THE GIANT-CON GOLD DEPOSIT: a ONCE-LINKED ARCHEAN LODE-GOLD SYSTEM James P. Siddorn a Thesis Submitted in Conformity with the R
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THE GIANT-CON GOLD DEPOSIT: A ONCE-LINKED ARCHEAN LODE-GOLD SYSTEM James P. Siddorn A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Graduate Department of Geology University of Toronto © Copyright by James P. Siddorn (2011) THE GIANT-CON GOLD DEPOSIT: A ONCE-LINKED ARCHEAN LODE-GOLD SYSTEM Doctor of Philosophy degree, 2011 James P. Siddorn Department of Geology, University of Toronto ABSTRACT The Giant and Con deposits, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, represent a classic Archean lode-gold deposit now offset by a major Proterozoic fault (West Bay Fault). The link between the Giant and Con deposits is supported by their similarities. However, there are distinct differences between the two deposits in terms of the offset of stratigraphy, response to D2 deformation, geometry, gold mineralization styles, and depth of gold mineralization. Gold mineralization in the Giant-Con system formed over a protracted history of deformation and hydrothermal activity. Early D1 extension resulted in offset and excision of stratigraphy and the formation of refractory gold mineralization within strongly deformed schistose zones and quartz-carbonate veins. The main D2 deformation in the district resulted in the strong overprint of D1 refractory gold mineralization and was associated with the northwest-southeast flattening of the Giant deposit and progressive reverse-dextral shear of the Con deposit. Free-milling gold mineralization is associated with the D2 event, forming deeper in the Giant-Con system, creating a vertical zonation of free-milling quartz-carbonate veins ii overprinting earlier refractory gold mineralization that formed higher in the system. Ore plunge in the Giant deposit is controlled by the interaction of the original geometry of D1 deformation zones with the effects of D2 flattening. Ore plunge in the Con deposit is controlled by the orientation of F2 fold and B2 boudin axes in auriferous quartz-carbonate veins. D3 reactivation of the deformation zones (probably related to the end of the D2 compressive event) caused local reactivation of structures and is not associated with gold mineralization. D4 Proterozoic faulting offset and segmented the two deposits, including the major offset by the West Bay Fault. A new reconstruction of the West Bay Fault shows that the Con deformation zone is the down dip extension of the Giant deposit and not the Campbell deformation zone as previously thought. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge Professor Alexander R. Cruden who invited me to come to Canada and oversaw my Ph.D. research. Dr. Cruden provided excellent guidance and direction, teaching me to recognize, observe, analyze, and interpret the important geological features of structurally controlled gold deposits and Archean greenstone belts. These skills I will utilize a great deal in my future career. I would like to thank the Government of the Northwest Territories (Minerals, Oil and Gas Division), Geological Survey of Canada (Mineral Resource Division), Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (Geology Division), Miramar Mining Ltd., and Royal Oak Mining Ltd. for supporting this research before and as part of the Extech III project. The Extech III project would never have come to fruition without the work of Ms. Deborah Archibald and Dr. Lyn Anglin. The majority of this research was conducted on the Giant and Con mine properties, both underground and on surface. I am indebted to Malcolm Robb, Tim Canam, and Bob Hauser who provided the access underground and on surface. I would like to thank especially Bob Hauser whose knowledge of the Con deposit provided an excellent database of its geology, and our many afternoon discussions helped test my ideas and observations. I would like to also acknowledge all of the mine staff at the Giant and Con mines, including geologists Steve Roebuck, Brad Mercer, Brenda Bilton, Jeff Kulas, Jahlil Mustafa, Sharon Cunningham, Rick Woodward, Morris Robinson, Dave Arthur, and Alf Silke. I would like to thank all members of the Extech III research team for their collaboration; including: Dr. John Armstrong, Hendrik Falck, Dr. Danny Wright, Garth iv Kirkham, Dr. Ed van Hees, Dr. Peter Thompson, Edith Martel, Luc Ootes, Dr. Dave Lentz, Craig Finnigan, Dr. Norm Duke, Dr. John Ketchum, Dr. Val Jackson, Dr. Bill Davis, Dr. Kate McLachlan, Dr. Brian Cousens, John Kerswill, Dr. Dan Kerr, Dr. Jonathan Mwenifumbo, and Dr. John Katsube. I am grateful to Dr. Benoit Dube who posed excellent questions and provided insights during my Ph.D. I want to express my gratitude to my committee members Dr. Pierre-Yves Robin and Dr. Ed Spooner for keeping me and my work on the right track over my many years at the University of Toronto, and for helpful reviews of the work presented here. A special thank you goes out to my parents and grandfather, who readily supported me and my career choices throughout the years. Their constant enquiries as to when my Ph.D. would be completed added an extra push to finish. Finally, I would like to especially thank my wife Nicole, whose patience in waiting for my Ph.D. to be completed is amazing; I could not have completed this without her. This thesis is dedicated to Mrs. W. Young. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1 RATIONALE ................................................................................................................1 SIGNIFICANCE ...........................................................................................................3 LOCATION, ACCESS AND PHYSIOGRAPHY............................................................4 FIELD WORK AND METHODOLOGY .........................................................................5 THESIS STRUCTURE .................................................................................................6 Chapter 2: .................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 3: .................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 4: ..................................................................................................................10 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................11 Chapter 2 EARLY GOLD MINERALIZATION VERSUS LATE OVERPRINTING IN A STRUCTURALLY COMPLEX GOLD DEPOSIT: THE GIANT GOLD DEPOSIT, YELLOWKNIFE, CANADA .......................................................................................13 ABSTRACT ...............................................................................................................13 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................15 DEPOSIT GEOLOGY ................................................................................................17 PREVIOUS RESEARCH ...........................................................................................19 DEFORMATION ........................................................................................................20 D1 Extension ..............................................................................................................21 vi D2 Compression .........................................................................................................24 D3 Reactivation ..........................................................................................................26 D4 Proterozoic faulting ...............................................................................................27 MINERALIZATION .....................................................................................................28 Gold mineralization styles and their relationship to deformation ................................ 30 Control on the plunge and distribution of gold mineralization .................................... 33 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................35 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..........................................................................................37 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................38 TABLE CAPTIONS ....................................................................................................42 FIGURE CAPTIONS ..................................................................................................43 Chapter 3 MULTISTAGE GOLD MINERALISATION IN THE CON GOLD DEPOSIT, YELLOWKNIFE, CANADA: INFLUENCE OF OVERPRINTING DEFORMATION ON THE GEOMETRY OF ORE ZONES ..........................................................................77 ABSTRACT ...............................................................................................................77 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................79 DEPOSIT GEOLOGY ................................................................................................80 PAST RESEARCH ....................................................................................................84 DEFORMATION ........................................................................................................88 D1 Extension ..............................................................................................................88