1

Structural controls on the primary distribution of mafic-ultramafic intrusions containing Ni-Cu-Co-(PGE) sulfide mineralizationPeter C Lightfoot and Dawn Evans-Lamswood, Vale Base Metals

2

Process Controls on Formation of Nickel Sulfides

Craton Margin

Crust

Plume

Mantle

Strike-slipfault zone

2 Sub-ContinentalLithospheric Mantle

30 -

40km

Basalt Lavas

Disseminated Sulphide

Sulphide-richLayers

Mid-CrustalMetamorphic Rocks

Deep Crustal Granitesand Gneisses

Upper CrustalSediments

Generate ultramafic magma from metalendowed source

Ascent of magma

Fractionation and contamination

Emplacement

Sulphide saturation and metal endowment

Sulphide segregation

Syn-tectonic and post-tectonic modification

Key Process Controls

Tetonic Setting Crustal Architecture

1

2

3

4567

1

2

1

765432

After: Lightfoot (2007) and Naldrett (2010)

Begg et al (2011)

3

PLAN B - Dyke Configuration

PLAN A - Pipe Configuration

PLAN C - Chamber

extensionalbend

contractionalbend

obliquethrust

obliquenormal fault

right-stepping left-stepping

View Along Plane of Stike-SlipShear Zone Plan View

Magma Conduits (pipes, dykes, chambers)at different crustral levels

Kinematics : dextral strike-slip fault zone

Mantle

Chamber

Conduit

Chamber

Chamber

PLAN A

PLAN B

PLAN C

MeltAccumulation

RigidDuctile?

Melting

Heat Source

Cru

st

Surface

Dyke

Magma Conduits

Extensional spaces in transform fault systems act as “magma highways” from mantle to surface and control many small differentiated intrusions with nickel sulfide deposits

4

Key Points To Take Away• Widespread importance of strike-slip structures on emplacement of small

differentiated intrusions with transported sulphide: Vertical champagne glass-shaped chonoliths (e.g. Huangshan,

Huangshandong, Jingbulake, Limahe, Hong Qi Ling…) Accumulations within sub-horizontal chonoliths (e.g. Noril’sk-

Talnakh, Karatungk, Nkomati, Babel-Nebo…)• A common model for nickel sulfide formation in the roots of large igneous

provinces in craton-margin structures• Case studies of Chinese deposits, Norli’sk and Voisey’s Bay • Chamber geometry, ore distribution, and transport of magmatic sulfide

controlled by dilational space created in a right-lateral fault zone

5

Distribution and scale of Ni sulfide deposits in China

1000 Km

80°E 90°E 100°E 110°E 120°E 130°E

Hongqiling

Huangshan,Huangshandong

40°N

50°N

30°N

20°N

Jinchuan

Kalatongke

Jingbulake

Limahe

Qingquanshan

Large >1000kt Ni

Medium >100-1000kt Ni

Small >10-100kt Ni

Central Asian Orogenic BeltCentral Orogenic BeltNorth China CratonYangtze CratonTarim CratonCathaysian BlockHimalayan Orogen

Jinbaosan

Ban Phuc

Baimazhai

Yangliuping

Xiarihamu

6

Distribution of nickel deposits in Western China

40°N

45°N

Pobei

Korla

Jingbulake

Urumqi

Karatungk

Hami

Hulu Tula’ergenHuangshandong

Huangshan

Jinchuan

Lashuisha

JunggarBasin

TarimBasin

Hami Basin

90°E85°E 95°E 100°E

Mesozoic-Cenozoic Basins Cover

Mesozoic fold-thrust belt

Paleozoic

Precambrian

Border

Nickel Sulfide DepositFaults (strike-slip with thrusting)Town / City

Underlain by Shield

After: Mao et al. (2008), Cunningham (2007)

Xinjiang Gansu

Qinghai

Mongolia

Xiarihamu

7

Restraining bends and pull-apart basins along the Gobi-Tien Shan fault system in Eastern Xinjiang, China

HuangshanHuangshandong

200km

15km

BogdaShan

Aj Bogd

Barkol Tagh

Turpan Basin

XinjiangAfter: Mann, (2007)

Lightfoot, Evans-Lambswood, (2007)

8

Geology of the Huangshandong Intrusion and the location of Cu-Ni Sulfide mineralization

A’

A 1km

A’162° 325°A

200m

Gabbro DioriteDiorite

Gabbronorite

Peridotite Country rocks

Ni-Cu sulphidemineralization

FaultsSynformAntiformBoreholes

Gabbro to olivine gabbro

Huangshandong 15km

9

Xinjiang: Hami Belt – shaft on Huangshandong

Photograph: Peter Lightfoot, 2001

10

Xinjiang: Hami Belt – exploration under Chairman Mao’s 5 Year Plans

Photograph: Peter Lightfoot, 2001

11

Geology of the Huangshan Intrusion and the location of Cu-Ni Sulfide mineralization

X U

V Y Z

500m

500m

500(m)

0U V

ZYX 50° 90°0

500(m)

Fault

Basalt and trachyteConglomerate and sandstoneSiltstoneLimestone

Hornblende peridotite

Dunite

PeridotiteWebsterite

GabbroDiorite

Gabbronorite

Disseminated Ni - Cusulfide mineralization

A

BC

Plan View

Long Section View

CrossSection

View

HuangshanIntrusion

12

Jingbulake Intrusions, Xinjiang Province

Yang et al., 2012

Sulu

Changawuzi

Jingbulake

81°00 E 81°30 E

42°25 N

42°40 N

40km

Carboniferous BlueschistCarboniferous GreenschistCarboniferous EclogiteEarly-Middle Paleozoic GraniteMafic IntrusionMarbleCarboniferous Volcanicsedimentary rocksProterozoic ComplexFault

13

Karatungk #1,2 and 3 Intrusions, Xinjiang Province, China: North-facing long section

1000

500(m)

040 111103958779716359514335271911312162024283236 4

0 500m

#1 #2 #3

Wang et al., 1991

1000Km

F3

F18

F4

F6 F5

F7F21

F20

F9

150m

Biotite-pyroxene diorite

Biotite-hornblende norite andBiotite-hornblende gabbronoriteBiotite-hornblende olivinegabbronoriteBiotite-hornblende diabase gabbro

Disseminated sulphideHeavy disseminated sulphideCu-rich massive sulphideNi-rich massive sulphide

Karatungk

14

Karatungk #1,2 and 3 Intrusions, Xinjiang Province, China: West-facing long section#2 Deposit

#3 Intrusion Country rockOlivine gabbronoriteGabbronoriteDioriteQuartz monozoniteOutline ofmineralizationBorehole trace

200m

Wang et al., 1991

15

Location Map of the Jinchuan Intrusion, Proterozoic Longshushan Belt, Gansu Province, China

Yongchang

Jinchuan

Qingshijing

ZhangbutaiShandan

1000 Km

39°00’

38°40’

38° 20’

101°00’ 101°30’ 102°00’ 102°30’

10 km Cenozoic

Cretaceous

Devonian-Jurassic

Cambrian-Silurian

Proterozoic

Paleozoic granite

Proterozoic mafic-ultramafic intrusion

FaultMagmatic sulfide mineralization

After Song et al., 2008

Jinchuan Intrusion

Jinchuan

16

Geological Map and Sections of the JinchuanIntrusion

Tang Zongli (1993)

17

Mine area #2 – no trace of sulfide or country rock xenoliths inside the intrusion at surface

Photograph: Peter Lightfoot, 2000

18

Jinchuan Model

Sequential Emplacement of Sulfide-bearing silicate melts

19

Hongqiling – Geology, Structure and Mineral Occurrences

1000 Km

Hulan Group Gneiss (older)Hulan Group Gneiss (younger)

Granitoid rocksMafic-ultramafic Intrusions

Mesozoic sedimentary rocks

Fault0 5

km

Hongqiling

Jilin #1Deposit

Jilin #7Deposit

After Zhou et al., 2000

Hongqiling

20

Hongqiling: Jilin Province

A’

100m100m

200

100

-100

-200(m)

0

A A’

Number 7Deposit

A

C D

Othopyroxenite andhybrid zone

Massive sulphideConglomerate

Disseminated and massiveSulphide in orthopyroxenite

SchistMarbleGneissOutline of open pit

UnconformityFaults and shear zones

WesternIntrusion

200

-200

-400

-600

0

Shaft

EasternIntrusion

250m 150m

A GabbroPyroxeniteOlivine PyroxeniteDisseminated sulfidein olivine pyroxeniteWeakly mineralizedperidotiteAmphiboliteGneissFaultPit outline

B

Plan View

Plan View Section View

Section View

Number 7Deposit

EasternIntrusion

WesternIntrusion(projected toSurface)

21

Intrusions controlled by structures beneath the ~260 Ma Emeishan Flood Basalt, SW China

1000km

200km

Chengdu

SICHUAN

YUNNAN

Kunming

Yangliuping

Qingquanshan

Limahe

Pan

xi“R

ift”

Baimazhai

Jinbaosan

Yangtze cratonHimalayan orogenEmeishan flood basaltUnderlain by manysmall intrusionsFault zoneNickel and PGE sulphidedepositsProvincial boundary

A

22

Geology of the Limahe and Qingquanshan Cu-Ni Sulfide Deposits (Sichuan Province)

50m

A'A

200m

A A’

50m

1700

1800

(m)

1600

70o

B C D E

Mined-outHekou formationGabbroPeridotite

OverburdenDiorite and gabbroPyroxenite and peridotiteMassive and disseminatedNi - Cu sulfide

Section View Section ViewSection ViewPlanView

Huili group quartziteHuili group limestoneFault

High grade massive sulfideDissemintated sulfideDiabaseFault

23

Noril’skPanoramic view from Bear’s Brook towards north

Photograph: Peter Lightfoot, 2002

24

Distribution of Siberian Trap Basalts

Crustally-contaminated andNi-Cu-PGE-depletedbasalts

Stratigraphic equivalent ofLow Talnakh Type Intrusions

Stratigraphic equivalentof Talnakh Type Intrusions

~3500m

Ivakinsky

Syverminsky

GudchikhinskyKhakhanchansky

Tuklonsky

NadezhdinskyNd3

Nd2

Nd1

Morongovsky

Mokulaevsky

Kharaelakhsky

Kumginsky

Samoedsky Tholeiitic basaltsPicrictic basaltsAlkalic and sub-alkalic basalts

KHARAELAKHINTRUSION

TALNAKHINTRUSION

50km

Basalt trapSedimentary rocks

Isopach map thickness ofNadezhdinsky Formationbasalts (in meters)

Economically mineralizedintrusions projected tosurface

Naldrett et al (1995)

OmskNovosibirsk

Kara Sea

MongoliaKazakhstan

Russia

Noril’sk

Margin ofSiberianShield

West SiberianLowlands

Siberian Trap basaltWest Siberian basalts

www.largeigneousprovinces.org/LOM.html

25

Stratigraphy of the Noril’sk Region

Ivakinsky suiteP ivUpper

Permian

Mid

dle

Car

boni

fero

us-Lo

wer

Per

mia

n

UpperDevonian

MiddleDevonian

LowerDevonian

UpperSilurian

96 - 105

50 - 100

30 - 90

110 - 140

62 - 85

110 - 150

110 - 210

12 - 40

2 - 80

140 - 180

280 - 330

80 - 140m2

D kl3

D nk3

D jk2

C -P2 2Tungusskaya series

Kalargonskyformation

Nakokhozskyformation

Yuktinsky formation

Manturovskyformation

Razvedochninskyformation

Kureysky formation

Zubovsky formation

Khrebtovsky formation

Yampakhtinskyformation

Postichny formation

D mt1-2

D rz1

D kr1

D zb1

D hr1

D jm1

S ps2

Noril’skIntrusion

KharaelakhIntrusion

TalnakhIntrusion

Low

Taln

akh

Intr

usio

nLo

w N

oril

’sk

Intr

usio

n

Period and Unit Basalt Formationor Series

Thickness(m)

RockTypes Stratigraphic Position of Intrusion

CoalConglomerateSandstoneSiltstoneArgilliteMarl

LimestoneDolomitic marlDolomiteAnhydriteSalt (NaCl) & Breccia

Low Noril’skIntrusion

26

Morphology of the Talnakh and Kharaelakhchonoliths

1000

500

0

(m)

0 1km

SkalistyMine

GlubokyMine

TaimyrskMine

OktyabryskMine

EW

Kharaelakh Intrusion

Noril’sk-KharaelakhFault

TalnakhIntrusion

Siberian Trap basalt

Permian sedimentary rocksDevonian sedimentary rocks(including evaporites and shales)Kharaelakh and TalnakhIntrusions and their apophyses

Massive sulphide

Low Talnakh Intrusion

Faults

1 km

E

W

KHARAELAKHINTRUSION

TALNAKHINTRUSIONNE BRANCH

TALNAKHINTRUSION

SW BRANCH

27

Skalisty and Gluboky Mines, Talnakh and Kharaelakh Intrusion: North-facing Section

Intrusion

Noril’skKharaelakhFault zone

GlubokyDeposit

KharaelakhIntrusion

Surface

SkalistyDeposit1500 m

0 m

250m

Talnakh

West EastSiberian Trap basaltCarboniferous and Permiansedimentary rocksDevonian sedimentary rocksIntrusionsNi-rich sulphideFault zone

Lightfoot and Evans-Lamswood (2014)

TalnakhIntrusion

NE Branch

KharaelakhIntrusion

SectionLine

TalnakhIntrusion

SW Branch1

km

28

Morphology of the Low Talnakh chonolith

2.5 km

<40m

Thickness of the Low Talnakh Intrusion

40 - <80m

80 - <120m

< = 120m

Anticline, syncline

Projected position ofKharaelakh Intrusion

Central graben structure

Noril’sk – Kharaelakh fault

A

29

Morphology of the Kharaelakh chonolith

2km

25 100 150 250m

Contact betweenKharaelakh Intrusion andLowTalnakh Intrusion

2km

Thickness of massivesulfide orebodies nearlower contact

0 20m 40m

Contact betweenKharaelakh Intrusionand lowTalnakh Intrusion

B C

Thickness of Kharaelakhintrusion

Lower Talnakh intrusionthickness >40 m

Margin of the Intrusionwhere thickness <50m

Noril’sk – Kharaelakh fault

30

Geology of the Voisey’s Bay Deposit

Voisey’s Bay2 km

AshleyIntrusion

WesternDeeps

Chamber

Reid BrookDyke

Eastern DeepsChamber

Ovoid

568000E556000E544000E62

3700

0N62

4500

0N

Makhavinekh Lake GraniteSuiteVoisey’s Bay Granite SuiteAnorthosite SuitesMushuau IntrusionOutcrop of VBISubsurface extent of VBIChurchill ParagneissEnderbite OrthogneissArchean GneissRegional FaultsSection LineOre deposits

Y

X

100km

GREENLANDLABRADOR

Voisey’s Bay

Nain Plutonic SuiteGardar IntrusionsOrthogneissParagneiss

31

Geology of the Voisey’s Bay Deposit

Makhavinekh Lake GraniteSuiteVoisey’s Bay Granite SuiteAnorthosite SuitesMushuau IntrusionVoisey’s Bay IntrusionSubsurface extent of VBI

400m

200

0

-200

-400

-600

-800

3400

N

3600

N

3800

N

4000

N

4200

N

4400

N

4600

N

4800

N

5000

N

5200

N

5400

N

North ofEastern Deeps

Zone

EasternDeepsDeposit

FeederConduitGneiss

Lip

Depth(m)

VB95-266 VB95-194 Weakly - mineralized VTTHeavily - mineralized VTTSemi-massive sulfideMassive sulfide

A B

Section View

GneissWall

EasternDeeps

Churchill ParagneissEnderbite OrthogneissArchean GneissRegional FaultsSection LineOre deposits

Y

Eastern Deeps Intrusion

Western DeepsIntrusion

0m

500m

1000m

1000m

X

Reid BrookZone

EasternDeeps

Ovoid

Southeast Extension ZoneOvoid DepositDiscovery Hill ZoneReid Brook Zone

DykeEastern Deeps IntrusionNorth Eastern Deeps ZoneEastern Deeps Deposit

Long Section ViewFrom Lightfoot & Evans Lamswood (2012)

32

Voisey’s Bay: Drill rig on Eastern Deeps, 1997

Photograph: Peter Lightfoot, 1997

33

Geological relationships in the OvoidC

Northing(m)

OvoidDeposit

Line55985E

SoutheasternExtensionDeposit Southeastern

ExtensionDyke

Ovoid

5000

4800

VB95-010 VB95-014

Northing(m)

Ovoid DepositVB95-013

Line55945E

OvoidDyke

SoutheasternExtensionDyke

4800

4200

Northing(m)

SoutheasternExtensionZone

EasternDeepsChamber

Easternendof OvoidDeposit

OvoidDyke

Line56044E

EasternDeepsDyke

Elev

(m)

4250

0

4300

0

4280

0

4330

0

Elev

(m)

5000

4800

Elev

(m)

4250

0

4300

0

A

B

Lightfoot et al (2011)

0 1000

Threewest-facing sections

ABC D

Massive SulphideEnderbitic Orthogneiss

OverburdenDyke Mafic RocksDisseminated Sulphide

34

Ovoid Deposit

35

Geology of the Reid Brook Zone

Contactdip 45°

20° to 50°

45° plungeof mineral zone

Mini-Ovoid

Ovoid

Mafic EnderbiteFelsic EnderbiteChurchill paragneiss

Leopard troctoliteMassive sulfide

Troctolite

Variable troctolite with heavydisseminated sulfide

FaultsPlunge of mineral zone

Ferrogabbro

500 m

Granite

Tasiuyak Gneiss

W E

Evidence for syn-magmaticdextral transtension1. Displaced contacts2. Magnetic fabric3. Morphology of intrusion4. Shear zones with granite5. Fabric of gneiss rotated into

north wall of Eastern DeepsFrom Lightfoot & Evans Lamswood (2012)

53700 E

Line

of s

ectio

n

36

Reid Brook Zone: 53700E Section – Looking West

2.43, 1.1933

VB-12-941B

Western DeepsIntrusion

VB-05-653VB-07-8272.64, 1.11

35 2.76, 1.0626

0 m

100 m

200 m

300 m

400 m

500 m

600 m

700 m

Rapakivi Granite

Massive SulphideSulphide

Troctolite

Host Rock

Overburden

Garnetiferous ParagneissParagneiss / Quartz Paragneiss

FaultHistoric Drilling

Troctolite

Amphibolite

Breccia

Mineralized Troctolite

Granite / Pegmatitic

Leopard Textured Troctolite

Troctolite Chamber

% Ni, % Cucore meters

Reid BrookDyke

Section prepared byDanny Mulrooneyand Sheldon Pittman

100 m

37

Leapfrog model showing Ni grade distribution in the Reid Brook Zone projected onto W-E long section

Model prepared byLisa Gibson

Discovery Hill zone

Mini-Ovoid

Reid Brook zone

Mineralization in paragneisscontrolled by structureplunging ~10° East.

Mineralization in dykecontrolled by chonolithplunging ~45° East.

Top of WesternDeeps Chamber

Isosurface Ni>0.5wt%Isosurface Ni>1wt%Isosurface Ni>1.5wt%Isosurface Ni>2wt%Trend of mineral system

38

Kinematics: Summary for Voisey’s Bay

From Lightfoot & Evans Lamswood (2012)

3D model:rotational movementon a “scissor” fault

3D modelnegative flower structureon dextral strike-slip fault withrotational movement to createspace for Eastern Deeps chamber

Offset

Offset

Pivot OffsetPosition ofReid BrookDyke

Position of Eastern DeepsChamber

39

A Model for Voisey’s Bay: Compressed into a single N-S section

Floating blocksof Gneiss

WesternDeeps

SulphidicParagneiss

Red Dog

EasternDeeps

Mini-Ovoid

Disco Hill

LowerReidBrookZone

NED

Ovoid

UpperReidBrookZone

Lightfoot et al (2011)

Massive Sulphide and BrecciaAssemblage Sulphides

Tasiuyak Gneiss

Variable Troctolite with Sulphide

Troctolite Olivine Gabbro

Churchill Enderbitic OrthogneissSulphidic Paragneiss

Nain OrthogneissFaults with direction ofdisplacement

Detailed area shown in inset

Direction of emplacement

Known (above);proposed model (below)

40

Summary• Magmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) sulphide ore bodies: often not the product of

simple in-situ gravity settling within a magma chamber. • Sulphide-laden magma ascended through a sub-vertical conduit

system in a structural zone from a parental source/chamber at depth.• Common theme now recognised in a spectrum of Ni sulphide ore

deposits that underpin process models for their formation– Funnel-shaped intrusions– Chonoliths– Dykes

• Conduit morphology is controlled through the intersection of regional structures that create space, and are localized by dilations and traps created by transtension in strike-slip fault zones:

41

Global Examples of magma conduits (red – this talk):

• FUNNEL MORPHOLOGY: Jinchuan, Hong Qi Ling #1, Jingbulake, Huangshan, Huangshandong, Limahe, Qingquanshan, Lengshuiqing, Zhubu, Ban Phuc, Ovoid, Discovery Hill, Eastern Deeps, Eagle, Double Eagle, Aguablanca, Maksut, Santa Rita, Suwar, Savanah, South Raglan

• PIPE (CHONOLITH) MORPHOLOGY: Baimazhai, Tongdongzi, Talnakh, Kharaelakh, Noril’sk I, Karatungk, Noril’sk II, Chernagorsk, Maslovskoe, Tamarack, Current Lake, Babel-Nebo, Nkomati, Limoeiro, Chibasong, Wellgreen, Voronezh, Zhouan, Xiarihamu

• DYKE MORPHOLOGY: Reid Brook, NED, Worthington (Sudbury), Copper Cliff (Sudbury), Hong Qi Ling #7, Tong Dong Zi

Controls on emplacement and morphology of komatiites (Yilgarn, Thompson, Pechenga, and Raglan) may also share primary structural controls.

42

Thank You:Graphic design: Alex Gagnon

Dawn-Evans LamswoodRogerio MonteiroIan FieldhouseLisa Gibson

Danny MulrooneySheldon PittmanVivian FengIgor Zotov