Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Deposits Enriched in Gold

Abstract

Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits contain not only Cu, Zn, and Pb, but Sb, Bi, Te, Se Ag, Co, other metals, and variable amounts of Ag and Au. In some of these, gold reserves exceed 100 t, while the gold grade reaches several dozens ppm. An original database was used to establish statistically meaningful criteria for identification of deposits with large gold reserves and/or that are anomalously enriched in gold. Some peculiar features of deposits with high Au grades were investigated, including their distribution in geological history and among the principal metallogenic provinces, as well as association with volcanogenic formations and paleovolcanic structures, geochemical and mineralogical features, and factors that caused enrichment in gold.