Geology, Mineralogy, Fluid Inclusion, and H–O–S–Pb Isotope Constraints on Ore Genesis of the Keyue Sb–Pb–Zn–Ag Deposit in Southern Tibet

Abstract EN

The Keyue deposit is a medium-sized deposit similar to the Zhaxikang deposit within the North Himalayan Metallogenic Belt (NHMB).

The ore formation can be divided into Pb–Zn mineralization (stages 1 and 2), Sb–Ag mineralization (stages 3 and 4), and Sb–Hg mineralization (stages 5 and 6).

The fluid inclusion data show that the first two pulses of mineralization have different characteristics, but both belong to the epithermal category (stage 2: 172.9~277.2°C, 7.4~17.0 wt% NaCl eq.; stages 3 and 4: 142.1~321.0°C, 2.7~17.96 wt% NaCl eq.).

The H–O isotopic compositions of stages 3 and 4 quartz (δDV-SMOW: –174‰~−120‰, δ18OH2O: 1.59‰~11.34‰) are similar to those of stages 3 and 4 minerals (δDV-SMOW: –165‰~−150‰, δ18OH2O: 6.14‰~13.03‰), whereas they are different from stage 1 and 2 (δDV-SMOW: –108.3‰~−103.6‰, δ18OH2O: 1.92‰~3.82‰) and stage 5 and 6 (δDV-SMOW: –165‰~−138‰, δ18OH2O: −12.91‰~0.82‰) minerals from the Zhaxikang deposit.

Additionally, stage 2 sulfides have δ34S values of 5.4‰~11.2‰ that are similar to stage 2 sulfides in the Zhaxikang deposit (7.8‰~12.2‰), and these δ34S values overlap those of many SEDEX-type deposits.

The δ34S values also show a decreasing trend from stage 2 through stages 3 and 4 to stage 5 in Keyue and Zhaxikang deposits, which may relate to the overprint by later mineralization events.

The Pb isotopic data (206Pb/204Pb: 18.530~19.780, 207Pb/204Pb: 15.674~15.939, and 208Pb/204Pb: 38.618~40.559) show a significant crustal contribution.

However, the minerals from different pulses of mineralization also exhibit slightly different Pb isotopic characteristics.

These inferences from fluid inclusions and isotope are also demonstrated by geological and mineralogical evidence.

Overall, the Keyue deposit is an epithermal deposit and has mainly experienced three pulses of mineralization.