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Fluid inclusion and stable isotope (O, H, C, and S) constraints on the genesis of the Serrinha gold deposit, Gurupi Belt, northern Brazil

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Abstract

The Serrinha gold deposit of the Gurupi Belt, northern Brazil, belongs to the class of orogenic gold deposits. The deposit is hosted in highly strained graphitic schist belonging to a Paleoproterozoic (∼2,160 Ma) metavolcano-sedimentary sequence. The ore-zones are up to 11 m thick, parallel to the regional NW–SE schistosity, and characterized by quartz-carbonate-sulfide veinlets and minor disseminations. Textural and structural data indicate that mineralization was syn- to late-tectonic and postmetamorphic. Fluid inclusion studies identified early CO2 (CH4-N2) and CO2 (CH4-N2)-H2O-NaCl inclusions that show highly variable phase ratios, CO2 homogenization, and total homogenization temperatures both to liquid and vapor, interpreted as the product of fluid immiscibility under fluctuating pressure conditions, more or less associated with postentrapment modifications. The ore-bearing fluid typically has 18–33mol% of CO2, up to 4mol% of N2, and less than 2mol% of CH4 and displays moderate to high densities with salinity around 4.5wt% NaCl equiv. Mineralization occurred around 310 to 335°C and 1.3 to 3.0 kbar, based on fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures and oxygen isotope thermometry with estimated oxygen fugacity indicating relatively reduced conditions. Stable isotope data on quartz, carbonate, and fluid inclusions suggest that veins formed from fluids with δ18OH2O and δDH2O (310–335°C) values of +6.2 to +8.4‰ and −19 to −80‰, respectively, which might be metamorphic and/or magmatic and/or mantle-derived. The carbon isotope composition (δ13C) varies from −14.2 to −15.7‰ in carbonates; it is −17.6‰ in fluid inclusion CO2 and −23.6‰ in graphite from the host rock. The δ34S values of pyrite are −2.6 to −7.9‰. The strongly to moderately negative carbon isotope composition of the carbonates and inclusion fluid CO2 reflects variable contribution of organic carbon to an originally heavier fluid (magmatic, metamorphic, or mantle-derived) at the site of deposition and sulfur isotopes indicate some oxidation of the originally reduced fluid. The deposition of gold is interpreted to have occurred mainly in response to phase separation and fluid-rock interactions such as CO2 removal and desulfidation reactions that provoked variations in the fluid pH and redox conditions.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by CAPES (BEX 2020/02-05), CPRM/Geological Survey of Brazil, and Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA) and constitutes a contribution to the project PRONEX/CNPq/UFPA (66.2103/1998). C. Torresini, G. M. Brandão, M. A. Ferreira, and J. W. A. Ribeiro (formerly Mineração Santa Fé) are gratefully acknowledged for field support for providing access to the drill cores and for discussions on the deposit geology. Photo 4D is courtesy of J. W. A. Ribeiro. C. N. Lamarão (UFPA) kindly helped with the SEM images. Constructive comments and suggestions of Steffen Hagemann, Larry Meinert and an anonymous reviewer, as well as the editorial handling of Hartwig Frimmel are greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CPRM/Geological Survey of Brazil, Av. Dr. Freitas, 3645, Belém-PA,, CEP: 66095-110, Brazil

    Evandro L. Klein

  2. Département de Géologie, Université Jean Monnet, 23, rue du Docteur Paul Michelon, Saint Etienne 42000, Cedex 2,, France

    Chris Harris, Christophe Renac & André Giret

  3. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa

    Chris Harris

  4. Laboratório de Geologia Isotópica, Pará-Iso, Universidade Federal do Pará, CP 1611, Belém-PA,, CEP: 66075-900, Brazil

    Candido A. V. Moura

  5. CDTN/CNEN, Rua Mario Werneck s/n, Cidade Universitária, Belo Horizonte-MG,, CEP: 30270-010, Brazil

    Kazuo Fuzikawa

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Klein, E.L., Harris, C., Renac, C. et al. Fluid inclusion and stable isotope (O, H, C, and S) constraints on the genesis of the Serrinha gold deposit, Gurupi Belt, northern Brazil. Miner Deposita 41, 160–178 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-006-0050-1

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