fluids. Here we seek to establish the relationship that this extended mineral province has between the differing styles of mineralisation.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Ar/Ar, Gold, Kago, Nansatsu, Oxygen, Sulfur
in
Ore Geology Reviews
volume
102
pages
951 - 966
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85034964309
ISSN
0169-1368
DOI
10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.10.027
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
19825d23-0898-4cb8-8130-cbe79c8f2828
date added to LUP
2017-12-11 13:55:33
date last changed
2022-04-01 21:10:48
@article{19825d23-0898-4cb8-8130-cbe79c8f2828,
  abstract     = {{<p>The Kago deposit is a small deposit located at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula of Southern Kyushu, Japan. It lies proximal to the well-known Nansatsu-type mineralisation province dominated by high-sulfidation type epithermal deposits. The deposit was heavily mined in the 18 <sup>th</sup> Century, largely for its relatively higher gold compared to that of surrounding and regional deposits. The Kago deposit is a typical low-sulfidation deposit, characterised by adularia-quartz veins, composed of electrum, Ag-tetrahedrite, polybasite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. Based on mine records, the grade ranged from 4.1 to 13.3 g/t Au and 2.6-6.6 g/t Ag. Alteration grades from low to high temperature argillic into a propylitic zone at the extremes of the vein exposures. Carbonate is absent. Fluid inclusion microthermometry reveals a typical temperature range of 220-240 °C with salinity of 0.7-2.6 NaCl eq. wt%. Electrum from high-grade ore ranges from 66 to 69 wt% Au. <sup>40</sup>Ar/<sup>39</sup>Ar age dating of adularia bearing colloform/crustiform and brecciated veins, suggests a mineralisation event from 4.23 to 4.0 Ma. δ<sup>18</sup>O of veined and silicified quartz ranges from +4.0 to +18.4‰. δ<sup>18</sup>OH<sub>2</sub>O of fluids in equilibrium with quartz, in the dominant range of measured fluid inclusion temperatures, ranges from -6.5‰ to -0.2‰. δ<sup>34</sup>S of pyrite has a narrow range from -1.8 to 2.7‰. The deposit lies at the northern extent of the classic Nansatsu high-sulfidation epithermal area, in which a number of silicified bodies punctuate the region in a roughly semi-circular shape. The Kago deposit lies within the principle mineralisation age range of the high-sulfidation deposits, which range from 5.5 to 3.7 Ma. The structural displacement of the Kago deposit from the Nansatsu mineralisation and the differing host rocks has greatly influenced alteration, ore and rock-water interaction of the ore depositing fluids. Here we seek to establish the relationship that this extended mineral province has between the differing styles of mineralisation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Tindell, Thomas and Watanabe, Koichiro and Imai, Akira and Takahashi, Ryohei and Boyce, Adrian J. and Yonezu, Kotaro and Schersten, Anders and Page, Laurence and Ogata, Takeyuki}},
  issn         = {{0169-1368}},
  keywords     = {{Ar/Ar; Gold; Kago; Nansatsu; Oxygen; Sulfur}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{951--966}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Ore Geology Reviews}},
  title        = {{The Kago low-sulfidation gold and silver deposit : A peripheral mineralisation to the Nansatsu high-sulfidation system, southern Kyushu, Japan}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.10.027}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.10.027}},
  volume       = {{102}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}