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Genesis of sediment-hosted stratiform copper–cobalt mineralization at Luiswishi and Kamoto, Katanga Copperbelt (Democratic Republic of Congo)

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Abstract

The sediment-hosted stratiform Cu–Co mineralization of the Luiswishi and Kamoto deposits in the Katangan Copperbelt is hosted by the Neoproterozoic Mines Subgroup. Two main hypogene Cu–Co sulfide mineralization stages and associated gangue minerals (dolomite and quartz) are distinguished. The first is an early diagenetic, typical stratiform mineralization with fine-grained minerals, whereas the second is a multistage syn-orogenic stratiform to stratabound mineralization with coarse-grained minerals. For both stages, the main hypogene Cu–Co sulfide minerals are chalcopyrite, bornite, carrollite, and chalcocite. These minerals are in many places replaced by supergene sulfides (e.g., digenite and covellite), especially near the surface, and are completely oxidized in the weathered superficial zone and in surface outcrops, with malachite, heterogenite, chrysocolla, and azurite as the main oxidation products. The hypogene sulfides of the first Cu–Co stage display δ34S values (−10.3‰ to +3.1‰ Vienna Canyon Diablo Troilite (V-CDT)), which partly overlap with the δ34S signature of framboidal pyrites (−28.7‰ to 4.2‰ V-CDT) and have ∆34SSO4-Sulfides in the range of 14.4‰ to 27.8‰. This fractionation is consistent with bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR). The hypogene sulfides of the second Cu–Co stage display δ34S signatures that are either similar (−13.1‰ to +5.2‰ V-CDT) to the δ34S values of the sulfides of the first Cu–Co stage or comparable (+18.6‰ to +21.0‰ V-CDT) to the δ34S of Neoproterozoic seawater. This indicates that the sulfides of the second stage obtained their sulfur by both remobilization from early diagenetic sulfides and from thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). The carbon (−9.9‰ to −1.4‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (V-PDB)) and oxygen (−14.3‰ to −7.7‰ V-PDB) isotope signatures of dolomites associated with the first Cu–Co stage are in agreement with the interpretation that these dolomites are by-products of BSR. The carbon (−8.6‰ to +0.3‰ V-PDB) and oxygen (−24.0‰ to −10.3‰ V-PDB) isotope signatures of dolomites associated with the second Cu–Co stage are mostly similar to the δ13C (−7.1‰ to +1.3‰ V-PDB) and δ18O (−14.5‰ to −7.2‰ V-PDB) of the host rock and of the dolomites of the first Cu–Co stage. This indicates that the dolomites of the second Cu–Co stage precipitated from a high-temperature, host rock-buffered fluid, possibly under the influence of TSR. The dolomites associated with the first Cu–Co stage are characterized by significantly radiogenic Sr isotope signatures (0.70987 to 0.73576) that show a good correspondence with the Sr isotope signatures of the granitic basement rocks at an age of ca. 816 Ma. This indicates that the mineralizing fluid of the first Cu–Co stage has most likely leached radiogenic Sr and Cu–Co metals by interaction with the underlying basement rocks and/or with arenitic sedimentary rocks derived from such a basement. In contrast, the Sr isotope signatures (0.70883 to 0.71215) of the dolomites associated with the second stage show a good correspondence with the 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.70723 to 0.70927) of poorly mineralized/barren host rocks at ca. 590 Ma. This indicates that the fluid of the second Cu–Co stage was likely a remobilizing fluid that significantly interacted with the country rocks and possibly did not mobilize additional metals from the basement rocks.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Forrest International Group (G.F.I.) and Compagnie Minière du Sud Katanga (C.M.S.K.) for access to the Luiswishi mine and for the availability of samples. The geologists and workers of the Forrest International Group are thanked for their cooperation during sampling and mine visit. Thanks to Herman Nijs for the careful preparation of numerous thin and polished sections. Thanks to Eric Pirard (University of Liège, Belgium) for the permission to sample the Kamoto borehole F120. The barren host rock carbonate samples of Kambove and Kabolela were collected from the rock collections of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA, Tervuren, Belgium). We are grateful to Michael Joachimski (University of Erlangen, Germany) for performing the C–O isotope analyses. The paper has benefited from constructive comments by Sharad Master, an anonymous reviewer, the Associate Editor Hartwig Frimmel, and the Editor-in-Chief Bernd Lehmann. The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is thanked for financing the Ph.D. research of Hamdy El Desouky, through the Development Co-operation Scholarships Programme. This research is also financially support by the research grants number G.0585.06 and G.0414.08 from the FWO-Vlaanderen (Belgium).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geodynamics & Geofluids Research Group, K.U.Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Hamdy A. El Desouky, Philippe Muchez & Jens Schneider

  2. Isotope Geoscience Unit, SUERC, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 0QF, UK

    Adrian J. Boyce

  3. Département Recherche et Développement, E.G.M.F., Groupe Forrest International, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo

    Jacques L. H. Cailteux

  4. Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium

    Stijn Dewaele

  5. Institute of Isotope Geochemistry and Mineral Resources, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Clausiusstrasse 25, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    Albrecht von Quadt

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  1. Hamdy A. El Desouky
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  2. Philippe Muchez
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Correspondence to Hamdy A. El Desouky.

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ESM Fig. 1

Photographs of surface outcrops with supergene mineralization at the Luiswishi open pit mine. Copper (mainly malachite; greenish color) and cobalt (heterogenite; black color) oxide minerals concentrated along cracks (a) and in a fracture zone associated with faulting (b). (GIF 378 kb)

High resolution image (TIFF 17065 kb)

ESM Fig. 2

Overview of borehole core samples from the Lower Kambove Member (Third Orebody; Fig. 3b) at the Luiswishi mine. a Samples from borehole LSW1216, where it intercepts with a thick discordant Lufilian tectonic breccia body along a fault cutting a megabreccia block with folded lithologies belonging to the Mines Subgroup (the “monogeneous breccia-type” of Cailteux and Kampunzu 1995). The breccia include millimeter- to centimeter-size angular to subangular clasts cemented by quartz, Cu–Co sulfides, and dolomite (see also ESM Fig. 3k). b Borehole samples from inside a nondisturbed megabreccia block showing a laminated dark/organic-rich host rock with nodules and thin layers crosscut by veins with variable thickness (see arrows; borehole LSW1215). (GIF 229 kb)

High resolution image (TIFF 12810 kb)

ESM Fig. 3

Photographs of stained (a–f, i–k) and nonstained (g, h) borehole samples from the Cu–Co mineralization at Kamoto and Luiswishi. a, b Type I nodules surrounded by locally ductile bended host rock laminae, formed due to differential compaction at their borders, and discontinuous type I layers with an irregular boundary with the host rock, which is likely related to differential compaction at their borders. Both are composed of fine-grained Cu–Co sulfides, quartz, and dolomite (see Fig. 6a–c) and hosted in laminated dolomitic shales at Kamoto (a; S.D.B. Member; Upper Orebody) and Luiswishi (b; Lower Kambove Member; Third Orebody). c Numerous type II nodules, circular to subrounded, with coarse-grained Cu–Co sulfides (chalcopyrite and carrollite), quartz, and dolomite (Dol.; see Fig. 6d), hosted in medium-grained dolomite at Luiswishi (B.O.M.Z. Member; Upper Orebody). d One type II nodule hosted in massive dolomite at Luiswishi (R.S.C. Member). e Type II layer, composed of coarse-grained Cu–Co sulfides, quartz, and dolomite, with a sharp boundary toward the host rock, hosted in laminated dolomitic shale at Luiswishi (S.D.-3b Member). f Type II layer, parallel to stratification, cutting and displacing an oblique vein, both hosted in laminated dolomitic shale at Luiswishi (S.D.-3b Member). g–i Type II nodules and layers hosted in massive dolomite from the R.S.C. Member (g) and in dolomitic shale from the S.D.B. (h) and S.D.-2a + b + c Members (i) at Kamoto. j Veins cutting stratification (Luiswishi; S.D.-3b Member) and are composed of coarse-grained Cu–Co sulfides, quartz, nonferroan dolomite (Dol.) overgrown and crosscut by ferroan dolomite (blue color; Fe-rich Dol.). k Tectonic breccia with dolomitic shale fragments from the S.D.-2a Member at Luiswishi, cemented by coarse-grained quartz, Cu–Co sulfides and dolomite. This sample has been collected from the same thick-breccia zone shown in ESM Fig. 2a. See Fig. 3b for explanation of the stratigraphic units. (GIF 742 kb)

High resolution image (TIFF 51139 kb)

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El Desouky, H.A., Muchez, P., Boyce, A.J. et al. Genesis of sediment-hosted stratiform copper–cobalt mineralization at Luiswishi and Kamoto, Katanga Copperbelt (Democratic Republic of Congo). Miner Deposita 45, 735–763 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-010-0298-3

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