IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL PORPHYRY CU MINERALIZATION AT THE KIRAZLI DISTRICT IN BIGA PENINSULA (NW TURKEY): INSIGHTS FROM THE MAPPING HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION BY USING SHORTWAVE INFRARED (SWIR) SPECTROMETRY

Year 2023, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 53 - 62, 30.06.2023

Ali Aluç , İlkay Kuşçu , Robert Moritz

https://doi.org/10.22531/muglajsci.1239877

Cited By: 2

Abstract

The Kirazlı mineral district is located at the center of the Biga peninsula metallogenic province, in a geological setting characterized by an extensional tectonic environment. The district hosts a high-sulfidation (HS) ore body with a total reserve of 33.86 Mt @ 0.69 g/t Au and 9.42 g/t Ag within a large-scale hydrothermal alteration. Although the ideal magmatic-hydrothermal models present the spatial and temporal association of HS-epithermal and porphyry Cu deposits, the porphyry Cu potential at the Kirazlı has not been evaluated, yet. Therefore, the mineral-based alteration mapping with the help of SWIR reflectance spectroscopy was carried out. Our study demonstrates that nine different mineral zone have been distinguished and mapped: (1) Silicification, (2) Alunite, (3) Kaolinite, (4) Dickite, (5) Illite, (6) Pyrophyllite, (7) Chlorite, (8) Sericite, and (9) Montmorillonite zones. Collectively, these alterations exhibit a zoned pattern, from central massive silicification to residual silica, NW-SE oriented alunite, and marginal montmorillonite-illite zones within widespread kaolinite – dickite dominated alteration in Kirazlı main zone. The occurrence of pyrophyllite and sericite dominates at the SE of the Kirazlı district, which refers to relative temperature increase. Subsequent drilling confirms the potential for deep prospecting of porphyry Cu mineralization in the region.

Keywords

Alteration, SWIR, Porphyry Cu, High Sulfidation, Kirazlı, Biga Peninsula

Supporting Institution

Doğu Biga Madencilik subsidiary of Alamos Gold INC, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) - 2214A scholarship program

Thanks

Senior Geologist Gülsevim Özışık, Field assistants Nazım Tomruk, and Sefer Sezgin are acknowledged for their help during fieldwork. We are grateful to Exploration Director Mehtap Karcı for the legal permissions and technical help.

Biga Yarımadası’ndaki Kirazlı bölgesinde potansiyel porfiri bakır mineralizasyonunun belirlenmesi: Kısa dalga kızılötesi (SWIR) spektrometrisi çalışması

Abstract

Kirazlı maden bölgesi, Biga yarımadasının metalojenik kuşağının merkezinde, genişlemeli tektonik ortamda oluşmuştur. Bölge, büyük ölçekli bir hidrotermal alterasyon içinde yer alan toplam rezervi 33,86 Mt @ 0,69 g/t Au ve 9,42 g/t Ag olan yüksek sülfidasyonlu (HS) epitermal bir cevher kütlesine ev sahipliği yapmaktadır. İdeal magmatik-hidrotermal modeller, HS-epitermal ve porfiri bakır yataklarının mekansal ve zamansal ilişkisini sunsa da, Kirazlı'daki porfiri bakır cevherleşmesi potansiyeli henüz değerlendirilmemiştir. Bu nedenle, SWIR spektroskopisi yardımıyla mineral bazlı alterasyon haritalaması gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmamız dokuz farklı mineral zonunun ayırt edildiğini ve haritalandığını göstermektedir: (1) Silisleşme, (2) Alunit, (3) Kaolinit, (4) Dikit, (5) İllit, (6) Pirofilit, (7) Klorit, (8) Serisit ve (9) Montmorillonite zonları. Toplu olarak, bu alterasyonlar, Kirazlı ana zonundaki yaygın kaolinit-dikit baskın alterasyon içinde, merkezi masif silisleşmeden, KB-GD yönlü alünit ve marjinal montmorillonit-illit zonlarına kadar bir zonlanma modeli sergilemektedir. Kirazlı bölgesinin güneydoğu’sunda ise pirofilit ve serisit minerallerinin hakim olması sıcaklık artışını ifade ederek potansiyel bir porfiri bakır cevherleşmesini işaret eder. Takibinde yapılan sondaj çalışmaları, bölgedeki porfiri bakır mineralizasyonunun potansiyelini doğrulamaktadır.

Keywords

Alterasyon, SWIR, Porfiri Cu, Yüksek Sülfidasyon, Kirazlı, Biga Yarımadası

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