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Dachang Tin Field - Changpo, Bali, Longtaoshan, Lamo
Guangxi, China
Main commodities: Sn Zn Cu


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The Dachang tin field is located in Guangxi Province of Southern China and comprises the Changpo, Bali and Longtaoshan Sn-Zn deposits and the Lamo Cu-Zn skarn.

The Dachang tin field is developed witin a belt containing 4000 m of sediments ranging fom lower Devonian to Tertiary in age, cut by the Cretaceous (91±2 Ma) peraluminous Longxianggei granite.   The sediments include Devonian black shales, limestones and argillaceous limestones, Carboniferous and Permian limestones and younger Tertiary cover.

Mineralisation occurs in three forms, namely  1). stratabound bodies - containing 60% of the tin resource at Dachang,  2). stockworks and  3). veins.

All of the different styles of ore are contained within an upper Devonian unit composed of 5 sub-units, namley black siliceous rock, thick striped limestones, thin striped siliceous limestone, small peas limestone and large peas limestone.   The orebodies are found adjacent to a major fault which cuts the Longxianggei granite several hundred metres below the ore zones.

The stratabound ore is composed of small cross-cutting and bedding plane veins developed within particular stratigraphic intervals.   The stratabound bodies can contain up to 30% sulphide, mainly pyrrhotite, sphalerite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite with cassiterite.   Some of the larger orebodies may have diemsions of up to 1100 x 700 x 15 m.   These bodies can contain around 1% Sn and up to 4% Zn.

Veins are found at the top of the deposits and are typically 0.1 to 0.2 m thick and extend for 50 to 200 m along strike and 100 to 300 m vertically and have high Zn (to 7.5%) and Sn (to 2%).   Stockworks of 0.5 to 1 cm thickness veins with a density of 10 to 30 veins per metre have low average Zn and Sn contents and occur in limestones.

The Lamo Cu-Zn skarn is 3 km to the NE and has grades of 2% Cu, 5% Zn, 0.1% Sn.

The Dachang tin field contains around 100 Mt @ approx 1% Sn,
Production from 1960 to 1988 totalled 60 000 tonnes of tin, while in 1989 alone some 5000 tonnes was produced.

For more information consult the reference(s) below.

The most recent source geological information used to prepare this decription was dated: 1990.    
This description is a summary from published sources, the chief of which are listed below.
© Copyright Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd.   Unauthorised copying, reproduction, storage or dissemination prohibited.


  References & Additional Information
   Selected References:
Cai Minghai, Jingwen Mao, Liang Ting, Franco Pirajno and Huang Huilan,  2007 - The origin of the Tongkeng-Changpo tin deposit, Dachang metal district, Guangxi, China: clues from fluid inclusions and He isotope systematics: in    Mineralium Deposita   v42 pp 613-626
Delian Fan, Tao Zhang, Jie Ye, Pasava J, Kribek B, Dobes P, Varrin I, Zak K  2004 - Geochemistry and origin of tin-polymetallic sulfide deposits hosted by the Devonian black shale series near Dachang, Guangxi, China: in    Ore Geology Reviews   v24 pp 103-120
Fu M, Changkakoti A, Krouse H R, Gray J, Kwak T A P  1991 - An Oxygen, Hydrogen, Sulfur, and Carbon isotope study of Carbonate-replacement (skarn) Tin deposits of the Dachang Tin field, China: in    Econ. Geol.   v86 pp 1683-1703
Fu M, Kwak T A P, Mernagh T P  1993 - Fluid inclusion studies of zoning in the Dachang tin-polymetallic ore field, Peoples Republic of China: in    Econ. Geol.   v88 pp 283-300
Gu, L., Zaw, K., Hu, W., Zhang, K., Ni, P., He, J., Xu, Y., Lu, J. and Lin, C.,  2007 - Distinctive features of Late Palaeozoic massive sulphide deposits in South China: in    Ore Geology Reviews   v.31, pp. 107-138.
Mao, J., Cheng, Y., Chen, M. and Pirajno, F.,  2013 - Major types and time-space distribution of Mesozoic ore deposits in South China and their geodynamic settings: in    Mineralium Deposita   v.48, pp. 267-294.
Pasava J, Kribek B, Dobes P, Vavrin I, Zak K, Fan Delian, Zhang Tao, Boiron M-C  2003 - Tin-polymetallic Sulfide deposits in the eastern part of the Dachang Tin field (South China) and the role of black shales in their origin: in    Mineralium Deposita   v38 pp 39-66
Zhao, K.-U., Zhang, L.H., Palmer, M.R., Jiang, S.-Y., Xu, C., Zhao, H.-D. and Chen, W.,  2021 - Chemical and boron isotopic compositions of tourmaline at the Dachang Sn-polymetallic ore district in South China: Constraints on the origin and evolution of hydrothermal fluids: in    Mineralium Deposita   v.56, pp. 1589 -1608.


Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd (PorterGeo) provides access to this database at no charge.   It is largely based on scientific papers and reports in the public domain, and was current when the sources consulted were published.   While PorterGeo endeavour to ensure the information was accurate at the time of compilation and subsequent updating, PorterGeo, its employees and servants:   i). do not warrant, or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, currency, or otherwise; and   ii). expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or conclusions contained herein.

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