Two fluid sources and genetic implications for the Hatu gold deposit, Xinjiang, China

Abstract The Hatu gold deposit is located in the West Junggar domain, Xinjiang, China. It contains 56 tonnes of gold. The deposit is hosted in the volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Early Carboniferous Tailegula Group, and an ~ E–W trending ductile shear zone controls the mineralization. The gold mineralization is hosted in quartz veins and hydrothermally altered country rocks with 2 and minor CH 4 fluid. The δ 13 C VPDB values of CH 4 (− 18.7‰ to − 35.4‰) and CO 2 (− 9.7‰ to − 13.9‰) in fluid inclusions from quartz and their ∆ 13 C CO 2 –CH 4 values (5.5‰ to 24.6‰) equilibrated at a temperature range from 299 °C to 1013 °C; these data indicate that the carbon had a dominantly sedimentary source with a minor contribution from the mantle. The oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions (δ 18 O = 8.5‰ to 12.2‰, δD = − 87‰ to − 105‰) of water from fluid inclusions in quartz indicate that ore fluids comprised largely metamorphic water with a minor contribution of magmatic water. The δ 34 S values of sulfide from the mineral zones are between − 2.3‰ and + 2.5‰, with the exception of two values (− 9.7‰ and + 7.4‰), showing a heterogeneous sulfur source. Fluid inclusions in pyrite and arsenopyrite that are intergrown with auriferous quartz have 3 He/ 4 He ratios of 0.2 to 0.3 Ra, and their 40 Ar/ 36 Ar ratios range from 310 to 650, indicating a crustal source for much of the ore fluids. We propose that the Hatu deposit is a structurally controlled orogenic gold system which is characterized by two different fluids one dominantly derived from a crustal source with a minor component of mantle derived fluids.

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