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The Rosie pyrite hydrothermal system in the McArthur Basin: tectono-sedimentary constraints on mineralization and alkali metasomatism in stratiform sediment-hosted sulfide deposits of northern Australia

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Abstract

The world-class McArthur River Zn-Pb-Ag deposit is the type example of stratiform sediment-hosted deposits found in the Proterozoic basins of northern Australia. However, the McArthur River deposit is enigmatic in that, aside from a few sub-economic deposits within the same camp, other deposits of this type have not been discovered regionally. Understanding the key components of McArthur River-type mineral systems and the regional distribution of these components is crucial to further discovery. The recent discovery of the similar but pyrite-dominated system at Rosie ~ 90 km north of the McArthur River Mine sheds new light on the formation of this deposit class and provides a counterpoint to compare and contrast with the high base metal endowment at McArthur River. Stratiform pyrite mineralization at Rosie is finely laminated and is affected by erosional sedimentary processes superficially indicating it formed during sedimentation to early diagenesis and at or near the sediment–water interface. The conventional ore horizon in the McArthur River camp is the HYC Pyritic Shale Member in the lower Barney Creek Formation (~ 1640 Ma) within sub-basin architecture. Rosie is contained within a similar sub-basin architecture, but it occurs in the upper Barney Creek Formation. The absence of mineralization in the lower Barney Creek Formation at Rosie is attributed in part to prohibitive tectono-sedimentary conditions during early sub-basin development. The HYC Pyritic Shale Member equivalent is relatively thin beneath the Rosie mineralization and is only weakly enriched in hydrothermal elements. Its deposition was abruptly superseded by infill of the sub-basin by a thick barren sequence of fine turbidites. The fine turbidites were a rapid phase of accommodation space fill that diluted brines entering the sediment pile and effectively precluded hydrothermal sulfide mineralization as well as low temperature alkali metasomatism. Permissible tectono-sedimentary conditions did not return until late in sub-basin development, and by this time, sub-basin geometry had broadened and shallowed, and the hydrothermal fluid had evolved. Rosie mineralization is subsequently poorly focused and base metal deficient. The observation that sedimentation rate may play a role in mineralization is a significant addition to the field of basin-hosted mineral systems.

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Fig. 1

adapted from Ahmad et al. (2013); (c) new interpreted solid geology at the Rosie field site; this interpretation uses Betts et al. (2015) linework and is constrained by recent drill core represented by the black dots; (d) BCF lithofacies distribution map of the Rosie field site with mineralization thickness contours in yellow. Red dotted line is the section and red numbers are the drill holes in Figs. 5a–d and 9e–f; (e) schematic cross-sections of the Rosie area interpreted from drill core. The location for the cross-sections is shown in c. Note that Rosie West is not mineralized (cross-section A-A’)

Fig. 2

adapted from Ahmad et al. (2013) and incorporating age constraints reported in Page and Sweet (1998) and Page et al. (2000); (b) a revised stratigraphic scheme for the Rosie area—it incorporates two new LA-ICPMS zircon age dates; (c) conventional stratigraphy of the S.E. McArthur Basin. Note that the S.E. McArthur Basin has a major unconformity between the Tawallah and Nathan Groups, and some sections typical of the Batten Fault Zone are absent in the Rosie section. The mineralization at Rosie is contained within BCF-2 consisting of shale to siltstone with quartz-carbonate and volcaniclastic-rich turbidites. Gp., group; Fm., formation; Mem., member; Dol., dolostone; Sst., sandstone; Ssh., shale; Py., pyritic; UFTU, upper fine-turbidite unit; LSU, lower shale unit; D.C, depositional cycle; undif., undifferentiated

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Acknowledgements

Thanks are extended to MMG Limited and Sandfire Resources for permission to publish, and to all MMG exploration geologists for stimulating discussions in the field and over the core. Thanks are also extended to several staff at the University of Tasmania, including Doctor Sandrin Feig for assistance operating the SEM, Associate Professor Sebastien Meffre for completing the LA-ICPMS zircon age dates, to Professor Ross Large for reviewing an earlier version of this manuscript, and to Dr Robert Scott for supervising the Honours research. Finally, comprehensive reviews by Dr Sam Spinks and Dr David Champion, and further refinement by Dr Karen Kelley improved the quality of the manuscript significantly.

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  1. Trace Geoscience Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia

    C. Gianfriddo

  2. Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia

    S. W. Bull & T. M. Andrews

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  1. C. Gianfriddo
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Gianfriddo, C., Bull, S.W. & Andrews, T.M. The Rosie pyrite hydrothermal system in the McArthur Basin: tectono-sedimentary constraints on mineralization and alkali metasomatism in stratiform sediment-hosted sulfide deposits of northern Australia. Miner Deposita 57, 377–398 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-021-01069-w

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