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MINERALOGICAL FEATURES OF ORES WITHIN THE KALAR OCCURRENCE AND POSSIBILITIES OF THE ION-SORPTION METHOD FOR SEARCHING OF THE OVERLAPPED GOLD-SILVER MINERALIZATION OF THE ALTAY-SAYAN FOLDED REGION

A. I. Chernykh, M. P. Brysin, P. N. Leibgam, I. V. Arsentyeva, S. A. Milyaev

Central Research Institute of Geological Prospecting for Base and Precious Metals, Moscow, Russia

The article presents results of studying the epithermal gold-silver mineralization of the Kalar occurrence of the Kaburchak ore cluster in the Mountainous Shoria (Gornaya Shoria). The Kalar occurrence is confined to metasomatites of berezite and argillisite composition. They contain veined and veinlet-disseminated zones of quartz-sulphide composition. The characteristic feature of the Kalar occurrence is the wide distribution of ore minerals – usually 5–10%, oft en up to 20%, and in some cases up to 60–70%, and their great variety. Ore minerals are represented mainly by pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, fahlores, gold, as well as by Pb, Bi, Ag sulfides and Au, Ag, Pb tellurides. The results of experimental and methodological works within the Kalar occurence showed a high efficiency of using the ion-sorption method of prospecting developed at the Federal State Budgetary Institution (FSBI) TsNIGRI in conditions of high thickness of loose overlapping deposits. The ion-sorption survey carried out within the Kalar area made it possible to reveal secondary superimposed halos of dispersion of As, Sb, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni, Co. The use of the ion-sorption method on the northern flank of the Kalar ore field, where overlapping Quaternary deposits up to 25 m thick are widely developed, made it possible to reveal a complex geochemical anomaly (Ag, As, Cu, Pb, Zn), which presumably reflects the northern continuation of the Central gold-bearing zone.

Keywords: gold, gold-silver mineralization, Kalar occurrence, Mountainous Shoria (Gornaya Shoria), ionsorption method.

DOI 10.20403/2078-0575-2020-3-87-99