Geochemistry and mineralogy of platinum group element in ores of the Kingash deposit, Eastern Sayan, Russia

Abstract

The paper discusses the results of studying the contents of platinum group elements (PGE) and platinum group minerals (PGM) in ores of the Kingash deposit. The bulk of PGE has been established as concentrated in disseminated sulfide chalcopyrite–pyrrhotite–pentlandite ore and is represented by palladium bismuth–tellurides. During melt differentiation, the content and relationship of PGE are changed; the Pd/Pt value increases (up to 1.9 and 4.2 in dunite and wehrlite, respectively) with decreasing Mg number. The distribution of PGE, sulfur, and REE in various ore types suggests two formation mechanisms of high-grade ores: (1) the product of liquid immiscibility and gravity separation at the early magmatic stage and (2) involvement of the residual melt saturated in volatiles, which contributed to transportation and segregation of PGE at the late magmatic stage. The evolution of the ore system of the Kingash massif is characterized by sequential enrichment of PGM in Ni from high-Mg to low-Mg rocks similarly to sulfide minerals of disseminated ore. The criteria for ore content in utramafics of the Kansk block have been identified based on compared ore element and PGE concentrations in ultramafic rocks of the Kingash and Idar complexes.