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Miocene Deva porphyry copper-gold deposit

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The magmatic to hydrothermal transition: Miocene Deva porphyry
copper-gold deposit, South Apuseni Mts, Romania
Paul M. Ivascanu, Thomas Pettke, Kalin Kouzmanov & Christoph A. Heinrich
Institute of Isotope Geochemistry and Mineral Resources, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Ioan Pintea, Emilian Rosu & Gheorghe Udubasa
Geological Institute of Romania, Bucharest, Romania

Keywords: calc-alkaline, porphyry Cu-Au, bornite, melt and fluid inclusions, LA-ICPMS, Deva, Apuseni

ABSTRACT: The Deva copper-gold deposit is the richest porphyry-type ore deposit in the Miocene
metallogenic district of the South Apuseni Mountains, Romania. It consist of cylindrical 0.5 km diameter
breccia hosted subvolcanic stock, that is mineralized over more than 1 km vertically, most of which is mined
to date. The mineralisation is associated with the latest Hbl-Bt andesite and consists of bornite-calcopyrite-
magnetite stringers and impregnations, producing ore grades as high as 2 wt-% Cu. Detailed petrography
together with field observations define the igneous to hydrothermal sequence of events. This forms the basis
to constrain the chemical evolution of this magmatic-hydrothermal system on the basis of EMP,
microthermometric and LA-ICPMS analyses of phenocrysts, hydrothermal mineral parageneses and silicate
and sulphide melt and fluid inclusion assemblages that are currently in progress. Our purpose is to determine
the key-processes responsible for the genesis of highly economic porphyry-type ore deposits.

1 INTRODUCTION 2 GEOLOGICAL SETTING

Processes in magma chambers beneath volcano- The Deva porphyry-type ore deposit is located in the
plutonic centers such as magma mixing, saturation southern part of famous South Apuseni Mountains
of a sulphide melt or of a magmatic volatile phase Neogene ore district, also known as “Gold
play a key role in determining whether or not a rich Quadrangle” (Udubasa et al. 2001), with continuous
porphyry-type ore deposit may form (e.g., Cline and mining activity from pre-roman times. Porphyry Cu-
Bodnar 1991, Halter et al. 2002,), besides the Au systems are ubiquitous in the area (e.g., Bolcana,
chemistry of the magmas themselves, notably initial Rosia Poeni, Valea Morii, Musariu, Rovina, Tarnita,
ore metal and chlorine contents (e.g., Audetat and Voia) and related to calc-alkaline Hbt ± Bt andesite-
Pettke, 2003). The large-scale tectonic framework microdiorite porphyries. Coeval low to intermediate
on the other hand is essential in determining where sulphidation and high sulphidation epithermal
ore districts may actually form (e.g., Tosdal & systems generally occur as steep vein arrays (e.g.,
Richards 2001) as exemplified by the Cu-Au ore Barza, Musariu-Dealu Fetii, Trestia-Troita, Hanes-
district of the Apuseni Mountains in Romania. Larga, Bucium-Arama) or as disseminated breccias
Our study focuses on the Deva porphyry-Cu-Au (e.g. Rosia Montana, Bocsa, Metesan), both of
deposit and related magmatic system as an example which are spatially and genetically related to
of a rich Miocene deposit in the Apuseni Mountains. Miocene volcano-plutonic activity (Rosu et al. 2000,
Unequivocal magmatic affiliation and minimal Ivascanu et al. 2002).
overprint make the Deva system very suitable for a The South Apuseni Mountains district represent
detailed study of the magmatic-hydrothermal
an internal realm of the Carpatho-Pannonian
transition in porphyry-type ore environments. A
detailed sequence of the intrusive events together Cenozoic calc-alkaline belt the paleoposition of
with a paragenetic succession of melt and fluid which is controversial. This district could have been
inclusion assemblages associated with the porphyry as far as 200 km behind the Carpathian subduction
mineralisation forms the basis for our LA-ICPMS front. As for several other “internal magmatic fields”
analytical work on single melt and fluid inclusions. of the belt (e.g., Central Slovakian Volcanic Field,
The chemical evolution of the entire magmatic- Matra Mountains) the emplacement of magmatic
hydrothermal system then allows discussion of the rocks and associated porphyry type and epithermal
processes that may prove essential for the formation deposits is controlled by strike-slip to pull-apart
of rich porphyry-type ore deposits. tectonic features in response to collision and
microplate rearrangements (Drew & Berger 2001).
Fig. 1. A - Geological map of the Deva magmatic structure (modified after Bostinescu & Savu 1996). B- Schematic cross-section of
the ore deposit. 1) metamorphic basement (Paleozoic), 2) sedimentary cover (Cretacic), 3) basin sediments (Lower Miocene), 4)
basin sediments (Middle Miocene), 5) basin sediments (Upper Miocene), 6) Hbl + Bt andesite, 7) Hlb ± Bt andesite, 8) Hbl
plagioclase porphyry, 9) polymictic igneous breccia, 10) Quaternary, 11) economic limit (~1% Cu) of Deva porphyry copper-gold
deposit and 12) microdiorite porphyry (transitional).

In the South Apuseni Mountains area several middle to upper Mesozoic sedimentary formation,
basins hosting volcano-plutonic structures have known as the “Deva Strata”, which consists of a
been recognized (e.g., Rosia Montana- Bucium, marl-sandstone sequence, discordantly overlain by
Zlatna, Brad-Sacaramb, Zarand, Deva). coarse-grained Lower Miocene (?) sediments
The Deva intrusive complex consists of (pebbles, marls, sandstones) and by Middle to
subvolcanic bodies and stocks, intruded in Upper Miocene marls, clays, marly limestones,
Paleozoic crystalline schists and Mesozoic clastic sands, gravels and tuffs.
sediments, that form a ~20 km2 large ring-like The tectonic position of the Deva magmatic
structure, hosting the porphyry Cu-Au deposit in structure is peculiar because it is situated south of
its center (Fig. 1, A). This configuration suggests the main transcrustal shear zone of Mures Valley,
the presence of a feeder magma chamber at depth. separating ophiolitic sequences of the former
Deep drilling reveal the presence of a dioritic Tethyan ocean from the Poiana Rusca Massif that
pluton at depth that gradually changes into hosts the Deva complex. All the other mineralized
porphyry microdiorite to andesite (Bostinescu & intrusive complexes of the Apuseni Mountains are
situated north of this lineament, suggesting that
Savu 1996). Microdioritic xenoliths are
most of the transform fault activity predated the
widespread in the later andesitic intrusions. formation of the Miocene volcano-plutonic
Intrusive contacts are often brecciated. Apuseni Mountains province.
The basement to the Deva complex is formed by
Carboniferous-Devonian Pades series, representing
the north-eastern extension of the Poiana Rusca 3 PETROGRAPHY
Massif. It consists mainly of quartz-sericite and
quartz-sericite-chlorite schists, with rare The Miocene volcano-plutonic complexes of the
intercalations of marbles and graphitic schists. The Apuseni Mountains consist of andesites, dacites
crystalline basement is covered by a ~400 m thick and basaltic andesites, some of which show
Fig. 2. Microphotographs illustrating the melt inclusions assemblages presents in Deva magmatic to porphyry ore stage (all 200
microns wide). A) Dusty -like sieve texture in plagioclase, follow by normal zoning to the rim - left side, B) Patchy -like melt
inclusion rich areas - light color to the right - and chemical zonation of plagioclase, C) Melt ( primary, within grow zones) and
brine inclusions (boiling trails, pseudo secondary) in ore related quartz ,and D (primary melt inclusions in quartz within porphyry
vein, predating ore minerals – bornite - cpy on top, right.

alkaline affinity (Rosu et al. 2001). The main ore- Plagioclase phenocrysts often form aggregates (up
related rocks are Hbl ± Bt ± Px andesites with to 2 cm), and the crystals contain a sieve texture in
medium K content (Rosu et al. 2001). For Deva, the core rich in melt inclusions, followed by zones
three varieties of andesites are distinguished on the that are poor in melt inclusions (Fig 2. B).
basis of petrography and textures. Accessory minerals are apatite, magnetite and rare
Hbl-plagioclase porphyry (K-Ar age is 12.8 ± ilmenite. Traces of biotite can be observed.
0.5 Ma; Rosu et al. 1997) are porphyritic rocks Hbl+Bt andesites (K-Ar age is 11.8 ±0.5 Ma, ,
with up to 4cm large pinkish plagioclase (An 35- Rosu et al. 2001) can be distinguished from the
50) and dark-green amphibole (<3mm) Hbl-andesistes by the presence of biotite
phenocrysts in a dark-grey microcrystalline phenocrysts of up to 3mm in size. Plagioclase (An
groundmass. Microscopic observations reveal 20-50) is characterized by melt inclusion poor
sieve textures on feldspars resulting from extreme phenocrysts of up to 1cm and brown amphibole
enrichment of melt inclusions (Fig 2. A). Chemical laths of up to 1cm. Vapor-rich fluid inclusions
together with melt inclusions occur on late primary
zonation of plagioclase around melt inclusion rich
grow zones in both plagioclase and amphibole,
areas is also common. Crystal rims are suggesting the presence of an exsolved fluid late in
conspicuously poor in melt inclusions, as are the crystallization history of this rock. Accessory
plagioclase laths <2mm in the matrix. The minerals include apatite and magnetite-ilmenite,
hornblende phenocrysts are also chemically zoned also found as inclusions in the phenocrysts.
and sometimes rimmed by minor chlorite and
magnetite. Magnetite intergrown with ilmenite and
accessory apatite are common. 4 MINERALISATION
Hbl andesites (K-Ar age is 12.6 ± 0.5 Ma, Rosu
et al. 2001) are massive porphyritic andesites with The porphyry-Cu-Au deposit consists of a
zoned plagioclase (0.5 cm large; An 35-40) and cylindrical, nearly vertical, 0.5 km wide
brown elongated hornblende (0.5 cm) phenocrysts. mineralized stock of a subvolcanic Hbl+Bt
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