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Kuh e Surmeh
Iran
Main commodities: Zn Pb


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The Kuh-e-Surmeh Zn-Pb deposit is located within the Zagros fold belt in South-western Iran and in 2002 supported a small mine producing 4000 tpa @ 15% Zn, 15% Pb (#Location: 28° 4' 57"N, 52° 5' 38"E).

The deposit lies within the Permian to Triassic Zagros carbonate platform, hosted by Permian dolomites and limestones of the 120 m thick Lower Dalan Formation. This formation overlies an 85 m thick Devonian–Lower Permian unit composed of conglomerate, sandstone, shale. The overlying rocks are an 850 m thick Upper Permian–Triassic succession of dolomite, gypsum, limestone, sandstone and shale. These rocks have been subjected to gentle folding, faulting and thrusting and lower greenschist metamorphism (USGS Mineral Resources On-Line).

The immediate host sequence comprises carbonate breccia, dolomite and dolomitic limestone, with the original massive dolomite unit having been strongly brittle-fractured on all scales, providing excellent geochemically reactive fluid conduits/traps for ore fluids, while, in contrast, the overlying laminated gypsum-limestone unit was deformed in a more ductile manner with abundant translations planes, and acted as a relatively impermeable and less reactive fluid barrier.   Consequently, the ores, while stratabound on a regional scale, are thus both structurally/rheologically and lithologically/geochemically controlled.

Three ore bodies, Choobandak, Dasht-e-Bahran, and Cheshmeh Sormeh, are known, each separated by faults which follow the trend of a major NW-SE-anticline.   A salt diapir which truncates the succession some 5 km to the NW, is surrounded by a pronounced aureole of brecciated country rocks.

The mineralisation comprises some stratabound sulphides as framboidal pyrite and sphalerite with associated vein and breccia-hosted sulphides, zoned from a Zn-rich top (14% Zn; 2-3% Pb) to a Pb-rich base.   Non-sulfide ores (mainly carbonates) form a cap over the underlying sulphide ores, with a Pb-rich upper section (40% Pb, 10% Zn) and a more Zn-rich base (15% Zn; 20% Pb).   Vein and breccia-hosted ores are restricted to the massive dolomitic Lower Dalan Fm., overlain by well-bedded limestone and gypsum of the Middle Dalan Formation.

The mineralogy of the deposit is described as including: sphalerite, galena, anglesite, cerussite, pyrite and marcasite, barite, dolomite, gypsum, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, covellite, magnetite and hematite (USGS Mineral Resources On-Line).

The deposit was discovered in 1973, with mining commencing soon after. Reserves are quoted at 2.8 Mt @ 10% Zn, 4.8% Pb (USGS Mineral Resources On-Line, viewed 2104).

The most recent source geological information used to prepare this decription was dated: 2002.    
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.


    Selected References
Liaghat S, Moore F, Jami M  2000 - The Kuh-e-Surmeh mineralization, a carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb deposit in the Simply Folded Belt of the Zagros Mountains, SW Iran: in    Mineralium Deposita   v35 pp 72-78


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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