Fluid inclusion study of shear zone hosted lode gold type deposits: El Bagre mining district, Antioquia-Colombia

Abstract

The shear zone hosted lode gold type deposits are located at the northeast part of Antioquia department of Colombia. The characteristics of ore-forming fluids were discussed using fluid inclusion petrography and microthermometry analysis. Two stages, namely quartz-pyrite pre-mineralization stage (1) and reactivation-sulfides-tellurides mineralization stage (2) were included in this study. Two types of fluid inclusions were observed: primary aqueous-carbonic inclusions (type I) are characterized by the presence of clathrate, with salinities between 1.5 and 8.3 %wt NaCl equiv. and homogenization temperatures (to liquid) occurs between 238.1° and 297.1°C. Secondary aqueous inclusions (type II) were trapped in reactivated quartz (type IIa) and cross-cutting calcite veins (type IIb), salinity estimates display a mixing trend from a relatively saline with 9.21 %wt NaCl member (type IIa) to a low salinity one with 3.82 %wt NaCl (type IIb), homogenizations to a liquid phase occur between 150.8° and 184.6°C for type IIa inclusions and 130.3° to 190.4°C for type IIb. Based on these results, the shear zone hosted lode gold type deposits from El Bagre mining district, share similar characteristics with orogenic gold deposits.