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Geochemistry of shale and sedimentary pyrite as a proxy for gold fertility in the Selwyn basin area, Yukon

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Abstract

Selwyn basin area strata contain sedimentary pyrite with Au above background levels when analyzed by laser ablation-inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Hyland Group rocks contain framboidal pyrite contents of 670 ppb Au, 1223 ppm As, and 5.3 ppm Te; the mean of all types of sedimentary pyrite in the Hyland Group is 391 ppb Au, 1489 ppm As, and 3.8 ppm Te. These levels are similar to sedimentary pyrite in host lithologies from major orogenic gold districts in New Zealand and Australia. Comparison of whole rock and pyrite data show that rocks deposited in continental slope settings with significant terrigenous input contain pyrite that is consistently enriched in Au, As, Te, Co, and Cu. Although data are limited, whole rock samples of stratigraphic units containing Au-rich pyrite also contain high Au, indicating that most of the Au is within sedimentary pyrite. Based on geologic characteristics and comparison of pyrite chemistry data with whole rock chemistry, Selwyn basin area strata have the necessary ingredients to form orogenic gold deposits: Au-enriched source rocks, metamorphic conditions permissive of forming a metamorphic ore fluid, and abundant structural preparation for channeling fluids and depositing ore.

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Acknowledgments

We express our gratitude to the exploration companies, Atac Resources and Golden Predator Mining for access to drill core and to Jay Thompson for calculating whole rock errors and detection limits of the UTas data. PJS thanks Darwin Green of Constantine Metal Resources for the initial inspiration and Monica Nordling for her assistance in the field. Analyses were partially funded by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. Early reviews by Ben Cave, David Moynihan, and Scott Casselman, and editing by Karen MacFarlane improved the manuscript. Reviews by Associate Editor Karen Kelley, Iain Pitcairn and Erin Marsh are gratefully acknowledged. This is Yukon Geological Survey contribution 021.

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  1. Daniel D. Gregory

    Present address: Geology Department, University of California, Riverside, California, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yukon Geological Survey, Yukon Government, P.O. Box 2703 (K-102), Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2C6, Canada

    Patrick J. Sack

  2. CODES, ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 126, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

    Ross R. Large & Daniel D. Gregory

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Appendix 1

Sample descriptions. Location, lithology, map unit and reference for each sample. (XLSX 21 kb)

Appendix 2

Whole rock analytical data. Data from Activation Laboratories Ltd. and the University of Tasmania. (XLSX 166 kb)

Appendix 3

LA-ICPMS pyrite data. (XLSX 256 kb)

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Sack, P.J., Large, R.R. & Gregory, D.D. Geochemistry of shale and sedimentary pyrite as a proxy for gold fertility in the Selwyn basin area, Yukon. Miner Deposita 53, 997–1018 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-018-0793-5

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