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Insizwa Complex Ni-Cu |
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KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
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Ni Cu
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Super Porphyry Cu and Au
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IOCG Deposits - 70 papers
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All papers now Open Access.
Available as Full Text for direct download or on request. |
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The Jurassic Insizwa ultramafic layered complex is located in Lesotho, and in the KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa, 120 km west of Durban,. It is related to the Karoo age Central Flood Basalt province of southern Africa.
The 600 m thick complex comprises a 450 m thick Basal Zone with a lower picrite and an upper gabbro-norite layer, a Central Zone comprising a series of gabbros and a Roof Zone of monzonites.
Massive and disseminated magmatic nickel sulphides are confined to the base of the picrites of the lower Basal Zone and shows a consistent fractionation into pyrrhotite-pentlandite rich mineralisation at the base and a chalcopyrite rich zone at the top. Grades of 3.5% Ni, 1.9% Cu are quoted.
To date only small scale mining has exploited the known mineralisation.
For detail see the reference(s) listed below.
The most recent source geological information used to prepare this decription was dated: 1986.
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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Groves D I, Marchant T, Maske S, Cawthorn G 1986 - Compositions of ilmenites in Fe-Ni-Cu sulfides and host rocks, Insizwa, Southern Africa: Proof of coexisting immiscible sulfide and silicate liquids: in Econ. Geol. v81 pp 725-731
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Lightfoot P C, Naldrett A J, Hawkesworth C J 1984 - The geology and geochemistry of the Waterfall Gorge section of the Insizwa complex with particular reference to the origin of the Nickel Sulfide deposits: in Econ. Geol. v79 pp 1857-1879
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Maier W D, Marsh J S, Barnes S-J, Dodd D C 2002 - The distribution of Platinum Group Elements in the Insizwa Lobe, Mount Ayliff Complex, South Africa: implications for Ni-Cu-PGE Sulfide exploration in the Karoo Igneous Province: in Econ. Geol. v97 pp 1293-1306
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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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