Geochemistry & Economic Geology of the East Ore Body, Saindak

Porphyry, Chaghai Balochistan, Pakistan.

By

Hamayoun Khaliq

Study program: [Link].

Supervisor: Dr. Muhammad Ishaq Kakar.

Co-Supervisor: Dr: Abdul Ghaffar Kashani.

Mr: Yasir Shaheen.

Mr: Jhang DingTang.

Centre of Excellence in Mineralogy,

University of Balochistan, Quetta

Session: 2019-2021
 Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................................................................... 1
Saindak porphyry .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Structural Geology ................................................................................................................................................ 2
Geological background ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Problem statement................................................................................................................................................. 4
Significance .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Objectives of the study ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Literature review ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Methodology ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Research analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 6
References............................................................................................................................................................. 6

List of Figures

Fig: 1, Chaghai Magmatic arc and associated porphyry deposits and prospects & and Saindak porphyry
deposit in the extreme left corner of the map…………………………………………………………………..2
Fig: 2, stratigraphic succession of Saindak porphyry…………………………………………………………………3

Fig: 3, Study area East ore body Geological map……………………………………………………………………..5

 Porphyry Cu associated deposits are also linked

Introduction with the Cal-alkaline to quartz(poor) alkaline

monzonite, quartz monzonite or the granodiorite
Porphyry Cu deposits belongs to the class of
rocks in the intra-oceanic island arcs (e.g Ok Tedi
magmatic related ore deposits which originated by
papua new Guinea).
means of hydrothermal fluids from igneous
intrusions from subsurface, three elements
concentration which can be extracted by these Saindak porphyry
hydrothermal fluids are Cu, Au and Mo. This class Saindak porphyry Cu/Au is located at Chaghai
of deposits are the leading resource for the Cal-alkaline magmatic belt, it basically belongs to
Cu(about 65% of more can be recover) and the granite-diorite series, chiefly consisting of the
Mo(approximately 95%) and as well as prominent tonalite, granodiorite and quartz monzonite.
amount of Au, byproducts could be Ag and Re. Majority of these rocks had been intruded in to the
these deposits are large enough with 1Mt to about submarine rocks of volcanic and also in the
10Gt in the veins altered or pervasive rocks which fragmental segments rocks formed in the late
are spread out in relation to low grade such as 1% cretaceous to the Oligocene age and after the
Cu in (Cu) porphyry, and about 0.1% Mo in (Mo) oligoene this area was basically underwent rising
porphyry, and gold about 1 ppm economically and undulant moments for a long period of time.
which is extended to be very important. The fascinating mountains had been formed by
Mineralization regarding the porphyry (Cu, Mo, means of the long time weathering and erosional
Au) deposits concentric around the granitoid rocks processes. And its lithological color is red and
which somewhat have Silica% from about 52 to yellow so that’s why it is called sulphide valley.
77%. The mineralization is centered around the The arc of chaghai is composed of upper
minute veins and a system of veinlets between cretaceous to Oligocene sedimentary rocks and
which the rocks are extremely altered, multiple largely clasts of flysch type. These volcanic
episodes of alteration can took place, the ores are comprise a large area of the northern area (John
usually associated with the veins and veinlets 1974)
associated alteration, ore which are important of
Cu are usually chalcopyrite, bornite for Mo The study area is basically lies about five km to
molybdenite, Au us usually native and W can be the east of Saindak Fort, located in the extreme
extracted in the form of oxides and Sn as a western portion of Balochistan province, Pakistan.
cassiterite. Commonly the porphyry deposits are Coordinate of the area are 29˚ 15’N and 61˚ 37’E
associated with the various igneous rocks intrusion (Rehan 2004) shown in Figure: 1. Saindak
which are basically Cal-alkaline and in this class porphyry is considered to be the large Cu-Au
can be associated with the diorite, granodiorite, deposits in the Chagai district. Commonly
tonalite & quartz diorite continental related such associated with the three ore bodies which have
examples can be found in Chile and countries been identified in the particular locality they are
which are related Andean chain (El Salvador, basically quartz diorite, tonalite, and granodiorite
Gustafson and Hunt, 1975 de la Alumbrera, Ulrich stocks of porphyry and surrounding pluton
and Heinrich , 2002; proffett, 2003; Harris et al., disseminated and veinlets. Rocks which belongs to
2005), southwestern USA (Titley, 1982). magmatic origins are granodiorite batholith and
associated tonalite porphyry these rocks are
intruded and formed at Miocene and further in

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andesite porphyry veins, and the veins which the quartz tourmaline veins in the later stage
formed later are the diorite porphyry along with (Ghafar et al 2014).

Fig: 1, Chaghai Magmatic arc and associated porphyry deposits and prospects & and Saindak
porphyry deposit in the extreme left corner of the map.

Mineralization stages have been identified and

Structural Geology
are four as disseminated and veinet-disseminated Large saindak syncline cuts the valley about
Cu-Mo and Au mineralization they are associated 45 degree in to its ‘North striking axis’. The valley
with the potash silicate alteration zone, and fine appears to be controlled by bounding fault of foult
veinlet-disseminated and veinlet Cu control on both sides of the valley (Rehan 2004).
mineralization. Combine with the potash silicate This structure basically bound the intrusion of
and sericitic quartz alteration, thirdly with stock quartz diorite and also the disseminated
works and fine veins of Cu, Mo, Au and Ag hosted mineralization, the syncline axis passes through
mineralization in sericitic and argillic alterations the intrusive mineralization (Arthurton 1982). In
and forth with the final stage of the mineralization this scenario only two formation can be found near
associated with the supergene. Associated ore intrusion such as Eocene Saindak formation and
mineralization are chalcophyrite, bornite, Oligocene Amalaf formation. In the south of
magnetite, rutile, chalcocite, covelite, hematite and saindak fault the sulphide valley comprise of
sphalerite and galena, cuprite, molybdenite, and saindak porphyry of three distinct porphyry
native gold can also be found beside these the deposits namely East, North and South ore bodies.
gangue minerals such as feldspar, quartz, mica,
gypsum, epidote, talc hornblende and zoiseite can
also be found (Ghaffar et al 2014) the saindak
Geological background
porphyry comprise of about 412Mt Cu deposits The Chaghai arc is situated in the southern
with combining East, North and South ore bodies margin of Afghan block and the selvage of the
with an average grade of Cu 0.450% and 0.34 g/t microcontinent of the Gondwanan which is
of Au. accreted at the southern margin of the Eurasian
plate (Jacob and Quittmeyer 1979). This arc is
basically spread over 300 km extended

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accretionary prism in its south and override intrusions associated with volcanic and
actively subduction zone of Makran (Rehan sedimentary rocks (Perello et al 2008) and a
2004)(Richard et al 2012). Chaghai arc comprises fascinating succession of 2500m of massive flows
of 10’000m stratigraphic thick sequence from late lava of basaltic andesite in the desired area of
Cretaceous to Pleistocene, comprising magmatic Sanjarani volcanic group is considered to be the

Fig: 2, stratigraphic succession of Saindak porphyry.

oldest rock (Rehan 1996-2004). The volcanic rock flows stratigraphic rocks such as Paleocene Juzzak
remnants abundantly found in the younger massive formation, Saindak formation of Eocene,

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Amalaf formation Oligocene, Dalbandin formation
of Miocene and Pliocene-pleistocene koh-i-sultan
Problem statement
formation which is covered by recent Alluvium Regarding the ore deposits of Saindak which
(Rehan 2004). Basalt and basaltic andesite consists of porphyry style Cu and Au deposits the
associated with the rocks from late cretaceous to east ore body comprise of very low concentration
late Paleocene while Eocene and younger rocks are of Au 0.128 g/t as compare of Au deposits of south
associated with the andesitic and minor basalt. In ore body of which Au concentration is about 0.47
the columnar area the stratigraphic succession has g/t so my study will focus on what are the main
been shown in Figure: 2. causes behind the depleted percentage of Au in
East ore body. Figure: 3.
Chaghai magmatic arc has basically evolved from
island arc to continental arc from late cretaceous to
Paleogene, as the accretion of the arc to the afghan Significance
block which took place in Eocene and Oligocene This research has significance economicaly, the
(Perello et al 2008). From Oligocene to East ore body of Saindak porphyry needs to be
Quarternary the magmatism of continental margin explored and studied in terms of intrusion style,
was more or less same as the magmatism in island fluid inclusion, fluid geochemistry, alteration
arc. According to the Rehan (2004) and along with zones and their alteration products needs to be
the auxiliary information from the Perello et al thoroughly studied.
(2008) & Nicholson et al 2010, the oldest rocks
belongs to the SVG that consists of pyroxene-
plagioclase phyric, further consists of andesitic and Objectives of the study
basaltic flows and along volcanic rocks of this The objectives of this study are
formation composed of the pyroxene-plagioclase
 To determine the composition of the host
basalt to andesitic and also the amygdaloidal
rocks and the fluids which altered the host
structure. Overlie conformably by Saindak
rocks and precipitated the Cu and Au
formation which is of Eocene age and comprise of
deposits.
the siltstone, shale, limestone, tuffs and andesitic
lava flows. The lava which is intercalated consists  To determine the Geological setting of the
of the plagioclase-pyroxene phyric, andesitic basalt desired study area.
amygdaloidal, which is isotopically and  To determine the petrography of the
geochemically disclose the transition from island desired locality.
arc to continental arc (perello et al 2008). The  To determine the alteration zones.
Eocene Saindak formation overlie conformably by
Oligocene amalaf formation which constitutes
shale, sandstone, limestone with insinuated
Literature review
Initially the Saindak area mineralization was
andesitic lava flows, these lavas are comprise of
phenocrysts of hornblende, plagioclase and noted by in 1901 by Vredenburg and further in
pyroxene. And finally volcanic rocks of 1960 elaborated and explained by “hunting Survey
Pleistocene of koh-i-sultan which consists of
dacite, andesite flows and chunky sequence of
volcanoclasts.

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Fig: 3, Study area East ore body Geological map.

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Corporation after that GSP and U,[Link] geologists Arturton R.S,.A. Farah and W. Ahamd, 1982. The
put attention in 1963-66, the area was mapped Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic history of western
Balochistan, Pakistan the northern margin of the
geologically and mineralization of Cu was studied
markan subduction complex Geol. Surv. Pakistan.
and by means of the results of dill holes the desired
location was considered as lack of economically Abratis, M., and Worner, G., 2001, Ridge collision
slab-window formation and flux of Pacific
valuable but in the early 1971 by means of the
asthenosphere into the Caribbean realm: Geology,
geological studies of the Saindak “Sulphide v.29,127-130. Doi:10.1130/0091-
Valley” was carried out with the help of Soviet 7613(2001)029<0127:RCSWFA>[Link];2
Geologists under the name of Chaghai mineral
Agard, P., Jolivet, L., Vrielynck, B., Burov, E., and
exploration in the report the Saindak Cu Monie, P., 2007 plate acceleration: The obduction
mineralization was considered as possible trigger?: Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
porphyry type.
Atherton M.P., & Petford, N., 1993, Generation of
Sodium-rich magmas from newly underplated

Methodology basaltic crust.

To achieve the above mention objectives, Ballard, J.R., Palin, M.J., and Cambell, I,H., 2002,
systematic and thorough studies will be Relative Oxidation states of magmas inferred from
accomplished by using field as well as laboratory Ce(IV)/CE(III) in zircon: Application to porphyry
data. The eastern porphyry will be mapped in large copper deposits of northern Chile: contributions to
scale on google earth image or topographic map, mineralogy and petrology.
different samples from the east ore body will be
Dykstra, J. D. 1978., A geol. Study of Chagai Hills
collected and will be examined by means of
Balochistan, Pakistan using LANDSAT digital
petrography and as well as geochemistry.
data. Ph.D. Thesis (Unpublished), Dartmouth
College, Hanover, N.H., U.S.A
Research analysis He,X.,Zhu,X.,Yang, C., and Tang,S., 2005, High-
the petrography will be compile by means of the precision analysis of Pb isotope ratios using MA-
thin section of the samples will be prepared in the ICP-MS: Acta Geoscientica Sinica.
Center of Excellence University of Balochistan,
Hormann, A.W., 1997, Mantle geochemistry: The
and for the geochemistry will concern the XRF,
message from oceanic volcanism.
XRF, NAA & AAS. These instruments are not
available in Balochistan so will carried out in other Perello, J., Razique, A., Schloderer,J., Asadur, R.,
institutes of Pakistan. 2008. The Chagai porphyry Cu belt, Balochistan,
Pakistan. Economic Geology 103,1583-1612

References Rehan, H,S. 2004. Crustal Evolution of Chagai

Amad, M. U,. 1984. Geological exploration and Raskoh arc terrane, Balochistan, Pakistan., Ph.D.
preliminary evaluation of Dasht-e-kain porphyry Thesis, Peshawar University, Pakistan.
copper molybdenum prospect Chagai district, Siddique,R.H., Khan W., Haque , M., 1986.
Balochistan, Pakistan. PH.D. Thesis (unpublished), Petrological & Petrochemical study of north
Univ. Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

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central Chagai helt and its tectonic
[Link] 2,12-
23

Sillitoe,R.H., 1972. A plate tectonic model fro the

origin of porphyry Cu deposits. Economic geology
67,184-197.

Sillitoe,R.H., 1979. Some thoughts n gold-rich

porphyry Cu deposits..Mineraliumdeposita 14,161-
174.

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[Link]. Scholar

Hamayoun Khaliq

(Exploration Geologist MCC)

Supervisor

Dr. Muhammad Ishaq Kakar,

Associate Professor,
Center of Excellence in Mineralogy,
University of Balochistan, Quetta

Co-Supervisor
Dr Abdul Ghaffar Kashani
Manager-Geology Technical at Engro Energy
Limited
Mr. Jhang dingtang
Economic Geologist MCC
Mr. Yasir Shaheen
Asst. Director GSP

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