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Meiduk, Miduk
Iran
Main commodities: Cu Au


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The Meiduk porphyry copper deposit is located in Kerman province, approximately 35 km north of Shahr-e-Babak and 86 km south-southwest of the Sar Cheshmeh mine (#Location: 30° 25' 20"N, 55° 10' 5"E).

The deposit was discovered in 1966 by geochemical and follow-up drilling programs. The ore deposit was formed by the intrusion of a Mid-Miocene dioritic stock into Eocene andesitic and alkali-basaltic volcanics and volcano-sedimentary rocks (Bazin and Hubner, 1969; Geological Survey of Iran, 1973; Hassanzadeh, 1993). All of these lithologies have also been intruded by numerous diorite porphyry dykes.

For details of the regional setting see the Iranian Porphyry Copper Province record.

Hassanzadeh, (1993) considered that the tectonic setting and magmatic series associated with the Meiduk deposit are consistent with those of diorite related porphyry copper deposits. 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of five biotite samples collected from the ore deposit indicate an age of 11.3 ± 0.5 Ma for the emplacement of the Meiduk porphyry style mineralisation (Hassanzadeh, 1993). Studies of Sr isotope ratios (86Sr/86Sr = 0.40455; Hassanzadeh, 1993) and the tectonic evolution of the region (e.g., Shahabpour, 2004) indicate that the deposit was formed in the transition between an island-arc and continental margin-arc setting.

Copper mineralisation is hosted by both volcanic and intrusive rocks, although the bulk is within the main intrusive body (Geological Survey of Iran, 1973).

Hydrothermal alteration is characterised by a proximal potassic assemblage, dominantly composed of biotite and K feldspar, grading outward and upward into a phyllic assemblage. A propylitic halo, characterised by chlorite, epidote, and carbonates, is well developed in the enclosing volcanic rocks (Padyar et al., 2017).

Mineralisation at the Miduk occurs as stockworks and disseminations with nine generations of veinlets and veins, namely magnetite; quartz-magnetite; barren quartz; quartz-magnetite-chalcopyrite-anhydrite; chalcopyrite-anhydrite; quartz-chalcopyrite-anhydrite-pyrite; quartz-molybdenite-anhydrite±chalcopyrite±magnetite; pyrite; and quartz-pyrite-anhydrite±sericite (Taghipour et al., 2008; Padyar et al., 2017).

The ore grade in the hypogene zone is between 0.5 and 1% Cu and in the supergene blanket is from 1 to 3% Cu, with an average grade of 1.52% Cu (Geological Survey of Iran, 1973). The supergene zone averages over 50 m in thickness and is characterised by a mineralogy dominated by chalcocite, covellite and chalcopyrite (Geological Survey of Iran, 1973).

The total combined supergene and hypogene reserve in 1973 amounted to around 20 million tonnes (Mt) of ore which was mined and explored on a small scale. Subsequent detailed exploration and development programs undertaken by the National Iranian Copper Company (NICICO) have enlarged the reserve to 180 Mt with an average grade of 0.83% Cu. This deposit became the core asset of a new copper complex (the Meiduk mine and Khatoon-Abad copper plant) which commenced operations in December, 2004.

Aghazadeh et al. (2015) quote a resource at Meiduk of 500 Mt @ 0.8% Cu, 0.007% Mo.

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.
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Miduk

    Selected References
Aghazadeh, M., Hou, Z., Badrzadeh, Z. and Zhou, L.,  2015 - Temporal-spatial distribution and tectonic setting of porphyry copper deposits in Iran: Constraints from zircon U-Pb and molybdenite Re-Os geochronology: in    Ore Geology Reviews   v.70, pp. 385-406.
Altenberger, F., Raith, J.G., Bakker, R.J. and Zarasvandi, A.,  2022 - The Chah-Mesi epithermal Cu-Pb-Zn-(Ag-Au) deposit and its link to the Meiduk porphyry copper deposit, SE Iran: Evidence from sulfosalt chemistry and fluid inclusions: in    Ore Geology Reviews   v.142, 23p. doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2022.104732.
Asadi, S.,  2018 - Triggers for the generation of post-collisional porphyry Cu systems in the Kerman magmatic copper belt, Iran: New constraints from elemental and isotopic (Sr-Nd-Hf-O) data: in    Gondwana Research   v.64, pp. 97-121.
Boomeri, M., Nakashima, K. and Lentz, D.R.,  2009 - The Miduk porphyry Cu deposit, Kerman, Iran: A geochemical analysis of the potassic zone including halogen element systematics related to Cu mineralization processes: in    J. of Geochemical Exploration   v.103, pp. 17-29.
McInnes B I A, Evans N J, Fu F Q, Garwin S, Belousova E, Griffin W L, Bertens A, Sukarna D, Permanadewi S, Andrew R L and Deckart K,  2005 - Thermal History Analysis of Selected Chilean, Indonesian and Iranian Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au Deposits: in Porter T M (Ed), 2005 Super Porphyry Copper & Gold Deposits - A Global Perspective, PGC Publishing, Adelaide,   v.1 pp. 27-42
Padya, F., Rahgoshay, M., Alirezaei, S., Tarantola, A., Vanderhaeghe, O. and Caumon, M.-C.,  2017 - Evolution of the Mineralizing Fluids and Possible Genetic Links between Miduk Porphyry Copper and Latala Vein Type Deposits, Kerman Copper Belt, South Iran: in    J. of Geol. Soc. India,   v.90, pp. 558-568.
Richards, J.P. and Sholeh, A.,  2016 - The Tethyan Tectonic History and Cu-Au Metallogeny of Iran: in Richards, J.P. (Ed.), 2016 Tectonics and Metallogeny of the Tethyan Orogenic Belt, SEG Special Publication 19,   Ch. 7, pp. 193-212.
Shafiei, B., Haschke, M. and Shahabpour, J.,  2009 - Recycling of orogenic arc crust triggers porphyry Cu mineralization in Kerman Cenozoic arc rocks, southeastern Iran: in    Mineralium Deposita   v.44, pp. 265-283.
Zarasvandi A, Liaghat S and Marcos Zentilli M,  2005 - Porphyry Copper Deposits of the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc, Iran: in Porter, T.M. (Ed), 2005 Super Porphyry Copper & Gold Deposits - A Global Perspective, PGC Publishing, Adelaide,   v.2 pp. 441-452


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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