Rhenium abundance in molybdenites: a case study on vein-type Cu-Mo-Au mineralisation in the Qarachilar area, Sungun porphyry Cu and Siah Kamar porphyry Mo deposits, NW Iran

Abstract

The vein-type Cu-Mo-Au mineralisation in Qarachilar, the Sungun porphyry Cu deposit (PCD) and the Siah Kamar porphyry Mo deposit (PMD) are all located at the northwestern end of the Neo Tethys-related Urumieh–Dokhtar volcano-plutonic belt of Iran. Re contents of molybdenite samples from the Qarachilar, Sungun and Siah Kamar deposits are about 112.67–462 ppm, 53.24–252.29 ppm, and 10.44–41.05 ppm, respectively. Re contents of the first two deposits fall in the range of PCDs, while those of the latter are lower and correspond to PMDs. The relatively high Re content of the Qarachilar and Sungun molybdenites can be explained considering the low abundance of molybdenite, a mantle-dominated source for ore materials and the incorporation of oxidized and acidic hydrothermal fluids with high fCl. The high abundance of molybdenite in the Siah Kamar PMD has resulted in volume dilution of Re. Furthermore, occurrence of the main ore within the potassic alteration zone and, hence, the alkaline nature of the responsible fluids in this zone have also affected the Re content of molybdenites. Variations of the Re content in different veins/veinlets showed a negative relationship with the formation temperature of these veins, and a positive/negative relationship with the acidity/alkalinity of the hydrothermal fluids, while the grain size of molybdenites showed a positive relationship.