Genesis and tectonic setting of the hypozonal Fäboliden orogenic gold deposit, northern Sweden

• Main Author: Bark, Glenn
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Luleå tekniska universitet, Geovetenskap och miljöteknik 2005
• Subjects: Geology; Geologi; Svartliden; Northern Sweden
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-17200

The well-known Skellefte Ore District, northern Sweden, hosts a large number of massive sulphide deposits, a few porphyry-type-deposits and a number of gold deposits in different geological settings. Southwest of this district a new ore province, the so called Gold Line, is presently being uncovered. During the past decade a number of gold occurrences have been discovered in this area. Only one deposit is in production, the Svartliden gold deposit (2 Mton at 4.3 ppm Au). However, with regards to tonnage the Fäboliden gold deposit stands out with a known mineral resource of c. 16 Mton with 1.33 ppm Au. Additional 24.5 Mton with 1.5 ppm Au is indicated down to a depth of 350 m. The late- to post-orogenic, c. 1.81-1.77 Ga, Revsund granite constitutes the main rock type in the Fäboliden area and surrounds a narrow belt of metavolcanic rocks and metagreywackes. The metasedimentary rocks are strongly deformed, within a roughly N-S trending subvertical shear zone, with boudinaged competent horizons that indicate E-W shortening and a suggested dextral sense of shear within the shear zone. The mineralization at Fäboliden constitutes a 30-50 m wide, N-S striking, steeply dipping ore zone. The mineralization is commonly hosted in arsenopyrite-bearing quartz-veins, which parallel the main foliation, within the metagreywackes in the shear zone. The fine-grained (2-40 µm) gold is closely associated with arsenopyrite-löllingite and stibnite and found in fissures and as intergrowths in the arsenopyrite-löllingite. Gold is also seen as free grains in the silicate matrix of the metagreywacke host rock. Microprobe analysis shows that the gold occurs as electrum (Au:Ag 2:1). The proximal ore zone display enrichment in Ca, total S, As, Ag, Au, Sb, Sn, W, Pb, Bi, Cd, Se, and Hg, whereas K and Na are slightly depleted. The hydrothermal alteration assemblage in the proximal ore zone is diopside, calcic amphibole, biotite, and minor andalusite and tourmaline. This type of assemblage is commonly recognized in hypozonal orogenic gold ...