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Constraints on the structural setting, relative timing, and geochemistry of the Fimiston, Hidden Secret, and Oroya gold-telluride lode types, Kalgoorlie gold camp, Western Australia

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Abstract

Late-stage metamorphic (ca. 2.64 Ga) and punctuated magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization models (2.67–2.64 Ga) are proposed for gold mineralization in the Kalgoorlie gold camp (~ 2300 t Au; Archean Yilgarn craton, Western Australia). We present structural, whole-rock geochemical, pyrite trace element, and multiple sulfur isotope data to evaluate these models. Both the Fimiston and Hidden Secret lodes were emplaced in ca. 2675 Ma D2b transtensional settings as releasing bends developed along the Golden Mile and Towns faults, respectively, and are related to the ingress of a H2O-CO2-Au-Te-As-S-K-Rb-Ba fluid concomitant with the intrusion of andesitic dikes. In the Hidden Secret orebody, this magmatic-hydrothermal fluid evolved from an early, As-enriched, greenstone-buffered fluid during the formation of disseminated pyrite mineralization (δ34Spyrite = 3.42 to 3.85‰; Δ33Spyrite = 0.25 to 0.43‰) to an Ag-Cu-Pb-Sb-Te-Tl-V-Zn–enriched fluid during the development of banded quartz-carbonate-sericite-pyrite veins (δ34Spyrite =  - 10.74 to - 0.17‰; Δ33Spyrite = 0.06 to 0.19‰). Oroya gold-telluride lode mineralization formed during later, ca. 2660 Ma D2c transpression from a V-S–Au-Ag-Hg-Te–enriched magmatic-hydrothermal fluid represented by δ34Spyrite = - 11.56‰ to - 4.96 and Δ33Spyrite = 0.08 to 0.17‰. The Fimiston/Hidden Secret and Oroya mineralization events record oxidized magmatic-hydrothermal fluids represented by δ34Spyrite ≤ 0‰ and Δ33Spyrite ~ 0.0 to 0.2‰. These oxidized magmatic-hydrothermal fluids interacted with surrounding wall rock, which lowered fluid fO2 and buffered δ34Spyrite/Δ33Spyrite values to δ34Spyrite =  ~ 1 to 5‰/Δ33Spyrite =  ~ 0.2 to 0.7‰ in greenstone rock environments and to δ34Spyrite =  ~ 1 to 5‰/Δ33Spyrite =  ~  ≤ 0.3‰ and ≥ 0.7‰ in black shale environments. Anomalous Δ33S values in ore-stage sulfides formed locally due to the incorporation of sulfur during fluid-wall rock interaction. The early, magmatic-hydrothermal Fimiston/Hidden Secret and Oroya gold-telluride lodes differ texturally, geochemically, and mineralogically from the D3 Mt. Charlotte stockwork veins, which formed subsequent to ca. 2650 Ma and better adhere to a late-stage metamorphic devolatilization model.

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  • 22 August 2022

    Springer Nature’s version of this paper was updated to present the correction article footnote in the paper.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Newmont Corporation and Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines for their support in this study. In particular, Matthew Baggott and Steve Turner have been instrumental in facilitating the study. Andreas Mueller and Gawen Jenkin are thanked for their constructive reviews, which significantly improved the quality of this manuscript.

Funding

JM acknowledges additional funding provided by the Dean’s Excellence in Science PhD scholarship at the University of Western Australia and a doctoral postgraduate scholarship provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. NT would like to acknowledge the support of the Hammond and Nisbet trust for its financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Exploration Targeting, School of Earth Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Jordan A. McDivitt, Steffen G. Hagemann & Nicolas Thébaud

  2. Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation, and Analysis, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Laure A. J. Martin

  3. School of Earth and Planetary Science, John de Laeter Center, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia

    Kai Rankenburg

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  1. Jordan A. McDivitt
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  2. Steffen G. Hagemann
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  3. Nicolas Thébaud
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Correspondence to Jordan A. McDivitt.

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McDivitt, J.A., Hagemann, S.G., Thébaud, N. et al. Constraints on the structural setting, relative timing, and geochemistry of the Fimiston, Hidden Secret, and Oroya gold-telluride lode types, Kalgoorlie gold camp, Western Australia. Miner Deposita 57, 1023–1046 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-021-01077-w

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