Fluid Inclusions at the Plavica Au-Ag-Cu Telescoped Porphyry–Epithermal System, Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)

Abstract

The Plavica Au-Ag-Cu porphyry and high sulfidation (HS) epithermal deposit is located at the Kratovo–Zlatovo volcanic field in Eastern Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia. In this study, new fluid inclusions data provide additional evidence of the presence of a porphyry style mineralization which is associated with an overlain HS epithermal deposit. The Oligocene–Miocene magmatic rocks have a calc–alkaline to high-K calc–alkaline affinity and consist of sub-volcanic intrusions and volcanic rocks. Previous studies distinguished four alteration types: (a) Sericitic, (b) advanced argillic, (c) silicification, and (d) propylitic alteration. Fluid inclusions showed an early magmatic brine in porphyry style veins with high salinity (33–57 wt% NaCl equiv.), which coexists with a vapor rich fluid with lower salinity (14–20 wt% NaCl equiv.), at temperatures 380–500 °C, under boiling conditions. At shallower depths, the fluid inclusions demonstrate various HS–epithermal deposits which were formed by moderate to low salinity (3–14 wt% NaCl equiv.) hydrothermal fluids at lower temperatures from 200 to 300 °C.