Friday, August 26, 2011

Black Carbonaceous Shale Copper Deposits


Black Carbonaceous Shale Copper Deposits

• Stratiform deposits account for a significant proportion of the Worlds Cu reserves
• The sulphides are fine-grained reflecting primary sedimentary features
• Huge, essentially syngenetic/diagenetic ores found in shallow marine sediments associated with major transgressions.
• Anoxic conditions and bacterial reduction of sea water sulphate were importat controls on mineralization.
• The ores have both lateral and vertical mineralogical zonation related to paleogeographical conditions.
• Kupferschiefer: the zoning is: copper and silver passing upwards into bornitem then chalcopyrite and finally pyrite
• Zambian Copper Belt: chalcopyrite passing basinwards into bornite then chalcopyrite and finally pyrite

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