Iron oxide copper gold ore deposits (IOCG) are important and highly valuable concentrations of copper, gold and uranium ores hosted within an iron oxide matrix.
IOCG deposits are characterised by the presence of Cu with/without gold hosted in a hematite-matrix (iron oxide matrix). Hydrothermal fluids in a volcanic setting are responsible for the mineralisation of these deposits. The breccias and veins were formed by a repetitive hydrothermal brecciation and venting with the volcanic setting. As a result the host sequence rocks are intensely altered by hematite-sericite-chlorite-carbonate. The breccia’s are extremely iron rich and themselves comprise a huge iron resource made up of hematite and minor magnetite. The fluids contain dissolving salts capable of dissolving small amounts of Au, Ag, Cu, Fe and variety of rare earth elements (REE) minerals. Mineralisation of these deposits is found in hydrothermal veins and breccia.
Prominent Hill, together with Carrapateena, Olympic Dam, Moonta-Wallaroo and Hillside, are all IOCG mineralised systems.
AMIS has a wide range of CRMs that are certified for all of the economic elements mined at Prominent Hill (Fe, Au, Cu, Mn and Co).
For more information on these CRM certificates or pricing information, please browse our website at www.amis.co.za or contact our author, Siyanda Gumede, at siyanda@amis.co.za or any of the AMIS team.
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