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Geochemistry and mineralogy of Pd in the magnetitite layer within the upper gabbro of the Mesoarchean Nuasahi Massif (Orissa, India)

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Abstract

Palladium concentrations of 1–3 ppm with an average Pt/Pd ratio of 0.15 have been located for the first time in a magnetitite layer in the Nuasahi Massif in Orissa India. This layer occurs at a high stratigraphic level in the complex and is nearly 4-km long and 5–12-m thick. The sections of the Pd-rich zone identified to date extend over a distance of 1 km at the southern end of the layer. Several phases of mineralization are evident. The first, primary assemblage of platinum-group minerals (PGM) contains Pd-sulfides (vysotskite), Pd-Pb alloys (zvyagintsevite), and a Pd-In alloy, a mineral probably new to mineralogy. These PGM are confined to central magnetite grains in the magnetitites. The magnetite grains with exsolved fine laths of ilmenite at centers are referred to as central magnetite grains. These central magnetite grains are commonly surrounded by blebs of ilmenite and magnetite that contain the majority of the PGM. These are dominated by Pd-antimonides, variably altered to Pd-oxides, and other PGM including PtAs2 (sperrylite), RuS2 (laurite), and IrRhAsS (irarsite/hollingwothite). Many of these PGM also occur in the interstitial silicates, with rare occurrences in the central magnetite grains. We propose that the platinum-group elements (PGE) crystallized during a minor sulfide saturation event that occurred as the magnetitites crystallized. This event produced the minor Cu-sulfides in these magnetitites. Later introduction of antimony and arsenic, during the alteration event that produced the blebby ilmenite and magnetite, led to the more primary PGM being succeeded by the main PGM assemblage, dominated by Pd-antimonides. These are associated with secondary Cu minerals and sperrylite. Subsequent oxidation during weathering in the hot wet Indian climate produced the Pd-oxides. The Nuasahi Massif is a sill-like Archean layered ultramafic-mafic intrusion genetically linked to high-Mg siliceous basalt or boninites and is characterized by unusually thick layers of chromitite. PGE are concentrated in these chromitites and in the base metal sulfide-bearing breccias in the overlying gabbro. The Pd in the magnetitites described here indicates the presence of a third level where PGE are concentrated and a magma that crystallized to produce PGE concentrations at three stratigraphic levels in the massif. This indicates that similar thin sill-like intrusions, hosting unusually thick chromitites, may also have PGE concentrations at a number of stratigraphic levels.

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Acknowledgments

Research carried out was part of a UGC-UKIERI Thematic Partnership project 2013-003 (F-184-1/2013-IC) entitled “Sustainable resourcing of platinum-group elements (PGE): studies to understand and locate PGE in chromitities and breccias in India” (project website: iptri.in). Mining authorities OMC and IMFA are acknowledged for their support during fieldwork. John Bowles and Dave Holwell, the official reviewers of the journal, are acknowledged for the constructive review of the article. We are thankful to Bernd Lehmann (Editor-in-Chief of the journal) and Marco Fiorentini (Associate Editor of the journal) for useful editorial comments on this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK

    Hazel M. Prichard, Peter C. Fisher & Nicolas Giles

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, Jadavpur University, 188 Raja S.C. Mallik Road, Kolkata, 700032, India

    Sisir K. Mondal

  3. School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa

    Ria Mukherjee

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  1. Hazel M. Prichard
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Correspondence to Sisir K. Mondal.

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Editorial handling: M. Fiorentini

Hazel M. Prichard deceased

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126_2017_754_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Backscattered scanning electron photomicrographs of the different varieties of PGM in the magnetitites showing textural positions of the PGM illustrated in order of abundance. Symbols used include Mgt/e central magnetite grain, Mgt magnetite, Ilm ilmenite and Si silicate, Cv chalcocite, Ccp chalcopyrite, and Lrt laurite. (A–E) grains of stibiopalladinite in different textural settings (A: in a row crosscutting a central magnetite grain, (sample NSH/14/20), (B) enclosed in magnetite in a zone of magnetite and ilmenite blebs, (sample NSH/14/19), (C) euhedral and (D) irregular grains in fibrous silicate interstitial to the magnetite, (samples NSH/14/3 and NSH/14/20 respectively), (E) enclosed in chalcocite in a composite grain with chalcopyrite, (sample NSH/13/45A), (F) Sudburyite enclosed in ilmenite, (sample NSH/14/16), (G–P) a selection of Pd-oxides illustrating the textures of these minerals that are partially or completely altered Pd-antimonides, (G) a Pd-antimony oxide in silicate interstitial to magnetite (sample NSH/13/45A), (H) close up of square area shown in (G) showing delicate intergrowths within the Pd-antimony oxide, (I) Pd- antimonide partially altered to a Pd-antimony oxide, (J) location of (I) within a grain of ilmenite in a zone of ilmenite and magnetite blebs (sample NSH/13/45A), (K) Pd-Sb-Cu oxide showing varying amounts of partial alteration picked out by the white, light grey and dark grey tones located at the contact between an ilmenite and silicate (sample NSH/13/45B), (L) Pd-Sb-oxide showing fibrous intergrowths located at the contact between a central magnetite grain and silicate (sample NSH/13/45B, (M) mottled Pd-Sb-oxide within fibrous silicates, (sample NSH/13/45C), (O) two stibiopalladinites one of which is partially altered to Pd-Sb-oxide; this oxide is partially remobilized to fill a crack in an ilmenite bleb, (sample NSH/14/5), (P) ragged shaped Pd-Cu-oxide located at the contact between a central magnetite grain and silicate, (sample NSH/14/18), (Q) row of PGM in a row crosscutting a central magnetite grain illustrating the variety of PGM located in these rows, (sample NSH/14/43), (R) close up of PGM shown in (Q) revealing a composite grain of stibiopalladinite and sperryllite, (R-V) show the textural sites and morphologies of sperrylite, (S) euhedral grain in a magnetite bleb, (sample NSH/14/3), (T) euhedral grain in silicate, (sample NSH/14/23), (U) subhedral elongate grain in ilmenite, (sample NSH/14/24), (V) sperrylite associated with stibiopalladinite in magnetite, (sample NSH/14/20), (W) Pd-S, Pd-Pb and Pd-ln are located in a row crosscutting a central magnetite grain with a Pd-S in ilmenite aligned with this row, (sample NSH/14/23), (X) Pd-S at the edge of a central magnetite grain and a magnetite bleb, (sample NSH/14/19), (Y) zvyagintsevite and a Pd-Cu-oxide in rows crosscutting a central grain of magnetite, (sample NSH/13/43), (Z) irregular grain of Pt-Pd located at the junction between an ilmenite and magnetite bleb and silicate, (sample NSH/14/25), (a) a Pd-telluride enclosed in magnetite, (sample NSH/14/13), (b) a Pd-arsenide in a row crosscutting a central magnetite grain, (sample NSH/14/23), (c) a Pt-Fe alloy enclosed in fibrous magnetite, (sample NSH/14/17), (d) euhedral laurite grains in silicate, (sample NSH/14/23), (e) a composite grain of laurite and hollingworthite containing native osmium all enclosed in ilmenite, (sample NSH/13/45B), (f) a composite grain of laurite and sperrylite enclosed in ilmenite, (sample NSH/14/19), (g) elongate grains of stibiopalladinite and holllingworthite in fibrous silicate, (sample NSH/14/19), (h) native Au on the edge of a stibiopalladinite grain,(sample NSH/13/45A), (i) location of (h) showing this composite grain enclosed in ilmenite, (j) Au-Pd in an silicate inclusion in a central magnetite grain, (sample NSH/14/13), (k) Au-Ag grain in a bleb of magnetite, (sample NSH/14/3), (m) PGM-bearing cobaltite in a zone of ilmenite and magnetite blebs on the edge of a central magnetite grain, (sample NSH/14/45A). (PDF 26885 kb)

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Prichard, H.M., Mondal, S.K., Mukherjee, R. et al. Geochemistry and mineralogy of Pd in the magnetitite layer within the upper gabbro of the Mesoarchean Nuasahi Massif (Orissa, India). Miner Deposita 53, 547–564 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-017-0754-4

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