Gold mineralization distributions within rock units at the hajr gold mine, Southwest Saudi Arabia

الملخص EN

The Hajr gold mine within its ancient workings is located in the southern part of the Arabian Shield.

It is characterized by intensive ancient workings that are concentrated along the contact zones between the carbonatized-serpentinite and the hornblende schist and the aplite dikes.

The ancient workings are in the form of open pits, linear trenches, and inclined and vertical shafts not exceeding 20 meters depth.

The analytical results for the surface chip samples, collected across the contact zones, and along the ancient shafts, trenches, and pit, indicate that the probable host rock for the gold mineralization is the sheared carbonatized-serpentinite unit at its close contact with the schist and dike rock units.

This observation is also proved through the statistical evaluation based on the analysis of 108 samples.

The samples were divided into four categories: ultramafic rocks away from contact (UAC), ultramafic rocks close to contact (UCC), schist and dike rocks close to contact (SCC), and schist rock units away from contact (SAC).

The Au and Te values are higher within the UCC and SCC rock units compared to the UAC and SAC units.

The high coefficient of variation for gold and tellurium values in the former two rock units may also indicate that gold mineralization might be present in several separated pockets in both zones.