A. Martin-Izard

The Rio Narcea gold belt intrusions: geology, petrology, geochemistry and timing

Abstract This paper discusses the petrographical, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the intrusive rocks located along the Rio Narcea Gold Belt, and the timing of formation of the El Valle-Boinas deposit. Rocks in the belt range from quartz-monzodiorites through quartz-monzogranites to monzogranites. The former are made up of pyroxene (clino and ortho), amphibole (magnesiohornblende), biotite, zoned plagioclase (An35-70), and to a lesser degree quartz and K-feldspar. The monzogranites consist of biotite, zoned plagioclase (An30-60), quartz and K-feldspar. All igneous rocks are characterized by the presence of ilmenite and the lack or scarce presence of magnetite indicating their formation under reducing conditions. The granitoids are calc-alkaline I type, potassium-rich and highly reducent with more ferrous than ferric iron. Their characteristics are like the plutons associated with gold and copper (zinc) skarns, but their characteristics reflect more reducent formation conditions, increasing their capacity to form gold skarns. The Boinas granitoid emplacement occurred at about 303±6 Ma and generated calcic and magnesic skarns at the contact with limestone and dolostones of the Lancara Formation. Skarns and granitoids were first altered to amphibole and sericite, respectively, and mineralized at 302±9 Ma. The intrusion of subvolcanic porphyritic dikes produced a second period of alteration at 285±4 Ma , characterized by carbonatization and sericitization of the monzogranites and chloritization and serpentinization of the skarns. The later intrusion of diabasic dikes at 255±6 Ma produced limited carbonatization, silicification and sericitization and hypogene oxidation of the previous stages. Supergene oxidation then occurred at the top of the ore and along fractures and breccias.

The occurrence and origin of babingtonite in the El Valle-Boinás Cu-Au deposit in Asturias, Spain

Babingtonite has been found at El Valle-Boinas Cu-Au deposit, Spain, this being the first known occurrence of this mineral in skarn in Spain. It is a locally abundant accessory mineral related to the hydrothermal alteration of the calcic skarn. Babingtonite is present in metasomatized aplitic dykes or occurs as a consequence of alteration of Fe-rich end members of both hedenbergite and andradite and always in association with Fe-rich epidote (Ps 32–48 ). Other related minerals are calcite, quartz, hydroxyapophyllite, hydroandradite, prehnite, pumpellyite-(Fe +2 ), Cu-sulphides and electrum. The babingtonite formation is related to the locally Aldepleted aqueous fluids at relative high fO 2 and low XCO 2 .

Geología y mineralogía del yacimiento polimetálico de Au-As (Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu-Sb) de Valiña-Azúmara (Lugo, NO de España)

Valiña-Azúmara is a polymetallic Au-As (Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu-Sb) deposit, located in the province of Lugo (NW Spain), that was mined for arsenic at the beginning of the 20th century. The mineralization is hosted in a Variscan thrust fault with a dip direction of N247-261oE, and N-S and NE-SW Late-Variscan faults. These structures are hosted in black slates, Cambrian in age. To a lesser extent, the mineralization also occurs disseminated within narrow, weakly silicified and sericited selvages. Mineralization is divided into two hypogene stages. The first consists of quartz, calcite, rutile, sericite, arsenopyrite and pyrite. Two types of pyrite (Py-I and Py-II) are defined according to their chemical and textural characteristics. Py-II occurs as overgrowth of previous Py-I crystals. Py-II is As-rich (≤1.7 wt.%) and often contains traces of Te, Zn, Cu, Bi, Sb and Au. The mineralized drill core sections show a significant correlation between Au and As. This is due to Au occurring as invisible Au within the Py-II grains, with contents of up to 176 ppm. The Au/As ratios of Py-II indicate that Au was deposited as Au, as solid solution within the pyrite structure. The second stage of mineralization is enriched in Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu-Sb, replacing the first stage, and consists of quartz, calcite, chlorite, sphalerite, jamesonite, Ag-rich tetrahedrite, freibergite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and galena. Although jamesonite shows traces of Ag, the Cu-Ag sulfosalts are the main carriers of the Ag mineralization in the deposit, with contents that vary from 13.7 to 23.9 wt.% of Ag. In the most superficial levels of the area, secondary Fe oxide and hydroxide, scorodite and anglesite developed due to the oxidation of the ore.