SEEGF Conference October 2006

D.J. Kirwin - 2006

HYDROTHERMAL BRECCIAS
TEXTURES, PROCESSES AND MINERALISATION

Copyright Notice
Please be advised that Mr. Douglas Kirwin claims copyright on these materials. No
reproduction without the permission of the author .
Contacts:
Douglas Kirwin:
Ivanhoe Mines Limited - Singapore
#37-02 Millenia Tower
No.1 Temasek Avenue
Singapore 039192
T: 62 21 722 4962
E: doug@ivanhoemines.com

SE Europe Geoscience Foundation

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SEEGF Conference October 2006

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

TEXTURES and PROCESSES

DIATREMES and TEXTURES
MINERALISED EXAMPLES
BRECCIA PIPE EVOLUTION

Tourmaline breccia, Pilares Cu mine, Sonora, Mexico

Vp >> Lp

50m

Lp = Lithostatic Load Pressure

Vp = Volatile Pressure

Vp > Lp

100m

Lp = Lithostatic Load Pressure

Vp = Volatile Pressure

Vp > Lp

500m

Lp = Lithostatic Load Pressure

Vp = Volatile Pressure

Wheal Remfry clay mine, Cornwall, UK

Panorama Wheal Remfry, Cornwall, UK

Wheal Remfry breccia, Cornwall, UK

Tourmaline breccia, Wheal Remfry, Cornwall, UK

Quartz-tourmaline breccia, Wheal Remfry clay mine, Cornwall, UK

Sheeted fracture zone, Wheal Remfry pipe, Cornwall, UK

Quartz-tourmaline breccia, Wheal Remfry clay mine, Cornwall, UK

Crackle breccia, Wheal Remfry pipe, Cornwall, UK

Breccia 70 Mile Mt, Charters Towers, North Queensland, Australia

Breccia 70 Mile Mt, Charters Towers, North Queensland, Australia

Generalised model of a Maar Volcano/Diatreme illustrating

the position of various breccia types within a diatreme system

Vent explosion, Ukinrek Maar, Alaska, 1964

(Photo - R. Russell on 6 April 1977, Alaska Department of Fish and Game)

Ukinrek Maar, Alaska (Photo - C. Nye)

Apron facies, Ukinrek Maar, Alaska

(Photo - R. Russell on 6 April 1977, Alaska Department of Fish and Game)

Asymetrical apron facies, Ukinrek Maar, Alaska

(Photo - R. Russell on 6 April 1977, Alaska Department of Fish and Game)

Emma & Heine pits, Placer Au mine, Philippines

Diatreme breccia andesite contact, Emma pit, Placer Au mine, Philippines

Diatreme breccia, Upper Heine pit, Placer Au mine, Philippines

Diatreme breccia, Ntina pit, Placer Au mine, Philippines

Carbonaceous zone, Heine pit, Placer Au mine, Philippines

Lake Leonard Diatreme, North Davao, Philippines

Tuff Apron Lake Leonard Diatreme, Mindanao, Philippines

Tuff Apron Lake Leonard Diatreme, Mindanao, Philippines

Antamok Au mine, Baguio, Philippines

Balatoc Diatreme, Acupan Au-Ag, Luzon, Philippines

Diatreme breccia, Balatoc Au-Ag mine, Baguio, Philippines

Drusey quartz hydrothermal breccia, Acupan Au mine, Baguio, Philippines

Lepanto Au-Cu mine, Mankayan, Philippines

Hydrothermal breccia, Lepanto Cu mine, Philippines

Diatreme breccia, Victoria Au mine, Lepanto, Philippines

Monywa copper mine, Sabetaung pit, Myanmar

Diatreme breccia, Sabetaung pit, Monywa, Myanmar

Mineralised clasts in diatreme breccia, Sabetaung pit, Monywa, Myanmar

Diatreme breccia, Letpadaung, Myanmar, DDH L134-152 to 152.4m

Base surge in tuff, Kysing Taung, Myanmar, DDH K53-31m

Accretionary lapilli, Monywa, Myanmar

Montana mineral deposits map, USA

Montana Tunnels Au Mine, USA

Diatreme breccia, Montana Tunnels Au Mine, USA

Carbonised wood clasts, Montana Tunnels Au Mine, USA

BANDA ACEH

South China Sea

MEDAN

M
al

ac

ca

St

ra
i

KUALA LUMPUR

Lake Toba

Sibolga

MARTABE

SINGAPORE

PEKANBARU

PADANG
JAMBI

PANGKALPINANG

PALEMBANG

INDIAN OCEAN

BENGKULU

BANDAR LAMPUNG

Whispy textured juvenile clasts

Accretionary balls in rock flour

matrix

Matrix supported lithic

(From Jensen, 2003)

Cresson Pit in July 2000. (From Jensen, 2003)

3-D portrayal of Cresson Pipe, looking north.

Note elliptical-shaped cross section, and
bifurcation at depth.
Shape along the margin of the pipe are shown
in red.
(From Jensen, 2003)

(From Jensen, 2003)

Oblique section through one of the

lamprophyre breccia pipes in the
Trail system.
Note the large egg-shaped, rafted
blocks of porphyritic phonolite with
pervasive K-feldspar + specularite
alteration (purple color).
(From Jensen, 2003)

Pebble dyke, Mt Bischolf Sn mine, Tasmania, Australia

Pebble dyke marble, Negarra mine, Bau Sarawak, Malaysia

Magmatic Breccias, Jin Mei Gui, Inner Mongolia

Magmatic Breccias, Jin Mei Gui, Inner Mongolia

Vp > Lp

500m

Lp = Lithostatic Load Pressure

Vp = Volatile Pressure

Isometric drawing of the Turmalina orebody (after Carlson & Sawkins, 1980).

Distribution of Copper in the 3rd, 4th and 5th levels of Ilkwang breccia pipe (after Fletcher, 1977).

Tsumeb Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag mine, Namibia

Panorama Wises Hill, Kidston, Pre-mining Circa 1982, Queensland, Australia

Schematic diagram showing distribution of various textures

in aplitic apical zone of a felsic intrusion.

USTs
UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION TEXTURES

t
po

Anticlimax Mo deposit, Canada

t
po

Red Dome porphyry Cu-Au deposit,

North Queensland, Australia

t
po

Tsagaan Chulut, Northeast Mongolia

View of cupola at Umnu Hutul (large hill in the foreground),

Western Mongolia

Parallel UST Bands

Contorted UST bands, Seltai, Kazahkstan

EVOLUTION OF THE KIDSTON BRECCIA PIPE

USTs

EVOLUTION OF THE KIDSTON BRECCIA PIPE

Tourmaline Breccia

EVOLUTION OF THE KIDSTON BRECCIA PIPE

Quartz Stockwork Veins

EVOLUTION OF THE KIDSTON BRECCIA PIPE

Main Breccia Pipe

EVOLUTION OF THE KIDSTON BRECCIA PIPE

Mineralisation

Guilaizhuang Au mine, Shandong, China

Hydrothermal breccia, Guilaizhuang Au mine, Shandong, China

Hydrothermal breccia, Guilaizhuang Au mine, Shandong, China

Guilaizhuang Au breccia pipe section

Geology map, Red Dome Au-Cu mine, Northeast Queensland, Australia

Red Dome Au-Cu mine, Chillagoe, Australia

Red Dome Au-Cu mine, Chillagoe, Australia

Lp

Vp
Bayan Uul, Central Mongolia
Lp = Lithostatic Load Pressure
Vp = Volatile Pressure

Formation of USTs as overpressured volatiles concentrate in a cupola

Lp

Vp
Bayan Uul, Central Mongolia

Lp = Lithostatic Load Pressure

Vp = Volatile Pressure

Subsequent release of overpressuring due to hydraulic fracturing of wallrocks

and formation of sheeted veins

Lp

Vp
Bayan Uul, Central Mongolia

Lp = Lithostatic Load Pressure

Vp = Volatile Pressure

Final catastrophic failure of wallrocks as a breccia pipe is created

and the pressure suddenly drops to equilibrium