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Canatuan, Malusok |
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Mindanao, Philippines |
| Main commodities:
Au Cu Zn Ag
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Super Porphyry Cu and Au
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The Canatuan and Malusok massive sulphide deposits are located near Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, in southwestern Mindanao, the Philippines.
The geology of the area, and much of the Zamboanga Peninsula on which it is located, is dominated by the Jurassic to Cretaceous Tungauan schists. The volcanic hosts to the mineralisation can be traced for a strike length of more than 7 km, over which length it embraces at least three discrete massive sulphide bodies: Canatuan, Malusok and SE Malusok.
The basal basaltic andesite volcanic rocks of this sequence are generally chemically uniform and only moderately altered. The massive sulphides are found overlying altered rhyolitic to rhyodacitic volcanic rocks that have been converted to a schistose assemblage of quartz, sericite, chlorite and pyrite. The alteration is texturally destructive, although graded clastic beds are locally observed.
Four lithogeochemical subunits can be recognised (despite the tropical laterite/saprolite weathering) within the felsic volcanics, although correlation of these units over any significant distance difficult due to stratigraphic interleaving. The sulphide lenses are overlain by a few metres of felsic schists which locally contain manganese bearing silicates and oxides which provide a good stratigraphic marker.
Andesitic volcaniclastic rocks which are found in the hangingwall are not continuously preserved. Where present, they comprise regularly bedded mafic volcanic sandstones. The lateral continuity of both the manganese marker and the flanking felsic volcaniclastic intervals indicate that locally the volcanic strata forms a homoclinal sequence.
The Canatuan Au-Ag-Cu-Zn deposit outcrops as a gold-silver rich gossan overlying a massive sulphide lens. The sulfides and gossan are flat lying and hosted within felsic volcanic rocks. Below the current water table, the sulfide assemblage comprises auriferous massive pyrite, base metal sulphides, and some supergene chalcocite. The transition from gossan to sulphides is very sharp, occurring at the water table.
The massive sulphide deposits at Malusok are hosted in the same felsic sequence as Canatuan and have similar base and precious metal contents, although only limited gossan has been found at Malusok. The bimodal nature of the volcanic rocks, together with their geochemical and , suggest that they formed in an intra-oceanic arc setting above a depleted mantle source.
The proven+probable reserves for the Canatuan deposit are:
0.936 Mt @ 4.12 g/t Au and 133.4 g/t Ag in the gossan, and
1.266 Mt @ 1.45 g/t Au, 73.02 g/t Ag, 3.36% Cu, 2.45% Zn in the underlying massive sulphides.
For detail consult the reference(s) listed below.
The most recent source geological information used to prepare this decription was dated: 2004.
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.
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Selected References:
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Sherlock R L, Barret T J 2004 - Geology and volcanic stratigraphy of the Canatuan and Malusok volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, southwestern Mindanao, Philippines: in Mineralium Deposita v39 pp 1-20
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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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