Neoproterozoic carbonate lithofacies and ore distribution at the Kipushi Cu-Zn deposit, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gayna River Zn camp, Northwest Territories, Canada

• Published in: Economic geology and the bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists Vol. 113; no. 3; pp. 779 - 788
• Main Authors: Turner, E. C, Broughton, D. W, Brooks, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Economic Geology Publishing Company 01-05-2018
• Subjects: Africa; anticlines; base metals; Canada; carbonate rocks; Central Africa; composition; Congo Democratic Republic; controls; copper ores; cores; Economic geology; faults; folds; Gayna River Deposit; host rocks; Kakontwe Formation; Kipushi Deposit; lithofacies; metal ores; mineral deposits, genesis; mineral exploration; mineralization; Neoproterozoic; Northwest Territories; ore bodies; Precambrian; Proterozoic; reefs; resources; rheology; sedimentary rocks; spatial distribution; stratigraphic controls; upper Precambrian; Western Canada; zinc ores; zoning
• ISSN: 0361-0128; 1554-0774
• DOI: 10.5382/econgeo.2018.4570

The predominant spatial control on sulfide orebodies at two significant base metal deposits, Kipushi (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Gayna River (Canada), is the architecture of Neoproterozoic carbonate lithofacies. At the Gayna River Zn camp, surface and subsurface mineralization is limited to the peripheries of giant pinnacle reefs of an unusual type hitherto considered unique. At the past-producing Kipushi Cu-Zn deposit, orebodies are associated with a lithologic break, until now interpreted as a fault but here reinterpreted as the steep depositional margin of a carbonate buildup similar to those at Gayna River. The zone of compositional and rheological contrast that generated where reef-flanking and overlying fine-grained terrigenous strata contact the Kipushi carbonate buildup appears to have focused later metalliferous fluid migration. This reinterpretation of two iconic deposits highlights the importance of considering sedimentary-stratigraphic controls on carbonate-hosted base metal deposits in mineral exploration programs.