Late Cretaceous CuÐAu epithermal deposits of the ...€¦ · This review compiles geological,...

Schweizerische Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 84 79ndash99 2004

0036-769904008479 copy2004 Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Ges

Late Cretaceous CundashAu epithermal deposits of thePanagyurishte district Srednogorie zone Bulgaria

Robert Moritz1 Kalin Kouzmanov21 and Rumen Petrunov3

Abstract

This review compiles geological mineralogical and isotopic data from the four largest CundashAu epithermal deposits ofthe Late Cretaceous Panagyurishte mineral district Bulgaria including from north to south the producing Chelo-pech and the past-producing Krassen Radka and Elshitsa deposits Epithermal CundashAu deposits of the northern andolder part of this district are mainly hosted by andesites whereas those from the southern and younger district arehosted by dacites Advanced argillic alteration is described in the majority of the deposits with the most complexalteration assemblage occurring at Chelopech In all deposits mineralization is the result of replacement and open-space deposition producing massive sulphide lenses surrounded by disseminated mineralization Additionally atChelopech stockwork vein zones are also an important ore type At Elshitsa Radka and Krassen the mineralizedzones are controlled by WNW-oriented faults and at Chelopech there is a supplementary control by NE-orientedfaults A three-stage paragenesis is recognized in all deposits including an early disseminated to massive pyrite stagean intermediate Au-bearing CundashAsndashS stage which forms the economic ore and a late ZnndashPbndashBa stage Sulphurisotopic compositions of sulphide and gangue minerals are consistent with similar data sets from other high-sulphidation deposits Variations in Sr and Pb isotope data among the deposits are interpreted in terms of fluidinteraction with different host-rocks additionally variability in Pb isotopic compositions can be attributed to differ-ences in composition of the associated magmatism Throughout the Panagyurishte district there is a coherent andcontinuous sequence of events displayed by the epithermal CundashAu deposits indicating that they result from similarore forming processes However latitudinal differences in ore deposit characteristics are likely related toemplacements at different depths differences in degrees of preservation as a function of post-ore tectonics andorsedimentary processes efficiency of ore formation andor modifications of regional controls during the 14 Ma-longgeological evolution of the Panagyurishte district such as magma petrogenesis andor tectonic regimes

Keywords CundashAu high-sulphidation epithermal deposits Panagyurishte district Srednogorie zone Bulgaria

Introduction

The Panagyurishte district is a major metallogenicregion in Eastern Europe (Fig 1a) which has sup-plied about 95 of the recent Bulgarian copperand gold production (Mutafchiev and Petrunov1996) and where Late Cretaceous porphyry-Cuand CundashAu epithermal deposits form the mostsignificant deposits Within the Tethyan regionthe Panagyurishte mineral district displays someof the best examples of the porphyry-Cu andhigh-sulphidation epithermal ore deposit associa-tion recognized in other tectonic settings such asthe circum-Pacific region (Sillitoe 1991 1999Hedenquist and Lowenstern 1994 Corbett andLeach 1998) The Panagyurishte district is located60ndash90 km east of Sofia between the towns of

Etrepole and Pazardzhik (Fig 1c) and belongs tothe Late Cretaceous Banat-Timok-Srednogoriebelt extending from Romania through Serbia toBulgaria (Fig 1a) a major ore province within theAlpine-Balkan-Carpathian-Dinaride collision belt(Berza et al 1998 Ciobanu et al 2002 Heinrichand Neubauer 2002) While the genesis of por-phyry-Cu deposits has been relatively undisputedin the Panagyurishte district (eg Strashimirov etal 2002 von Quadt et al 2002 Tarkian et al2003) the CundashAu epithermal deposits have re-mained subject to debate for some time since theywere interpreted as volcanogenic massive sulphide(VMS) deposits in early studies (Bogdanov 1984)and their high-sulphidation nature has only beenrecognized in recent years (Petrunov 1994 1995Mutafchiev and Petrunov 1996)

1 Section des Sciences de la Terre Universiteacute de Genegraveve rue des Maraicircchers 13 CH-1205 Genegraveve Switzerlandltrobertmoritzterreunigechgt

2 Institut fuumlr Isotopengeologie und Mineralische Rohstoffe ETH-Zentrum CH-8092 Zuumlrich SwitzerlandPresent address (1) ltkalinkouzmanovterreunigechgt

3 Geological Institute Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Acad G Bonchev Street Bl 24 1113 Sofia Bulgarialtpetrunovgeologybasbggt

R Moritz K Kouzmanov and R Petrunov80

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CundashAu epithermal deposits Srednogorie zone Bulgaria 81

This review compiles geological mineralogi-cal and isotopic information from the four largestCundashAu epithermal deposits of the Panagyurishtedistrict (Table 1) including Chelopech KrassenRadka and Elshitsa (Fig 1c) It shows that thesedeposits were formed by similar processes typicalfor high-sulphidation epithermal deposits duringthe evolution of the Srednogorie belt Howeverlatitudinal variations of the ore deposit character-istics are recognized and their significance is dis-cussed as a function of emplacements at differentdepths differences in the degree of preservationefficiency of ore formation processes at the localscale and fundamental changes in regional geo-logical controls in space and with time

Regional geological setting

The Srednogorie tectonic zone is an 80 to 100 kmwide and eastndashwest oriented zone in Bulgaria lo-cated between the Balkan Zone in the north andthe Rhodopes and the Sakar-Strandja Zone in thesouth (Fig 1b Boncev 1988 Ivanov 1988 1998)The Panagyurishte ore district belongs to theCentral Srednogorie zone and is characterised bya north-northwest oriented alignment of porphy-ry-Cu and CundashAu epithermal ore deposits whichis oblique with respect to the east-west trendingSrednogorie tectonic zone in Bulgaria (Fig 1b)

The geology of the Panagyurishte mineral dis-trict consists of metamorphic and igneous base-ment rocks abundant Late Cretaceous magmaticrocks and subsidiary sedimentary rocks and sub-ordinate Tertiary sedimentary rocks (Fig 1c Po-pov et al 2003) The oldest basement rocks aretwo-mica migmatites amphibolites and gneissesof uncertain Precambrian age known as PirdopGroup (Dabovski 1988) Srednogorie type meta-morphic rocks (Cheshitev et al 1995) or pre-Rhodopean Supergroup (Katskov and Iliev1993) Younger metamorphic rocks are Late Pre-cambrian to Cambrian phyllites chlorite schistsand diabases of the Berkovitsa Group (Haydou-tov 2001) Palaeozoic basement intrusions aregabbrodiorites quartz-diorites tonalites andgranodiorites-granites (Dabovski et al 1972 Ka-menov et al 2002)

The type and composition of the Late Creta-ceous magmatic rocks vary as a function of lati-tude in the Panagyurishte district with sub-vol-canic and effusive rocks becoming progressivelymore abundant from south to north with respectto intrusive rocks (Fig 1c) Andesites predomi-nate in the northern and central Panagyurishtedistrict whereas dacites are more abundant in itssouthern part (Boccaletti et al 1978 Stanisheva-

Vassileva 1980) Rhyodacites and rhyolites onlyoccur in the central and southern Panagyurishtedistrict (Dimitrov 1983 Nedialkov and Zartova2002) In the south andesites are the earliest vol-canic rocks followed by dacites and a final stageof dacitic-rhyodacitic subvolcanic intrusions(Bogdanov et al 1970 Popov et al 2000a) Smallsubvolcanic dacite quartz-monzodiorite andgranodiorite intrusions (mostly lt1km2 in size)with subsidiary aplites and mafic dykes are co-magmatic with the Late Cretaceous volcanicrocks Porphyry-Cu deposits of the Panagyurishtedistrict are typically centred on such intrusions(Strashimirov et al 2002 von Quadt et al 2002Popov et al 2003 Tarkian et al 2003) Largersized northwest-elongated syntectonic Late Cre-taceous granodioritic-granitic intrusions are re-stricted to the southernmost Panagyurishte dis-trict along the Iskar-Yavoritsa Shear Zone(Ivanov et al 2001 Peytcheva et al 2001) whichcorresponds to the transition between the Sred-nogorie zone and the Rhodope Massif (Fig 1bc)The Late Cretaceous magmatic rocks are calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline with a local tran-sition to subalkaline (Fig 2) and their trace ele-ment data are coherent with destructive continen-tal margin andor volcanic arc related magmatism(Popov and Popov 1997 Nedialkov and Zartova2002 Stoykov et al 2002 2003 Kamenov et al2003ab)

UndashPb zircon geochronology reveals a 14 Ma-long protracted Cretaceous magmatic and ore-forming activity in the Panagyurishte district (Fig1c) The oldest activity is recorded in its northernpart where the age of the Elatsite porphyry-Cudeposit is bracketed by dykes dated at 921 plusmn 03Ma and 9184 plusmn 03 Ma (von Quadt et al 2002) inline with recent RendashOs ages of 92 Ma (Zimmer-man et al 2003) At the Chelopech deposit an-desite pre-dating mineralization and latite yieldan age of 9145 plusmn 015 Ma (Chambefort et al2003a Stoykov et al 2004) Ages decrease south-ward with 8662 plusmn 002 and 8611 plusmn 023 Ma re-spectively for the Elshitsa granite and subvol-canic dacites and 85 plusmn 015 Ma for the VlaykovVruh porphyry-Cu deposit (Peytcheva et al2003) 846 plusmn 03 and 8216 plusmn 01 Ma respectivelyfor granodiorite and gabbro at Boshulya (Peyt-cheva and von Quadt 2003) and 7854 plusmn 013 Mafor the Capitan-Dimitrievo pluton (Kamenov etal 2003c)

The Late Cretaceous sedimentary rock succes-sion in the Panagyurishte district starts withCenomanian-Turonian conglomerate and sand-stone which transgressively overly the basementrocks contain metamorphic rock fragments andcoal-bearing interbeds and are devoid of volcanic


rock fragments They are postdated by Late Cre-taceous intrusive and volcanic rocks which areinterbedded with early Senonian argillaceouslimestone calcarenite and sandstone with abun-dant volcanic rock fragments This interbeddedrock assemblage is transgressively overlain bySantonian-Campanian red marl of the MirkovoFormation and Campanian-Maastrichtian calc-arenite and mudstone flysch of the Chugovo For-mation (Aiello et al 1977 Moev and Antonov1978 Popov 2001a Stoykov and Pavlishina2003)

Three predominant fault orientations are rec-ognized in the Panagyurishte district (Fig 1cCheshitev et al 1995 Popov 2001b Popov et al2003) (1) regional WNW-oriented faults whichare partly thrusts with both northward and south-ward vergences and which control the geometryof the distribution of the Late Cretaceousmagmatic and sedimentary rocks (2) shorter NWto NNW-oriented faults recognized within the en-tire district including in the ore centres andwhich are parallel to the characteristic ore depos-its alignment of the Panagyurishte district and (3)subordinate NE-oriented faults also recognized insome deposits (Popov 2001b Jelev et al 2003)According to Dobrev et al (1967) and Tsvetkov(1976) gravity and magnetic data reveal a regionaldeep-seated NNW-oriented fault-zone that coin-cides with the ore deposit alignment of the district

Regional tectonic evolution

The Alpine evolution of the Bulgarian tectoniczones is intimately linked to the tectonic evolu-tion and closure of the Tethys (Dabovski et al1991 Ricou et al 1998) Ivanov (1988) interpretsthe Srednogorie tectonic zone as an island arcthat was formed during northward Late Creta-ceous subduction of the African Plate beneath theEurasian Plate Boccaletti et al (1974) Berza etal (1998) and Neubauer (2002) suggest post-colli-sional detachment of the subducted slab as thetrigger for the Late Cretaceous calc-alkaline mag-matism and associated ore deposit formation inthe Srednogorie zone In contrast based on theobservation that subduction ceased in the earlyCretaceous (Barremian) Popov (1987 2002) hasinterpreted the Banat-Timok-Srednogorie zoneas a rift This appears to be in apparent conflictwith the subduction-related scenario but the ar-guments raised by Popov (1987) could be recon-ciled with the scenario of Boccaletti et al (1974)Berza et al (1998) and Neubauer (2002) if oneconsiders the time lag between cessation of sub-duction and post-collisional slab break-off More

recently based on regional lithogeochemical andradiometric age data from magmatic rocks Ka-menov et al (2003ab) and von Quadt et al (2003ab) propose a roll-back scenario to explain thegeodynamic setting of the Panagyurishte districtHowever both slab detachment and roll-back sce-narios are disputed by Lips (2002) who argues thatconditions for such geodynamic settings were unfa-vourable in the Late Cretaceous due to the rela-tively low density and limited length of the youngsubducted slab and he favours typical subduction-related calc-alkaline magmatism and associatedore formation processes A consensus might be dif-ficult to reach because as admitted by Neubauer(2002) distinction between subduction-related andslab break-off magmatism remains ambiguousDuring the Early to Middle Eocene continuoustectonic plate convergence resulted in the collisionof the Rhodopes with the Srednogorie zonewhereby allochthonous units of the former werethrusted northward on the southern Srednogoriezone (Ivanov 1988 Ricou et al 1998)

Evolution of genetic concepts for the Pana-gyurishte CundashAu epithermal ore deposits

Early contributions (see Dimitrov 1960 and ref-erences therein) have interpreted the CundashAu hy-drothermal deposits as epithermal to mesother-mal deposits genetically linked to porphyry-Cudeposits in the Panagyurishte district Dimitrov(1960) describes the ore deposits as epigeneticformed by replacement and open space deposi-tion processes with a preferential development ofalteration zones and ore bodies in volcanic tuffsand sedimentary rocks

Later based on the observation that massivepyrite fragments from the early ore paragenesiswere set in a matrix of dacitic tuffs in some depos-its of the Panagyurishte district Bogdanov (1984)interpreted the early massive pyrite stage of theCundashAu hydrothermal deposits as synchronouswith volcanic activity and sedimentation in waterbasins followed by epigenetic polymetallic oreBogdanov (1984) concluded that porphyry-Cu de-posits post-dated CundashAu hydrothermal ores basedon KndashAr ages of 90ndash94 Ma for the volcanic rocksand 75ndash87 Ma for the intrusions hosting the por-phyry-Cu deposits (Chipchakova and Lilov 1976)

More recently Petrunov (1995) and Mutaf-chiev and Petrunov (1996) recognized that theCundashAu Chelopech deposit of the northern Pana-gyurishte district (Fig 1c) shares alteration andopaque mineral associations with typical high-sul-phidation epithermal deposits (Hedenquist et al2000) also known as acid sulphate or alunite-kao-


linite deposits (Heald et al 1987 Berger andHenley 1989) Petrunov (1995) and Mutafchievand Petrunov (1996) proposed a succession ofevents with submarine formation of early massivesulphide ore followed by uplift of the volcanicedifice and formation of the high-sulphidationore in an aerial setting overprinting the volcano-genic massive sulphide ore Therefore they classi-fied the Chelopech deposit as a volcanic-hostedepithermal deposit of high-sulphidation type

Recent contributions (Popov and Kovachev1996 Popov and Popov 1997 Strashimirov et al2002) based on modern genetic concepts (egHedenquist and Lowenstern 1994 Hedenquist etal 2000) interpret the CundashAu hydrothermal de-posits as epithermal high-sulphidation systemsgenetically linked to porphyry-Cu deposits of thePanagyurishte district therefore in agreementwith the early interpretation by Dimitrov (1960)

Spatial association of the CundashAu epithermaldeposits with porphyry-Cu deposits

The CundashAu hydrothermal deposit at Elshitsa islocated about 1 km to the NW to the past-produc-ing Vlaykov Vruh porphyry-Cu deposit (Fig 1c)These two neighbouring deposits constitute thebest example for the tight spatial association of

high-sulphidation epithermal and porphyry-Cudeposits within the Panagyurishte ore district(Kouzmanov 2001) Such a relationship is not asobvious at the Radka deposit although granodi-oritic and quartz-diorite porphyries have beendescribed in its vicinity CundashAu epithermal occur-rences have also been described in the immediateproximity of the Assarel and Petelovo porphyry-Cu deposits (Petrunov et al 1991 Sillitoe 1999Tsonev et al 2000a Fig 1c) The Chelopech de-posit belongs to an ore deposit cluster in thenorthern Panagyurishte district which also in-cludes the vein-type Vozdol base metal occur-rence the Karlievo porphyry-Cu occurrence andthe major producing porphyry-Cu Elatsite de-posit (Popov et al 2000b Fig 1c) This ore depositcluster is centred on a major regional geomag-netic anomaly of the northern Panagyurishte dis-trict interpreted by Popov et al (2002) as a shal-low large magmatic chamber

Economic significance and metal ratios of theCundashAu epithermal deposits

Chelopech is the largest and at present the onlyproducing high-sulphidation deposit in the Pana-gyurishte mineral district (Table 1) It ranksamong the major high-sulphidation deposits of

K2O

wt

SiO2 wt

2

4

6

50 60 70

1

3

5

40 80

Alkalic

Alkali-

calci

c

Calc-

alkalic

Calcic

7

8

0

Compositional field of

igneous rocks

genetically related to

high-sulphidation

deposits (Arribas 1995)


unaltered volcanic rocks

from magmatic centres

hosting the Cu-Au

epithermal deposits in

the Panagyurishte ore

district (Bayraktarov

et al 1996)

Fig 2 K2O vs SiO2 diagram for Late Cretaceous igneous rocks from the Panagyurishte ore district (black dots)Data for the Panagyurishte ore district from Bayraktarov et al (1996) and data compilation of igneous rocks geneti-cally related to high-sulphidation deposits from Arribas (1995)


Table 1 Major characteristics of high-sulphidation deposits from the Panagyurishte ore district


the world with a tonnage and a gold grade com-parable to important deposits of the circum-Paci-fic region such as El Indio in Chile Lepanto in thePhilippines and Pierina in Peru (Fig 3) By con-trast the past-producing Elshitsa and Radka de-posits are on the borderline of economic depositsand Krassen remains an uneconomic occurrence(Fig 3)

The northern zone stands out as the more fer-tile part of the Panagyurishte ore district Indeedthe location of the major high-sulphidationChelopech deposit coincides with the geographicposition of the economically significant porphyry-Cu deposits of the area (Fig 1c) including Elat-site (354 Mt at 044 Cu and 02 gt Au) Medet(163 Mt at 032 Cu and 80 gt Mo) and Assarel(319 Mt at 036 Cu) whereas the southern por-phyry-Cu deposits at Tsar Assen (66 Mt at 047Cu) and Vlaykov Vruh (98 Mt at 046 Cu) aremuch smaller (Porphyry-Cu data from Strashimi-rov et al 2002 total of past production and re-maining resources) and correlate spatially withthe lesser economic Elshitsa Radka and Krassenepithermal deposits

Chelopech is characterised by higher Cu andAu grades (128 and 34 gt) relative to Krassen(076 and 069 gt) Radka (106 and 15ndash20

gt) and Elshitsa (113 and 15 gt) Silver gradesare on average lower at Chelopech (84 gt) thanat Radka (25ndash30 gt) and Elshitsa (15 gt) which isreflected by a low AgAu ratio of 25 at Chelopechin contrast to 16 and 10 respectively at Radkaand Elshitsa The Chelopech deposit has a higherAuCu ratio of 27 than the Radka and Elshitsadeposits respectively with 17 and 13 (Table 1)Additionally Chelopech is characterised by ele-vated contents of S Ga and Ge that have been by-products during ore dressing (Popov and Kova-chev 1996)

Host rocks of the CundashAu epithermal depositsin the Panagyurishte ore district

At Elshitsa the ore bodies are hosted by an about100 m wide breccia zone within a WNW-elongat-ed and steeply dipping Late Cretaceous subvol-canic dacite body (Fig 4c) This subvolcanic rhyo-dacite body crosscuts a belt of andesitic-daciticvolcanic rocks located between Palaeozoic grani-toids to the south and the Late Cretaceous Elshit-sa intrusion to the north (Fig 1c) Dacitic volcanicrocks and breccia form the preferential rock envi-ronment for metasomatic replacement and hy-

RoNa

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El (DSO)

Bol

El

Su

Lh

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Le

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KrassenElshitsa

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Tonnage (Mt)

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de

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t A

u)

1000 t100 t

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Radka

TaVe

PV

Chelopech

High-sulphidation deposits of

the Panagyurishte ore district

High-sulphidation deposits

from other locations

Bor

Si

LC

Ne

Ne

LKK

Fu

Fig 3 Gradendashtonnage diagram of high-sulphidation deposits from the Panagyurishte ore district in comparison tosimilar deposits from other localities Grades and tonnages of the Bulgarian deposits are from Strashimirov et al(2002) The diagram is modified from Hedenquist et al (2000) with additional data from Sillitoe (1999) marked withan asterisk () in the following list Bol mdash Boliden Sweden Bor mdash Bor Serbia Chinkuashih Taiwan El mdash El IndioChile El (DSO) mdash El Indio direct shipping ore Fu mdash Furtei Italy Go mdash Goldfield USA LC mdash La Coipa ChileLe mdash Lepanto Philippines Lh mdash Lahoca Hungary LKK mdash Lerokis and Kali Kuning Indonesia Mu mdash MulatosMexico Na mdash Nansatsu district (including Kasuga) Japan Nersquo and Nersquorsquo mdash Nevados de Famatina Argentina (highand low grade ore respectively) Pa mdash Pascua Chile Pi mdash Pierina Peru PP mdash Paradise Peak USA PV mdash PuebloViejo Dominican Republic Ro mdash Rodalquilar Spain Si mdash Sipan Peru Su mdash Summitville USA Ta mdash TamboChile Ve mdash Veladero Argentina Ya mdash Yanacocha Peru


drothermal precipitation (Fig 4c Kouzmanov2001)

The Radka deposit occurs in an andesitic-dac-itic volcanic belt with subordinate rhyodaciticdykes and granodioritic and quartz dioritic por-

Fig 4 (a) Cross sections of the Chelopech (after Chambefort 2005) (b) Radka (after Popov and Popov 1997Tsonev et al 2000b Kouzmanov et al 2002) and (c) Elshitsa deposits (after Chipchakova and Stefanov 1974)

phyries (Fig 4b) immediately to the northeast ofthe Late Cretaceous Elshitsa intrusion (Fig 1c)The immediate host rocks of the mineralizedzones are exclusively Late Cretaceous dacitic lavaflows volcanic breccia and tuffs (Fig 4b) The lat-


ter two are preferential hosts to the mineraliza-tion (Bogdanov and Bogdanova 1974 Kouz-manov 2001 Kouzmanov et al 2004)

In the Krassen deposit (Fig 1c) the host rocksof the mineralized zones are andesitic brecciatuffs and lava flows that have been overthrustedalong the Krassen fault on the sedimentary rocksof the Chugovo Formation (Tsonev et al 2000a)

The Chelopech deposit is hosted by a LateCretaceous volcanic and volcano-sedimentarycomplex transgressively overlaying Precambrianand Palaeozoic metamorphic rocks (Fig 1c Table1 Popov et al 2000b) The Late Cretaceous rocksequence consists of detrital sedimentary rocksderived from the basement and andesitic daciticto trachyandesitic subvolcanic bodies lava flowsagglomerate flows tuffs and epiclastic rocks Theyare transgressively covered by sandstone argilla-ceous limestone and the terrigenous flysch se-quence of the Chugovo Formation (Fig 4) Theore bodies are hosted by (1) an andesitic subvol-canic body associated with phreatomagmatic dia-treme breccias and (2) sedimentary rocks withoolithic biodetrital and sandstone layers inter-bedded with (3) volcanic tephra-tuff containingaccretionary lapilli and pumices (Chambefort etal 2003b Jacquat 2003)

Unaltered volcanic rocks from the magmaticcentres hosting the CundashAu epithermal and por-phyry-Cu deposits are enriched in K with respectto equivalent rock types in barren areas (Bayrak-tarov et al 1996) Figure 2 shows that the K2O vsSiO2 field of the volcanic host rocks of the ore de-posits in the Panagyurishte district overlaps withthe upper part of the field typical for volcanicrocks genetically related to high-sulphidation de-posits (Arribas 1995)

Wall rock alteration of the CundashAu epithermaldeposits in the Panagyurishte district

Alteration assemblages are variable among thedifferent CundashAu epithermal deposits of the Pana-gyurishte ore district (Fig 5) Chelopech displayslaterally and vertically the most complex altera-tion assemblages among these deposits (Fig 5a)Laterally outward from the ore bodies there arefour alteration assemblages (1) a silicic zone withmassive silica sparsely developed vuggy silicadisseminated pyrite and aluminiumndashphosphatendashsulphate (APS) minerals (2) a quartzndashkaolinitendashdickite zone with pyrite APS minerals and ana-tase (3) a widespread quartzndashsericite alterationzone and (4) a propylitic zone Below the presentmining level (405 level about 400 m below sur-face) samples from 2 km deep drill cores (from

the surface) reveal that the alteration evolves intoa diaspore pyrophyllite alunite zunyite rutileand APS mineral assemblage (Petrunov 19891995 Georgieva et al 2002)

Radonova (1970) Radonova and Velinov(1974) and Tsonev et al (2000a) report an ad-vanced argillic assemblage (quartzndashkaolinitedickite) in the immediate wall rocks of the miner-alized zones at Krassen followed laterally by aphyllic and propylitic alteration (Fig 5b) At El-shitsa and Radka the wall rock alteration of themineralization consists predominantly of a phyllicassemblage (quartzndashsericite in the immediate hostrock of the sulphide bodies followed laterally byquartzndashsericitendashalbite) and grades outwards into apropylitic alteration assemblage (Fig 5) In addi-tion at Elshitsa subordinate diaspore and dumor-tierite have been recognized in the quartzndashsericitealteration immediately next to the mineralizedzones (Radonova 1967 1970) and alunite hasbeen documented at shallow mining levels by Di-mitrov (1985) thus revealing the occurrence of ad-vanced argillic alteration in this deposit (Figs 4 and5) In contrast to the Chelopech deposit neithervuggy silica nor any hypogene kaolinitedickiteand APS minerals have been recorded at Elshitsaand Radka (Table 1 Figs 5 and 6) Illite is the pre-dominant clay mineral in the two later deposits

Ore body geometry of the CundashAu epithermaldeposits in the Panagyurishte ore district

In all three deposits of the southern Panagy-urishte ore district ie Elshitsa Radka andKrassen the mineralized zones consist predomi-nantly of massive sulphide lenses surrounded by ahalo of disseminated mineralization (Tsonev etal 2000ab Kouzmanov 2001) In addition at theElshitsa and Radka deposits there is also subordi-nate veinlet-type ore (Kouzmanov 2001) At theChelopech deposit stockwork ore is also abundantand in contrast to the high-sulphidation deposits ofthe southern Panagyurishte district vein-type oreis volumetrically and economically as important asmassive sulphide ore surrounded by disseminatedore (Petrunov 1994 Jacquat 2003)

Structural control of the ore bodies andthe alteration zones

The Elshitsa and Radka deposits share similarstructural controls on each side of the Elshitsa in-trusion (Fig 1) In both deposits the ore bodiesare steeply dipping and together with the wallrock alteration they are controlled by WNW-ori-


Fig 5 Hydrothermal alteration assemblages described in the Chelopech (Petrunov 1989 1995 Georgieva et al2002) Krassen (Tsonev et al 2000a) Radka (Tsonev et al 2000b Kouzmanov 2001) and Elshitsa deposits(Radonova 1967 1970 Chipchakova and Stefanov 1974 Dimitrov 1985 Popov et al 2000a Kouzmanov 2001)represented on diagrams after Corbett and Leach (Fig 41 p 71 1998) showing the relative stability ranges of altera-tion mineral assemblages as a function of temperature and pH The alteration zones (advanced argillic argillicphyllic propylitic) defined in hydrothermal systems (Corbett and Leach p 73 1998) are only represented for theRadka deposit for the sake of clarity The characteristic alteration assemblages of each deposit are highlighted withwhite letters on a black background For Elshitsa there is an additional grey background with questions marksbecause Dimitrov (1985) reports an alunite facies without mentioning the other alteration minerals present in thesame facies therefore the alteration assemblage remains uncertain Abmdash albite Actmdashactinolite Admdashadularia Almdashalunite Andmdashandalusite Biomdashbiotite Cbmdashcarbonate Chmdashchlorite Chabmdashchabazite Chdmdashchalcedony Chmdashchlorite Crmdashcristobalite Ctmdashcalcite Domdashdolomite Dikmdashdickite Dpmdashdiaspore Epmdashepidote FspmdashfeldsparHalmdashhalloysite Imdashillite Kmdashkaolinite Opmdashopaline silica Pyrmdashpyrophyllite Qmdashquartz Sermdashsericite Sidmdashsiderite Smmdashsmectite Trimdashtridymite

RADKA

KRASSENCHELOPECH

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

SilicaK

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn ChS

ka

rn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

ELSHITSA

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

PyrQ plusmnDp

Pyr

Q Ser

Increasing pH Increasing pH

Increasing pH

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Advanced

argillic Argillic

Phyllic Propylitic

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q SerPyrQ plusmnDp

I Q

Cb

I Q

Cb

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid


ented sub-parallel normal faults dipping 65degndash70degto the north (Fig 4 Table 1) The mineralizedfaults merge with major regional faults at depthie the Elshitsa fault in the homonymous depositand the Varnitsa fault at Radka (Fig 4) At El-shitsa there is a subsidiary set of NW-orientedstrike-slip faults The Krassen deposit shows asimilar setting to these two deposits where themineralization is hosted by about an 80 to 100 mwide and WNW-oriented breccia zone with amoderate dip of about 50deg to the NE and which issub-parallel to the Krassen fault Part of the mas-sive sulphide bodies has been brecciated andoverprinted by later tectonic movements alongthe latter (Tsonev et al 2000a) This late tectonic

Fig 6 Principal opaque and gangue mineral para-genesis of the Chelopech (Petrunov 1989 1994 1995Simova 2000 Jacquat 2003) Krassen (Tsonev et al2000a) Radka (Tsonev et al 2000b Kouzmanov 2001)and Elshitsa deposits (Popov et al 2000 Kouzmanov2001)

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

Stage of mineralisation Fe-S Cu-As-S Pb-Zn-S Ca-SO4

Quartz

Chalcedony

Barite

Anhydrite

Kaolinite-Dickite

APSminerals

Pyrophyllite

Diaspore

Alunite

Anatase-rutile

Carbonate

Fluorite

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Pyrite

Marcasite

Enargite

Luzonite

Tennantite

Chalcopyrite

Bornite

Goldfieldite

Colusite

Clausthalite

Galena

Sphalerite

Digenite

Chalcocite

Covellite

Tetrahedrite

Native gold- electrum

Native silver

Tellurides


overprint was already noted by Dimitrov (1960)for the entire Panagyurishte district

At the Chelopech deposit two predominantfault orientations are recognized (1) steeply dip-ping WNW to NW-oriented strike-slip faults and(2) NE-oriented thrusts dipping to the SE Oreformation is overprinted by tectonic movementsalong both fault types (Antonov and Jelev 2001Jelev et al 2003 Chambefort 2005) The brecciazones hosting the ore bodies are elongated paral-lel to the NE-oriented faults and the trend of theadvanced argillic alteration in this deposit followspartly both fault orientations These observationsalso reveal a structural control on both ore forma-tion and alteration in this deposit The Chelopechfault immediately to the southeast of the depositis a major NE-oriented thrust (Fig 4) whererocks of various ages have been thrusted on theLate Cretaceous host rocks of the CundashAu deposit(Antonov and Jelev 2001 Stoykov et al 2002Jelev et al 2003 Chambefort 2005)

Ore stages and paragenesis

The epithermal deposits of the Panagyurishte dis-trict share a number of paragenetic features in-cluding (Fig 6) (1) an early disseminated to mas-sive pyrite stage followed by (2) an intermediateAu-bearing CundashAsndashS stage and (3) a late base-metal stage (predominantly Zn Pb and Ba) Alast sulphate stage ends the mineral paragenesiswith subordinate sulphides and native gold atKrassen and Radka according to Tsonev et al(2000ab see Fig 6)

In all four deposits the first ore stage consistsof pyrite with subordinate fine-grained quartzand marcasite referred to as FendashS ore stage and asmassive sulphide ore (Fig 6) Pyrite of this stagehas a colloform globular fine-grained and fine-layered texture On a macroscopic scale the mas-sive ore can be locally banded with centimetricalternations of massive pyrite layers and alteredrock (Petrunov 1994 1995 Bogdanov et al 1997Simova 2000 Tsonev et al 2000a Kouzmanov2001 Jacquat 2003) The massive sulphide orebodies are discordant with respect to the hostrocks (Kouzmanov 2001 Popov et al 2003) AtElshitsa the massive ore bodies and the alterationzones are controlled by faults (Fig 4) and veinswith colloform pyrite crosscut the host dacites(Kouzmanov 2001) At Chelopech sedimentaryrocks and volcanic tuffs are the preferential hostrocks of massive pyrite ore Accretionary lapillioolithes and microfossils are replaced by pyrite inthese rocks (Chambefort et al 2003b Jacquat2003) Massive sulphide ore is typically surround-

ed by a halo of disseminated pyrite (Tsonev et al2000 ab Kouzmanov 2001) and mapping atChelopech reveals in places a progressive transi-tion from disseminated to massive pyrite ore (Jac-quat 2003)

Early massive pyrite is postdated by sulphidesand sulphosalts of the CundashAsndashS ore stage (Fig 6)This second ore stage is the Au-bearing and eco-nomic ore mined in all deposits It is typically sub-divided into mineral associations (Petrunov 1994Simova 2000 Tsonev et al 2000ab Kouzmanov2001 Jacquat 2003 Kouzmanov et al 2004)which are not shown in Figure 6 for the sake ofclarity These mineral associations constitute dis-crete recurrent depositional events which over-print each other (Jacquat 2003) They occur asveins cavity fillings breccia matrix and replace-ment of early pyrite In general enargite andcovellite belong to an early depositional eventfollowed by a tennantite-chalcopyrite-bornite as-sociation Gold of the second ore stage occurs asnative metal and tellurides but the native mineralis the main gold carrier (Bogdanov et al 1997Bonev et al 2002) Micro- to cryptocrystallinequartz is a ubiquitous gangue mineral of this orestage (Fig 6)

A third uneconomic PbndashZnndashS ore stage (Fig6) consists of a polymetallic assemblage includinggalena sphalerite pyrite chalcopyrite and bariteveins Calcite has also been reported at Elshitsa atthis stage (Kouzmanov 2001) Gold of this stageoccurs as the native metal and also as electrum atChelopech At the Chelopech deposit a large partof the late polymetallic ore stage is developed be-low and at the periphery of the economic gold-bearing pyritendashenargitendashchalcopyrite ore bodiesthat is beyond the advanced argillic alterationzone (Petrunov 1994 1995 Jacquat 2003) TheVozdol occurrence is such a physically separatepolymetallic mineralization about 1 km NNE tothe Chelopech high-sulphidation ore bodies (Fig1) The gangue of the base metal sulphide veins atVozdol consists of quartz ankerite calcite dolo-mite barite and fluorite and the veins are sur-rounded by a carbonate adularia and sericite al-teration zone This occurrence is considered byMutafchiev and Petrunov (1995) and Popov et al(2000b) as a low-sulphidation system and wouldbe reclassified as an intermediate-sulphidationoccurrence according to the new terminology ofHedenquist et al (2000) The spatial association ofthe polymetallic Vozdol occurrence and the Chelo-pech deposit is analogous to other base-metal veinsat the periphery of high-sulphidation systems (Sil-litoe 1999 Hedenquist et al 2000 2001)

There are a number of major mineralogicaldifferences among the CundashAu epithermal depos-


its of the Panagyurishte district (Fig 6 Table 1)Enargite is abundant at Chelopech (Petrunov1994 Simova 2000 Jacquat 2003) and predomi-nant at Krassen (Tsonev et al 2000a) but it isonly a minor phase and restricted to the uppermine levels at Radka and Elshitsa (Tsonev et al2000b Kouzmanov 2001) Luzonite the low-tem-perature dimorph of enargite has only been re-ported at Chelopech where it is a common miner-al and as a minor phase at Krassen By contrastnative silver is absent at Chelopech but present atKrassen Radka and Elshitsa and tetrahedrite israre at Chelopech and more abundant in thethree other deposits This explains the distinctlylower AgAu ratios at Chelopech relative to Rad-ka and Elshitsa (Table 1) Chelopech also standsout with its predominant gangue mineralogy withchalcedony and barite being major to abundantphases during the CundashAsndashS stage (Petrunov 1994Simova 2000 Jacquat 2003) whereas barite isonly reported as a minor phase at Radka duringthis ore stage (Tsonev et al 2000b Kouzmanov2001 Kouzmanov et al 2004 Fig 6 Table 1)

Isotopic data

The sulphur isotopic compositions of sulphidesand enargite from the high-sulphidation depositsof the Panagyurishte ore district fall between ndash9and +1 permil (CDT) and sulphates yield higher 34Svalues between +15 and +28 permil (CDT) (Fig 7a)Such isotopic compositions are consistent withsimilar data sets from other high-sulphidationepithermal deposits (see Arribas 1995) and aretypically interpreted in terms of sulphur isotopefractionation during hydrolysis of magmatic SO2and fluid oxidation with decreasing temperature(Rye 1993) Temperatures obtained by sulphurisotope geothermometry in the deposits of thePanagyurishte district are typical for high-sul-phidation epithermal systems (Arribas 1995) AtChelopech two pyrite-anhydrite pairs from deepdrilling samples below the main mining level yieldtemperatures of 302deg and 314degC (Jacquat 2003)and one enargitendashbarite pair from the main CundashAsndashS ore stage gives a temperature of 240degC (Mo-ritz et al unpublished data) One galenandashbaritepair at Chelopech and one chalcopyritendashbarite atElshitsa from the third base metal ore stage yieldtemperatures of 226deg and 250degC respectively(Jacquat 2003 Kouzmanov et al 2003)

Radiogenic isotopes show marked differencesamong the epithermal deposits of the ore districtThe Sr and Pb isotopic compositions of gangueand ore minerals are more radiogenic in Chelo-pech than at Elshitsa and Radka (Figs 7b and c)

In the case of Sr this difference cannot be ex-plained by different magmatic sources since LateCretaceous magmatic rocks have similar Sr iso-topic compositions throughout the Panagyurishtedistrict (Fig 7b) In all deposits gangue mineralsyield systematically higher 87Sr86Sr ratios thanthe immediate Late Cretaceous volcanic hostrocks (Fig 7b) This reveals that the ore-formingfluid with a low 87Sr86Sr ratio (~07045ndash07060Fig 7b) either of direct magmatic origin or equi-librated with the Late Cretaceous volcanic rocksinteracted with 87Sr-enriched rocks such as Palaeo-zoic granites (87Sr86Sr asymp 0708ndash0712 Fig 7b) andmetamorphic basement rocks or their sedimen-tary products ie Turonian sandstones (87Sr86Sr gt0715 Fig 7b) The higher 87Sr86Sr ratios of sul-phates at Chelopech reveal a more intense inter-action of the ore-forming hydrothermal fluidswith radiogenic metamorphic basement rocksand their detrital sedimentary products The roleof Late Cretaceous seawater during ore forma-tion remains ambiguous because its 87Sr86Sr ratio(Koepnick et al 1985) lies in-between the Sr iso-topic compositions of Late Cretaceous magmaticrocks and of Turonian detrital sedimentary rocksPalaeozoic granites and metamorphic basementrocks (Fig 7b)

Interpretation of the more radiogenic Pb iso-topic composition of ore minerals from Chelo-pech relative to deposits of the southern Pana-gyurishte district (Fig 7c) remains equivocalMetamorphic basement rocks and Turonian sand-stones contain more radiogenic Pb than Late Cre-taceous magmatic rocks and Palaeozoic intru-sions of the Panagyurishte district (Kouzmanov2001 Kouzmanov et al 2001) Thus akin to the Srisotope data a more intense leaching of metamor-phic rocks and their detrital products by ore-forming hydrothermal fluids could explain the ra-diogenic nature of ore minerals at Chelopech Al-ternatively the variable Pb isotopic compositionsof the epithermal ore minerals might be linked todifferences in the composition of the geneticallyassociated magmatism Although the database isstill fragmentary sulphides from porphyry-Cu de-posits of the northern Panagyurishte district ap-parently yield more radiogenic Pb isotopic com-positions than the ones from the southern district(Fig 7c Elatsite-Medet-Assarel porphyries vsVlaykov Vruh porphyry) Safely assuming that Pbin the porphyry-Cu sulphides is totally to predom-inantly of magmatic origin it must be concludedthat the Pb isotopic composition of the magma-tism is different in both areas and that there is alarger crustal assimilation in the melts related tothe Elatsite Medet and Assarel porphyry-Cu de-posits and by extension to the Chelopech epither-


0

Chelopech

+10 +20 +30-10

Sulphides amp enargite Sulphates a

δ S (permil CDT)34

Radka

Elshitsa

0705 0710 0715 0720 0725

Sr Sr87 86

Chelopech sulphates

Northern Panagyurishte ore district (whole rock data corrected for 90 Ma)

Andesites (Cretaceous)

Elatsite porphyry (Cret)

Turonian sandstone

Southern Panagyurishte ore district (whole rock data corrected for 80 Ma)

Radka amp Elshitsa

sulphates amp calcite

Elshitsa granite (Cret)

Trachyandesites amp

rhyodacites (Cretaceous)

Paleozoic granite

Basement gneiss

Vejen pluton (Paleozoic)

Basement metamorphic rocks

Upper Cretaceous seawater

b

V

A A

A EM

ME

E

EE

EChelopech Cu-Au

epithermal deposit

Krassen Radka

amp Elshitsa Cu-Au

epithermal deposits

Porphyry-Cu

deposits

E Elatsite

M Medet

A Assarel

V Vlaykov Vruh

185 187 188

Pb Pb206 204

186

Pb

Pb

207

204

1560

1562

1564

1566

1568

c

Field ofporphyrydata

Field ofChelopechdata

Field of Cu-Au epithermal deposit datafrom the southern Panagyurishte district

Fig 7


mal deposit This is in line with Kamenov et al(2003ab) who concluded that magmatism variesin composition from north to south in this districtHowever even with additional Pb isotope datafor whole rocks it might be difficult to determineultimately whether the more radiogenic Pb atChelopech was leached from metamorphic base-ment rocks by the ore-forming fluid or if it wasintroduced into the ore deposit by a hydrothermalfluid of magmatic origin where the magma hasassimilated metamorphic basement rocks

Discussion

The Panagyurishte CundashAu epithermal depositswitnesses of similar ore formation processes

in space and time during the evolution of theSrednogorie belt

The epithermal CundashAu deposits of the Pana-gyurishte district reveal a coherent and continu-ous sequence of events resulting from similar oreforming processes typical for high-sulphidationepithermal deposits (Arribas 1995 Cooke andSimmons 2000 Hedenquist et al 2000) Indeedthey share a common paragenesis including anearly massive pyrite stage an intermediate Au-bearing CundashAsndashS stage and a late base metalstage (Fig 6) The textural and geometrical char-acteristics of the early massive pyrite stage docu-ment its epigenetic nature including both struc-tural and lithological controls (Tsonev et al 2000ab Kouzmanov 2001 Chambefort et al 2003bJacquat 2003 Popov et al 2003) Early massivepyrite ore was formed by precipitation along frac-tures from a hydrothermal fluid and by progres-sive replacement of more permeable rock unitssuch as volcanic tuffs and sedimentary rocks Suchwallrock replacement and lithological control bypermeable rock units and bedding planes are rela-tively common in high-sulphidation deposits (Ar-ribas 1995 White et al 1995 Sillitoe 1997 1999Corbett and Leach 1998) Thus it is not necessary

to invoke profound changes in the geological en-vironment with time such as a transition from asubmarine to an aerial setting and early syn-genetic processes (Bogdanov 1984 Petrunov1995 Mutafchiev and Petrunov 1996) to explainthe genesis of the CundashAu epithermal deposits ofthe Panagyurishte ore district The economic andAu-bearing CundashAsndashS stage shows an evolutionfrom an early enargite event to a later tennantite-chalcopyrite-bornite event reflecting a temporalevolution from high to intermediate sulphidationstates of the hydrothermal fluid during ore forma-tion and a low sulphidation state during the sub-sequent base metal stage (Einaudi et al 2003)The sulphur isotopic compositions of ore andgangue minerals are coherent with disproportion-ation of magmatic SO2 during ore formation(Rye 1993)

The high ore grade - large tonnage Chelopechdeposit A giant amongst dwarfs in the

Panagyurishte district

Despite descriptive and genetic similaritiesamong the CundashAu epithermal deposits of thePanagyurishte ore district Chelopech clearlystands out as a giant and as the economically mostattractive deposit in this area The question aboutfundamental controls leading to the formation oflarge CundashAu high-sulphidation epithermal depo-sits has been addressed in several contributions(eg Sillitoe 1997 1999 Hedenquist et al 2000Tosdal and Richards 2002) The peculiarities ofthe Chelopech deposit in contrast to the southernPanagyurishte epithermal deposits are discussedbelow and may be explained by (1) an emplace-ment in a shallower crustal environment (2) itsbetter preservation (3) more efficient local ore-formation processes and (4) fundamental differ-ences in regional geological controls

Styles and characteristics of high-sulphidationepithermal systems vary with depth and tempera-ture (Corbett and Leach 1998 Sillitoe 1999Hedenquist et al 2000) Collectively several fea-

Fig 7 Isotope data of epithermal deposits from the Panagyurishte ore district (a) Sulphur isotope data for theChelopech (Petrunov 1994 Moritz et al 2001 Jacquat 2003) Radka (Angelkov 1975 Velinov et al 1978Kouzmanov 2001) and Elshitsa deposits (Kouzmanov 2001 Kouzmanov et al 2003) (b) Strontium isotope data forChelopech sulphates (Moritz et al 2001 2003 Jacquat 2003) Late Cretaceous andesites (Stoykov et al 2003 2004)the Vejen pluton and the Elatsite porphyry (von Quadt et al 2002) Turonian sandstone and metamorphic basementrocks (Jacquat 2003 Moritz et al 2003) Radka and Elshitsa sulphates and calcite and whole rocks from the south-ern Panagyurishte district (Kouzmanov 2001 Kouzmanov et al 2001) and Late Cretaceous seawater (Koepnick etal 1985) (c) Lead isotope data of the Chelopech CundashAu epithermal deposit (Moritz et al 2001) the Elshitsa Radkaand Krassen CundashAu epithermal deposits (Amov et al 1974 Kouzmanov 2001 Kouzmanov et al 2001 except twodata points from Moritz et al 2001) and the porphyry-Cu deposits including Vlaykov Vruh (Kouzmanov 2001Kouzmanov et al 2001) Assarel (Amov et al 1974 Moritz et al 2001) Medet (Moritz et al 2001) and Elatsite (vonQuadt et al 2002 except one data point from Moritz et al 2001)


tures indicate a shallower depth and temperatureenvironment of ore formation at Chelopech thanfor the other CundashAu epithermal deposits of thePanagyurishte district (Table 1) (1) low tempera-ture mineral polymorphs such as chalcedony andluzonite are confined to the Chelopech depositand luzonite is a subsidiary phase at Krassen (2)vuggy silica is also restricted to the Chelopech de-posit and (3) the presence of enargite is only rare-ly reported at the Radka and Elshitsa depositsand only in the upper mining levels In additionvolcanic rocks are predominant in the northernpart of the Panagyurishte district whereas intru-sive rocks become more abundant to the south(Fig 1c) therefore revealing a progressivelydeeper crustal environment in the southern partAs reviewed by Sillitoe (1999) the largest high-sulphidation Au deposits are typically located inthe shallow epithermal parts of high-sulphidationsystems where lithological permeability is morefavourable

Alternatively the differences noted among theCundashAu epithermal deposits of the Panagyurishtedistrict might be related to different erosion lev-els with Chelopech being the deposit with thebetter preservation Typically epithermal depositshave a poor preservation potential due to theirshallow depth of formation and the likelihood oftheir erosion increases with their age (Cooke andSimmons 2000 Hedenquist et al 2000) Thus itappears as paradoxical that Chelopech as the old-est epithermal deposit of the study area had thebest preservation potential but this can be ex-plained by local late tectonics in each depositThe overthrust on the Chelopech deposit post-dating ore formation together with the late trans-gressive deposition of sandstone limestone and aflysch sequence on top of the volcanic host rocks(Fig 4a) were certainly key factors for its betterdegree of preservation By contrast the faultscontrolling the ore bodies at Elshitsa and Radkadisplay a normal sense of movement (Figs 4bc)therefore an extensional tectonic setting clearlyless favourable for the preservation of epithermaldeposits possibly resulting in the loss of the upperparts of the Elshitsa and Radka deposits Higheruplift and erosion rates in the southern Pana-gyurishte district could be due to the continuousTertiary plate tectonic convergence of the Rho-dopes with the Srednogorie zone (Ivanov 1988Ricou et al 1998) The subordinate presence orabsence of advanced argillic mineral assemblagesat Elshitsa and Radka respectively (Fig 5) mayreflect the deeper erosion level of the epithermaldeposits thus preserving only their bottom parts(Hedenquist et al 2000) In addition to erosionalone catastrophic gravitational sector collapse of

volcanic edifices during or following ore forma-tion may also explain the loss of the upper epi-thermal ore environment at Elshitsa and Radka(eg Sillitoe 1991 1995)

The formation of large epithermal Au depositsis the result of the confluence of magmatic andhydrothermal factors the production of large vol-umes of Au-rich fluids and an efficient hydrologicsystem for a focussed fluid flow to the ore site(White et al 1995 Sillitoe 1997 Hedenquist etal 2000) The higher grade and tonnage of theChelopech deposit reveal that such ore formingprocesses were particularly favourable in thenorthern part of the Panagyurishte districtChelopech is also characterised by major litholog-ical permeability contrasts with the presence of adiatreme a location close to a major discordancewith basement rocks and a high abundance ofsedimentary rocks in its environment (Fig 4a)Such settings with major lithological permeabilitycontrasts are favourable for the generation oflarge epithermal Au deposits (Sillitoe 1997Hedenquist et al 2000) The laterally and verti-cally extensive advanced argillic alteration zoneat Chelopech (Fig 5) documents that the hydro-logy of its environment has been particularly pro-pitious for the development of acidic conditionsdue to a large absorption of magmatic vapour bygroundwater (Hedenquist et al 2000)

The higher metallogenic fertility of the north-ern and older part of the Panagyurishte districtreveals a temporal evolution in the ore formationenvironment on a regional scale Fundamentalvariations in space and time of the regional geo-logical context must have occurred between earlyporphyry-Cu and CundashAu epithermal ore forma-tion at about 92ndash90 Ma at Elatsite-ChelopechMedet and Assarel and later at about 86 Ma inthe Krassen and Elshitsa-Vlaykov Vruh areas(Fig 1c) The transition from predominantly an-desitic volcanism in the northern Panagyurishtedistrict to dacitic in the southern part with subor-dinate rhyodacite and rhyolite reveals a variationin space and time of magma petrogenesis includ-ing a more important crustal input andor higherdegree of fractional crystallisation with time inthe southern Panagyurishte district Major andtrace element data support a latitudinal variationin magma petrogenesis (Kamenov et al 2003ab)as well as the Pb isotope data of the ore deposits(Fig 7c see above) Chelopech has a distinctlylower AgAu ratio in comparison to the CundashAuepithermal deposits of the southern Pana-gyurishte district (Table 1) According to Sillitoe(1999) magma chemistry is one of the basic con-trols on AgAu ratios in high-sulphidation epi-thermal deposits Thus the variable AgAu ratios


of the Panagyurishte epithermal deposits are pos-sibly linked to the spatial and temporal variation ofthe magma chemistry throughout this ore district

Although the regional tectonic evolution ofthe Panagyurishte ore district is not fully under-stood one may speculate about the favourabletectonic environments that could explain thehigher economic potential of its northern partAccording to Tosdal and Richards (2002) the for-mation of porphyry-Cu and high-sulphidationepithermal deposits is favoured in a geological en-vironment characterised by a near-neutral region-al stress field during transient periods of stress re-laxation within a magmatic arc In the Chelopecharea Jelev et al (2003) suggest from their fieldstudies a switch from a transtensional to a trans-pressional regime during the Late CretaceousThus the formation of the Chelopech deposit andby geographical association the Elatsite porphy-ry-Cu deposit may coincide with such a stress re-laxation period Although there is considerabletectonic overprint the two predominant sets offault orientations at Chelopech are nearly ortho-gonal (WNWndashNW and NE) and maybe the relicof a regional stress field close to near-neutral dur-ing ore formation Despite the fragmentary tec-tonic data the southern Panagyurishte ore districtappears to be essentially characterised by strike-slip tectonics along the dextral Iskar-Yavoritsashear zone (Ivanov et al 2001 Fig 1c) that is ageological setting with a pronounced differentialregional stress The smaller CundashAu epithermal de-posits from the southern Panagyurishte districtare essentially controlled by WNW-oriented sub-parallel faults (Figs 4bndashc) therefore consistentwith the differential regional stress field Accord-ing to Tosdal and Richards (2002) the later tec-tonic environment is less propitious for the for-mation of high-sulphidation epithermal depositsand may explain the lower economic potential ofthe southern Panagyurishte district

Conclusions

Ore deposits are markers of specific tectonicmagmatic and fluid circulation events within theevolution of an orogen The epithermal CundashAudeposits of the Panagyurishte ore district are noexception to it These deposits reveal a coherentand continuous sequence of similar ore formingprocesses typical for high-sulphidation depositsthroughout the regional geological evolution ofthe Srednogorie belt characterised by a north tosouth younging of magmatic and tectonic events

The variation in the composition of the domi-nant magmatism the exposed structural level of

the crust and possibly the variation in tectonicsfrom the northern to the southern part of thePanagyurishte ore district are paralleled by a lati-tudinal change in the characteristics of the epi-thermal CundashAu deposits Most notably the north-ern Panagyurishte ore district appears as the eco-nomically fertile part of the Central Srednogoriebelt At this stage of knowledge no unique expla-nation can be offered for this latitudinal change inore deposit characteristics but they are likely re-lated to emplacements at different depths of thedeposits differences in degrees of preservation asa function of post-ore tectonics andor sedimen-tary processes efficiency of ore formation and fun-damental modifications of regional controls suchas magma petrogenesis andor tectonic regimesThis study on the epithermal CundashAu depositsclearly reveals that ore deposit genesis and theircharacteristics in particular tonnage and gradeare very sensitive to variations of regional geolog-ical processes

Further studies should try to understand whyepithermal CundashAu deposits in the northern Pana-gyurishte ore district such as Chelopech andKrassen are linked to a dominantly andesitic vol-canism whereas the same deposits in the south-ern Panagyurishte district are linked to or post-date dacitic magmatism which itself postdates an-desitic magmatism An additional open questionis linked to the observation that a majority of theore bodies within the CundashAu epithermal depositsare controlled by WNW-oriented faults on a localscale but that the ore deposit alignment on a re-gional scale has a NNW orientation Paradoxical-ly it appears that despite the north to south varia-tion of geological and ore deposit characteristicswithin the Panagyurishte ore district the deepcrustal fundamental control on episodic ore for-mation remained constant throughout its 14 Ma-long protracted Late Cretaceous magmatic andtectonic evolution

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Swiss National ScienceFoundation through the SCOPES Joint ResearchProject 7BUPJ062276 and research grant 21-5904199The authors would like to thank I Chambefort (Univer-sity of Geneva) for discussions The staff of the GeologyDepartment from the Chelopech Mine BIMAK ADmining group are gratefully acknowledged for arrangingaccess to the mine and sharing geological informationCritical reviews by Colin Andrew (Hareward VenturesSofia Bulgaria) and Albrecht von Quadt (ETH-ZuumlrichSwitzerland) helped us to improve the manuscript Thisis a contribution to the ABCD-GEODE research pro-gram supported by the European Science Foundation


References

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Bogdanov B (1984) Hydrothermal systems of massivesulphide porphyry-copper and vein copper depositsof Sredna Gora zone in Bulgaria In Proceed VISymp IAGOD Stuttgart Germany 63ndash67

Bogdanov B and Bogdanova R (1974) The Radkacopper-pyrite deposit In Dragov P and KolkovskiB (eds) Twelve ore deposits of Bulgaria IV sympo-sium IAGOD Varna 1974 114ndash133

Bogdanov B Popov P and Obretenov N (1970) Struc-tural features of the Elshitsa ore field (in Bulgari-an) Rev Bulg Geol Soc 31 303ndash313

Bogdanov K Tsonev D and Kouzmanov K (1997)Mineralogy of gold in the Elshitsa massive sulphidedeposit Sredna Gora zone Bulgaria Mineral De-posita 32 219ndash229

Boncev E (1988) Notes sur la tectonique alpine desBalkans Bull Soc Geacuteol Fr IV 241ndash249

Bonev IK Kerestedjian T Atanassova R and An-drew CJ (2002) Morphogenesis and compositionof native gold in the Chelopech volcanic-hosted AundashCu epithermal deposit Srednogorie zone BulgariaMineral Deposita 37 614ndash629

Chambefort I von Quadt A and Moritz R (2003a)Volcanic environment and geochronology of theChelopech high-sulfidation epithermal deposit Bul-garia regional relationship with associated depositsEuropean Union of Geosciences 12th BiennialMeeting Nice France 6 ndash 11 Avril 2003 Abstract onCD EAE03-A-00569

Chambefort I Moritz R Jacquat S and Petrunov R(2003b) Influence of the volcanic environment onhydrothermal fluid circulation Example of theChelopech AundashCu high-sulfidation epithermal de-posit Bulgaria IAVCEI XXth meeting SapporoJapan 30 Junendash11 July 2003 Abstract volume A p520

Cheshitev G Milanova V Sapounov I and Chou-machenko P (1995) Explanatory note to the geo-logical map of Bulgaria in scale 1100 000 Tetevenmap sheet (in Bulgarian) Avers Sofia

Chipchakova S and Stefanov D (1974) Genetic typesof argillisites at the height of Golyamo Petelovo andin the Elshitsa-West copper-pyrite deposit in thePanagyurishte ore district (in Bulgarian) In Alex-iev E Mincheva-Stefanova J and Radonova T(eds) Mineral Genesis Geological Institute-Bul-garian Academy of Science 437ndash454

Chipchakova S and Lilov P (1976) About the absoluteage of Upper Cretaceous magmatic rocks from thewestern part of the Central Srednogorie and relatedore deposits (in Russian) Comptes rendus Acadbulg Sci 29 101ndash104

Chipchakova S Karadjova B Andreev A and Ste-fanov D (1981) Rare alkalis in wall rock metasoma-tites of massive-pyrite deposits in Central Srednogo-rie Bulgaria Geol Balcanica 11 89ndash102

Ciobanu CL Cook NJ and Stein H (2002) Regionalsetting and geochronology of the Late Cretaceousbanatitic magmatic and metallogenic belt MineralDeposita 37 541ndash567

Cooke DR and Simmons SF (2000) Characteristicsand genesis of epithermal gold deposits In Hage-mann SG and Brown PE (eds) Gold in 2000 Re-views in Economic Geology 13 221ndash244

Corbett GJ and Leach TM (1998) Southwest PacificRim gold-copper systems structure alteration andmineralization Soc Econ Geol Spec Publ 6 237 pp

Dabovski C (1988) Precambrian in the Srednogoriezone (Bulgaria) In Cogne J Kozhoukharov D andKrautner HG (eds) Precambrian in younger foldbelts Essex 841ndash847

Dabovski C Zagorchev I Rouseva M and ChounevD (1972) Paleozoic granitoids in the SushtinskaSredna Gora (in Bulgarian) Annual UGP 16 57ndash92

Dabovski C Harkovska A Kamenov B Mavrud-chiev B Stanisheva-Vassileva G and Yanev Y(1991) A geodynamic model of the Alpine magma-tism in Bulgaria Geol Balcanica 21 3ndash15

Dimitrov C (1960) Magmatismus und Erzbildung imErzgebiet von Panagjuriste Freib ForschungshefteC 79 67ndash81

Dimitrov C (1983) Senonian initial volcanic rockssouth of Panagjuriste and Strelca (in Bulgarian)Rev Bulg Geol Soc 44 95ndash128

Dimitrov C (1985) On the genesis of the Elshitsa Rad-ka Krassen and Bialata Prast ore deposits Panagy-urishte area (in Bulgarian) Rev Bulg Geol Soc 46257ndash266

Dobrev T Dimitrov I Pishtalov S Ivanova V andRadkov R (1967) Studies on the deep structure ofeast Bulgaria based on geophysical data (in Bulgari-an) Rev Bulg Geol Soc 28 35ndash54

Einaudi MT Hedenquist JW and Inan EE ( 2003)Sulfidation state of fluids in active and extinct hy-


drothermal systems Transitions from porphyry toepithermal environments In Simmons SF and Gra-ham I (eds) Volcanic geothermal and ore-formingfluids Rulers and witnesses of processes within theEarth Soc Econ Geol Spec Publ 10 285ndash313

Georgieva S Velinova N Petrunov R Moritz R andChambefort I (2002) Aluminium phosphate-sul-phate minerals in the Chelopech CundashAu depositSpatial development chemistry and genetic signifi-cance Geochem Mineral Petrol 39 39ndash51

Haydoutov I (2001) The Balkan island-arc associationin West Bulgaria Geol Balcanica 31 109ndash110

Heald P Foley N and Hayba D (1987) Comparativeanatomy of volcanic-hosted epithermal depositsacide-sulfate and adularia-sericite types Econ Geol82 1ndash26

Hedenquist JW and Henley RW (1985) The impor-tance of CO2 on freezing point measurements offluid inclusions Evidence from active geothermalsystems and implications for epithermal ore deposi-tion Econ Geol 80 1379ndash1406

Hedenquist JW and Lowenstern JB (1994) The roleof magma in the formation of hydrothermal ore de-posits Nature 370 519ndash527

Hedenquist JW Arribas A and Gonzalez-Urien E(2000) Exploration for epithermal gold deposits InHagemann SG and Brown PE (eds) Gold in 2000Reviews in Economic Geology 13 245ndash277

Hedenquist JW Claveria RJR and Villafuerte GP(2001) Types of sulfide-rich epithermal deposits andtheir affiliation to porphyry systems Lepanto-Victo-ria-Far Southeast deposits Philippines as examplesPro Explo CD with abstracts Lima Peru

Heinrich CA and Neubauer F (2002) CundashAundashPbndashZnndashAg metallogeny of the Alpine-Balkan-Car-pathian-Dinaride geodynamic province MineralDeposita 37 533ndash540

Ivanov Z (1988) Aperccedilu geacuteneacuteral sur lrsquoeacutevolutiongeacuteologique et structurale du massif des Rhodopesdans le cadre des Balkanides Bull Soc Geacuteol Fr IV227ndash240

Ivanov Z (1998 in press) Tectonics of Bulgaria (in Bul-garian)

Ivanov Z Henry B Dimov D Georgiev N Jordano-va D and Jordanova N (2001) New model for Up-per Cretaceous magma emplacement in the south-western parts of Central Srednogorie ndash Petrostruc-tural and AMS data In ABCD-GEODE 2001Workshop Vata Bai Romania Abstracts volume60ndash61

Jacquat S (2003) Etude parageacuteneacutetique et geacuteochimiquedu gisement eacutepithermal drsquoor et de cuivre de typeldquohigh-sulfidationrdquo de Chelopech (Bulgarie) Un-published MSc thesis Dept Mineralogy Uni Gene-va Switzerland 171 pp

Jelev V Antonov M Arizanov A and Arnaudova R(2003) On the genetic model of Chelopech volcanicstructure (Bulgaria) 50 Years University of Miningand Geology ldquoSt Ivan Rilskirdquo Annual vol 46 part I47ndash51

Kamenov BK von Quadt A and Peytcheva I (2002)New insight into petrology geochemistry and datingof the Vejen pluton Bulgaria Geochem MineralPetrol 39 3ndash25

Kamenov B Moritz R Nedialkov R Peytcheva Ivon Quadt A Stoykov S Yanev Y and Zartova A(2003a) Petrology of the Late Cretaceous ore-mag-matic centers from the Central Srenogorie BulgariaMagma evolution and sources In Neubauer F andHandler R (eds) Programme and abstracts FinalABCD-GEODE 2003 workshop Seggauberg Aus-tria 22ndash24 March 2003 p 30

Kamenov B Nedialkov R Yanev Y and Stoykov S(2003b) Petrology of the late Cretaceous ore-mag-matic-centres in the Central Srednogorie BulgariaIn Bogdanov K and Strashimirov S (eds) Creta-ceous porphyry-epithermal systems of the Sred-nogorie zone Bulgaria Society of Economic Geolo-gists Guidebook series 36 27ndash46

Kamenov B von Quadt A and Peytcheva I (2003c)New petrological geochemical and isotopic databearing on the genesis of Capitan-Dimitrievo plu-ton Central Srednogorie Bulgaria In Neubauer Fand Handler R (eds) Programme and abstracts Fi-nal ABCD-GEODE 2003 workshop SeggaubergAustria 22ndash24 March 2003 p 31

Katskov N and Iliev K (1993) Panagyurishte mapsheet (in Bulgarian) In Explanatory note to theGeological Map of Bulgaria in scale 1 100000 53 pp

Koepnick RB Burke WH Denison RE Hethering-ton EA Nelson HF Otto JB and Waite LE(1985) Construction of the seawater 87Sr86Sr curvefor the Cenozoic and Cretaceous supporting dataChem Geol 58 55ndash81

Kouzmanov K (2001) Genegravese de la concentration enmeacutetaux de base et preacutecieux de Radka et Elshitsa(zone de Sredna Gora Bulgarie) une approche parlrsquoeacutetude mineacuteralogique isotopique et des inclusionsfluides Unpublished PhD thesis University of Or-leacuteans France 437 pp

Kouzmanov K Bailly L Ramboz C Rouer O andBeacuteny J-M (2002) Morphology origin and infraredmicrothermometry of fluid inclusions in pyrite fromthe Radka epithermal copper deposit Srednogoriezone Bulgaria Mineral Deposita 37 599ndash613

Kouzmanov K Moritz R Chiaradia M Fontignie Dand Ramboz C (2001) Sr and Pb isotope study ofAundashCu epithermal and porphyry-Cu deposits fromthe southern part of the Panagyurishte district Sred-na Gora zone Bulgaria In Piestrzynski A et al(eds) Mineral deposits at the beginning of the 21st

century Proceedings 6th biennial SGA meetingKrakow Poland 539ndash542

Kouzmanov K Ramboz C Lerouge C Deloule EBeaufort D and Bogdanov K (2003) Stable isotop-ic constrains on the origin of epithermal CundashAu andrelated porphyry copper mineralisations in thesouthern Panagyurishte district Srednogorie zoneBulgaria In Elioupoulos DG et al (eds) Mineralexploration and sustainable development Pro-ceedings 7th biennial SGA meeting AthensGreece 24ndash28 August 2003 Millpress Rotterdam1181ndash1184

Kouzmanov K Ramboz C Bailly L and Bogdanov K(2004) Genesis of high-sulfidation vinciennite-bear-ing CundashAsndashSn (Au) assemblage from the Radkacopper epithermal deposit Bulgaria Evidence frommineralogy and infrared microthermometry ofenargite Can Mineralogist 42 1501ndash1521

Lips ALW (2002) Correlating magmatic-hydrother-mal ore deposit formation over time with geodynam-ic processes in SE Europe In Blundell DJ Neubau-er F and von Quadt A (eds) The timing and locationof major ore deposits in an evolving orogen GeolSoc London Spec Publication 204 69ndash79

Moev M and Antonov M (1978) Stratigraphy of theUpper Cretaceous in the eastern part of the Stur-guel-Chelopech strip (in Bulgarian) Ann de lrsquoEcSup Min Geacuteol 23 7ndash30

Moritz R Chambefort I Chiaradia M Fontignie DPetrunov R Simova S Arisanov A and DoychevP (2001) The Late Cretaceous high-sulfidation AundashCu Chelopech deposit Bulgaria geological settingparagenesis fluid inclusion microthermometry of


enargite and isotope study (Pb Sr S) In Piestrzyn-ski A et al (eds) Mineral deposits at the beginningof the 21st century Proceedings 6th biennial SGAmeeting Krakow Poland 547ndash550

Moritz R Jacquat S Chambefort I Fontignie DPetrunov R Georgieva S and von Quadt A (2003)Controls of ore formation at the high-sulphidationAundashCu Chelopech deposit Bulgaria evidence frominfrared fluid inclusion microthermometry ofenargite and isotope systematics of barite In Eli-oupoulos DG et al (eds) Mineral exploration andsustainable development Proceedings 7th biennialSGA meeting Athens Greece 24ndash28 August 2003Millpress Rotterdam 1209ndash1212

Mutafchiev I and Petrunov R (1996) Geological ge-netic models of ore-deposit formation in the Pana-gyurishte-Etropole ore region Unpublished reportfor Chelopech LTD Sofia 69 pp

Nedialkov R and Zartova A (2002) Magmatism of theAssarel area and its ore generating capability InMoritz R and von Quadt A (eds) GEODE work-shop on the Srednogorie zone April 2002 SofiaBulgaria Abstract volume p 13

Neubauer F (2002) Contrasting Late Cretaceous withNeogene ore provinces in the Alpine-Balkan-Car-pathian-Dinaride collision belt In Blundell DJNeubauer F and von Quadt A (eds) The timingand location of major ore deposits in an evolvingorogen Geol Soc London Spec Publication 20481ndash102

Petrunov R (1989) Hypogene sulphate-sulphide zon-ing in a copper-pyrite deposit Comptes rendus BulgAcad Sci 42 71ndash74

Petrunov R (1994) Mineral parageneses and physico-chemical conditions of ore-formation in the Chelo-pech deposit (in Bulgarian) Unpublished PhD the-sis Geological InstitutendashBAS Sofia Bulgaria 178 pp

Petrunov R (1995) Ore mineral parageneses and zon-ing in the deposit of Chelopech (in Bulgarian) Geo-chem Mineral and Petrol 30 89ndash98

Petrunov R Dragov P and Neykov H (1991) Polyele-mental (with As Sn V Bi Ag Te Ge Se etc) miner-alization in Assarel porphyry-copper deposit (inBulgarian) Rev Bulg Geol Soc 52 1ndash7

Peytcheva I and von Quadt A (2003) UndashPb-zirconisotope system in mingled and mixed magmas anexample from Central Srednogorie Bulgaria EGS-AGU-EUG joint assembly Nice France April 2003Geophysical research abstracts vol 5 abstractEAE03-A-09177

Peytcheva I von Quadt A Kamenov B Ivanov Zand Georgiev N (2001) New isotope data for UpperCretaceous magma emplacement in the southernand south-western parts of Central Srednogorie InABCD-GEODE 2001Workshop Vata Bai Roma-nia Abstracts volume 82ndash83

Peytcheva I von Quadt A Kouzmanov K and Bog-danov K (2003) Elshitsa and Vlaykov Vruh epi-thermal and porphyry Cu(ndashAu) deposits of CentralSrednogorie Bulgaria source and timing of magma-tism and mineralisation In Elioupoulos DG et al(eds) Mineral exploration and sustainable develop-ment Proceedings 7th biennial SGA meeting Ath-ens Greece 24ndash28 August 2003 Millpress Rotter-dam 371ndash373

Popov K (2001a) Geology of the southern part of thePanagyurishte ore region Annual Univ MiningGeol vol 43ndash44 51ndash63

Popov K (2001b) Porphyry copper ndash massive sulphidesystem in the Radka ore district (Bulgaria) AnnualUniv Mining Geol vol 43ndash44 65ndash71

Popov P (1987) Tectonics of the Banat-Srednogorie riftTectonophysics 143 209ndash216

Popov P (2002) Alpine geotectonic evolution and met-allogeny of the Eastern part of the Balkan peninsu-la University of Mining and Geology ldquoSt IvanRilskirdquo Annual vol 45 part I 33ndash38

Popov P and Kovachev V (1996) Geology compositionand genesis of the mineralizations in the Central andSouthern part of the Elatsite-Chelopech ore fieldIn Popov P (ed) Plate tectonic aspects of the Al-pine metallogeny in the Carpatho-Balkan regionUNESCO- IGCP project 356 Proceedings annualmeeting Sofia Bulgaria 1996 vol 1 159ndash170

Popov P and Popov K (1997) Metallogeny of Panagy-urishte ore region In Romic K and Konzulovic R(eds) Symposium laquoOre Deposits ExplorationraquoProceedings Belgrade 2ndash4 April 1997 327ndash338

Popov P Tsonev D and Kanazirski M (2000a) Elshitsaore field In Strashimirov S and Popov P (eds) Geol-ogy and metallogeny of the Panagyurishte ore region(Srednogorie zone Bulgaria) ABCD-GEODE 2000workshop Guidebook to excursions 40ndash46

Popov P Petrunov R Kovachev V Strashimirov Sand Kanazirski M (2000b) Elatsite-Chelopech orefield In Strashimirov S and Popov P (eds) Geolo-gy and metallogeny of the Panagyurishte ore region(Srednogorie zone Bulgaria) ABCD-GEODE2000 workshop Guidebook to excursions 8ndash18

Popov P Radichev R and Dimovski S (2002) Geologyand evolution of the Elatzite-Chelopech porphyry-copper-massive sulfide ore field (in Bulgarian) An-nual Univ Mining Geol 43ndash44 31ndash44

Popov P Strashimirov S Popov K Petrunov R Kana-zirski M and Tzonev D (2003) Main features ingeology and metallogeny of the Panagyurishte oreregion 50 Years University of Mining and GeologyldquoSt Ivan Rilskirdquo Annual vol 46 part I 119ndash125

Radonova T (1962) Primary mineralization and wall-rock alterations in the area of Radka mine in thevicinity of Panagyurishte (in Bulgarian) Travaux surla Geacuteologie de Bulgarie Seacuterie laquoGeacuteochimie Gicirctesmeacutetallifegraveres et non-meacutetallifegraveresraquo 3 93ndash128

Radonova T (1967) Dumortierite from the area of theElshitsa ore deposit district of Panagyurishte (inBulgarian) Rev Bulg Geol Soc 28 191ndash195

Radonova T (1970) Certain petrogenetic factors con-trolling copper pyritic mineralizations in the CentralSrednogorie (in Bulgarian) Rev Bulg Geol Soc 31323ndash328

Radonova T and Velinov I (1974) Relationship be-tween propylites secondary quartzites and ore de-position in the Central and Western Srednogorie(Bulgaria) (in Russian) In Metasomatism and oredeposition Nauka Moscow 60ndash69

Ricou L-E Burg J-P Godfriaux I and Ivanov Z(1998) Rhodope and Vardar the metamorphic andthe olistostromic paired belts related to the Creta-ceous subduction under Europe Geodynamica Acta11 285ndash309

Rye RO (1993) The evolution of magmatic fluids inthe epithermal environment The stable isotope per-spective Econ Geol 88 733ndash753

Sillitoe RH (1991) Gold metallogeny of Chile ndash Anintroduction Econ Geol 86 1187ndash1205

Sillitoe RH (1995) The influence of magmatic-hydro-thermal models on exploration strategies for volca-no-plutonic arcs In Thompson JFH (ed) Mag-mas fluids and ore deposits Mineral Assoc CanadaShort Course Series 23 511ndash525

Sillitoe RH (1997) Characteristics and controls of thelargest porphyry copper-gold and epithermal gold


deposits in the circum-Pacific region Austral JEarth Sci 44 373ndash388

Sillitoe RH (1999) Styles of high-sulphidation goldsilver and copper mineralisation in porphyry andepithermal environments In Weber G (ed) AustrInst Min Metal PacRimrsquo99 Bali Indonesia 10ndash13October Proceedings 29ndash44

Simova S (2000) Mineral composition and parageneticsequences in the ore mineralization of 405 horizonin the Chelopech deposit (in Bulgarian) Unpub-lished MSc thesis Sofia University Bulgaria 68 pp

Stanisheva-Vassileva G (1980) The Upper Cretaceousmagmatism in Srednogorie zone Bulgaria a classifi-cation attempt and some implications Geol Bal-canica 10 15ndash36

Stoykov S and Pavlishina P (2003) New data for Turo-nian age of the sedimentary and volcanic successionin the southeastern part of Etropole Stara Planinamountain Bulgaria Comptes rendus Acad Bulg Sci56 55ndash60

Stoykov S Yanev Y Moritz R and Katona I (2002)Geological structure and petrology of the Late Cre-taceous Chelopech volcano Srednogorie magmaticzone Geochem Mineral Petrol 39 27ndash38

Stoykov S Yanev Y Moritz R and Fontignie D(2003) Petrology Sr and Nd isotope signature of theLate Cretaceous magmatism in the south-easternpart of the Etropole Stara Planina Srednogoriemagmatic zone 50 Years University of Mining andGeology ldquoSt Ivan Rilskirdquo Annual vol 46 part I 161ndash166

Stoykov S Peytcheva I von Quadt A Moritz RFrank M and Fontignie D (2004) Timing and mag-ma evolution of the Chelopech volcanic complexBulgaria Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Mitt 84 101ndash117

Strashimirov S Petrunov R and Kanazirski M (2002)Porphyry-copper mineralisation in the central Sred-nogorie zone Bulgaria Mineral Deposita 37 587ndash598

Tarkian M Huumlken U Tokmakchieva M and Bog-danov K (2003) Precious-metal distribution andfluid-inclusion petrography of the Elatsite porphyrycopper deposit Bulgaria Mineral Deposita 38 261ndash281

Tosdal RM and Richards JP (2002) Tectonic settingA critical link in the formation of porphyry-Cu andepithermal deposits In Vearncombe S (ed) Ap-plied structural geology for mineral exploration andmining Abstract volume 23ndash25 Sept 2002 Kalgoor-lie Western Australia Australian Inst GeoscientistsBull 36 p 209ndash211

Tsonev D Popov K and Kanazirski M (2000a)Krasen-Petolovo ore field In Strashimirov S andPopov P (eds) Geology and metallogeny of thePanagyurishte ore region (Srednogorie zone Bul-garia) ABCD-GEODE 2000 workshop Guidebookto excursions 26ndash31

Tsonev D Popov K Kanazirski M and StrashimirovS (2000b) Radka ore field In Strashimirov S andPopov P (eds) Geology and metallogeny of thePanagyurishte ore region (Srednogorie zone Bul-garia) ABCD-GEODE 2000 workshop Guidebookto excursions 32ndash39

Tsvetkov K (1976) Some data of the geological-geo-physical prospecting for the distribution of the cop-per-porphyry mineralizations in the Panagyurishteregion (in Russian) In Problemi RudoobrasovaniaPubl House Bulg Acad Sci 1 191ndash198

Velinov IA Loginov VP Nossik LP Radonova TGand Russinov VL (1978) Particularities of the gen-esis of massive pyrite deposits from the Srednogoriezone in Bulgaria and Jugoslavia (in Russian) InKorjinskiy DS Jarikov VA Landa EA Omeli-anenko BI Percev NN and Rass IT (eds) Meta-somatism and ore formation Moscow 176ndash183

von Quadt A Peytcheva I Kamenov B Fanger LHeinrich CA and Frank M (2002) The Elatsiteporphyry copper deposit in the Panagyurishte oredistrict Srednogorie zone Bulgaria UndashPb zircongeochronology and isotope-geochemical investiga-tions of magmatism and ore genesis In BlundellDJ Neubauer F and von Quadt A (eds) The tim-ing and location of major ore deposits in an evolvingorogen Geol Soc London Spec Publication 20481ndash102

von Quadt A Peytcheva I Heinrich C Frank MCvetkovic V and Banjesevic M (2003a) Evolutionof the Cretaceous magmatism in the Apuseni-Timok-Srednogorie metallogenic belt and implica-tions for the geodynamic reconstructions new in-sight from geochronology geochemistry and isotopestudies In Neubauer F and Handler R (eds) Pro-gramme and abstracts Final ABCD-GEODE 2003workshop Seggauberg Austria 22ndash24 March 2003 p60

von Quadt A Peytcheva I and Cvetkovic V (2003b)Geochronology geochemistry and isotope tracing ofthe Cretaceous magmatism of east-Serbia and Pana-gyurishte district (Bulgaria) as part of the Apuseni-Timok-Srednogorie metallogenic belt in eastern Eu-rope In Elioupoulos DG et al (eds) Mineral ex-ploration and sustainable development Proceed-ings 7th biennial SGA meeting Athens Greece 24ndash28 August 2003 Millpress Rotterdam 407ndash410

White NC Leake MJ McCaughey SN and ParrisBW (1995) Epithermal gold deposits of the south-west Pacific J Geochem Explor 54 87ndash136

Zimmerman A Stein H Markey R Fanger L Hein-rich C von Quadt A and Peytcheva I (2003) RendashOs ages for the Elatsite CundashAu deposit Srednogoriezone Bulgaria In Elioupoulos DG et al (eds)Mineral exploration and sustainable developmentProceedings 7th biennial SGA meeting AthensGreece 24ndash28 August 2003 Millpress Rotterdam1253ndash1256

Received 21 November 2003Accepted in revised form 12 July 2004Editorial handling A von Quadt


Fig

1(a

) L

ocat

ion

of t

he L

ate

Cre

tace

ous

Ban

at-S

redn

ogor

ie B

elt

in E

aste

rn E

urop

e (a

fter

Ber

za e

t al

19

98 C

ioba

nu e

t al

20

02 H

einr

ich

and

Neu

baue

r 20

02)

(b)

Maj

or te

cton

ic z

ones

of B

ulga

ria

(aft

er I

vano

v 1

998)

(c)

Sim

plif

ied

geol

ogy

of th

e P

anag

yuri

shte

ore

dis

tric

t (af

ter

Che

shit

ev e

t al

199

5)




























K2O

wt

SiO2 wt

2

4

6

50 60 70

1

3

5

40 80

Alkalic

Alkali-

calci

c

Calc-

alkalic

Calcic

7

8

0


igneous rocks


high-sulphidation





hosting the Cu-Au




et al 1996)











RoNa

Go

El (DSO)

Bol

El

Su

Lh

PP

Ch

Le

Mu

Pa

YaPi

KrassenElshitsa

01 1 10 100 1000

1

10

100

Tonnage (Mt)

Gra

de

(g

t A

u)

1000 t100 t

10 t

Radka

TaVe

PV

Chelopech





Bor

Si

LC

Ne

Ne

LKK

Fu






















RADKA

KRASSENCHELOPECH

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

SilicaK

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn ChS

ka

rn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

ELSHITSA

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

PyrQ plusmnDp

Pyr

Q Ser


Increasing pH

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Advanced

argillic Argillic

Phyllic Propylitic

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q SerPyrQ plusmnDp

I Q

Cb

I Q

Cb

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid




ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Quartz

Chalcedony

Barite

Anhydrite

Kaolinite-Dickite

APSminerals

Pyrophyllite

Diaspore

Alunite

Anatase-rutile

Carbonate

Fluorite

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Pyrite

Marcasite

Enargite

Luzonite

Tennantite

Chalcopyrite

Bornite

Goldfieldite

Colusite

Clausthalite

Galena

Sphalerite

Digenite

Chalcocite

Covellite

Tetrahedrite


Native silver

Tellurides













Isotopic data






0

Chelopech

+10 +20 +30-10


δ S (permil CDT)34

Radka

Elshitsa

0705 0710 0715 0720 0725

Sr Sr87 86

Chelopech sulphates




Turonian sandstone


Radka amp Elshitsa



Trachyandesites amp


Paleozoic granite

Basement gneiss




b

V

A A

A EM

ME

E

EE

EChelopech Cu-Au

epithermal deposit

Krassen Radka

amp Elshitsa Cu-Au

epithermal deposits

Porphyry-Cu

deposits

E Elatsite

M Medet

A Assarel

V Vlaykov Vruh

185 187 188

Pb Pb206 204

186

Pb

Pb

207

204

1560

1562

1564

1566

1568

c




Fig 7



Discussion



















Conclusions





Acknowledgements



References

















































































































































K2O

wt

SiO2 wt

2

4

6

50 60 70

1

3

5

40 80

Alkalic

Alkali-

calci

c

Calc-

alkalic

Calcic

7

8

0


igneous rocks


high-sulphidation





hosting the Cu-Au




et al 1996)











RoNa

Go

El (DSO)

Bol

El

Su

Lh

PP

Ch

Le

Mu

Pa

YaPi

KrassenElshitsa

01 1 10 100 1000

1

10

100

Tonnage (Mt)

Gra

de

(g

t A

u)

1000 t100 t

10 t

Radka

TaVe

PV

Chelopech





Bor

Si

LC

Ne

Ne

LKK

Fu






















RADKA

KRASSENCHELOPECH

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

SilicaK

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn ChS

ka

rn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

ELSHITSA

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

PyrQ plusmnDp

Pyr

Q Ser


Increasing pH

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Advanced

argillic Argillic

Phyllic Propylitic

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q SerPyrQ plusmnDp

I Q

Cb

I Q

Cb

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid




ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Quartz

Chalcedony

Barite

Anhydrite

Kaolinite-Dickite

APSminerals

Pyrophyllite

Diaspore

Alunite

Anatase-rutile

Carbonate

Fluorite

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Pyrite

Marcasite

Enargite

Luzonite

Tennantite

Chalcopyrite

Bornite

Goldfieldite

Colusite

Clausthalite

Galena

Sphalerite

Digenite

Chalcocite

Covellite

Tetrahedrite


Native silver

Tellurides













Isotopic data






0

Chelopech

+10 +20 +30-10


δ S (permil CDT)34

Radka

Elshitsa

0705 0710 0715 0720 0725

Sr Sr87 86

Chelopech sulphates




Turonian sandstone


Radka amp Elshitsa



Trachyandesites amp


Paleozoic granite

Basement gneiss




b

V

A A

A EM

ME

E

EE

EChelopech Cu-Au

epithermal deposit

Krassen Radka

amp Elshitsa Cu-Au

epithermal deposits

Porphyry-Cu

deposits

E Elatsite

M Medet

A Assarel

V Vlaykov Vruh

185 187 188

Pb Pb206 204

186

Pb

Pb

207

204

1560

1562

1564

1566

1568

c




Fig 7



Discussion



















Conclusions





Acknowledgements



References































































































































RoNa

Go

El (DSO)

Bol

El

Su

Lh

PP

Ch

Le

Mu

Pa

YaPi

KrassenElshitsa

01 1 10 100 1000

1

10

100

Tonnage (Mt)

Gra

de

(g

t A

u)

1000 t100 t

10 t

Radka

TaVe

PV

Chelopech





Bor

Si

LC

Ne

Ne

LKK

Fu






















RADKA

KRASSENCHELOPECH

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

SilicaK

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn ChS

ka

rn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

ELSHITSA

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

PyrQ plusmnDp

Pyr

Q Ser


Increasing pH

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Advanced

argillic Argillic

Phyllic Propylitic

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q SerPyrQ plusmnDp

I Q

Cb

I Q

Cb

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid




ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Quartz

Chalcedony

Barite

Anhydrite

Kaolinite-Dickite

APSminerals

Pyrophyllite

Diaspore

Alunite

Anatase-rutile

Carbonate

Fluorite

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Pyrite

Marcasite

Enargite

Luzonite

Tennantite

Chalcopyrite

Bornite

Goldfieldite

Colusite

Clausthalite

Galena

Sphalerite

Digenite

Chalcocite

Covellite

Tetrahedrite


Native silver

Tellurides













Isotopic data






0

Chelopech

+10 +20 +30-10


δ S (permil CDT)34

Radka

Elshitsa

0705 0710 0715 0720 0725

Sr Sr87 86

Chelopech sulphates




Turonian sandstone


Radka amp Elshitsa



Trachyandesites amp


Paleozoic granite

Basement gneiss




b

V

A A

A EM

ME

E

EE

EChelopech Cu-Au

epithermal deposit

Krassen Radka

amp Elshitsa Cu-Au

epithermal deposits

Porphyry-Cu

deposits

E Elatsite

M Medet

A Assarel

V Vlaykov Vruh

185 187 188

Pb Pb206 204

186

Pb

Pb

207

204

1560

1562

1564

1566

1568

c




Fig 7



Discussion



















Conclusions





Acknowledgements



References










































































































































RADKA

KRASSENCHELOPECH

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

SilicaK

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn ChS

ka

rn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

ELSHITSA

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

I Q

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

PyrQ plusmnDp

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

KQ

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

Q

Q

Al

OpCrTri

Al OpCr Tri

AlKQ

AlPyrQ plusmnDp

Al K Dik

QplusmnDp

Al Hal

Silica

Al K

Silica

Al Dik

Q plusmnDp

Al Dik

Pyr Q

plusmnDp

KQ

Dik Pyr

Q plusmnDp

Dik

Q plusmnDp

K Dik

QplusmnDp

K

Silica

Hal

Silica

Hal Sm

Silica

K Sm

SilplusmnSid

K Sm

Q plusmn Sid

K I-Sm

Q plusmn SidK Dik

I-Sm

Q plusmn Sid

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Mica

Ser

Pyr Q

And

Mica Q

And

Pyr Q

And Al

Pyr Q

Sm

Silica

Sm Cb

QChd

I Sm

QChd

Cb

Mica

Ser

Q Cb

Mica

Q plusmn CbMica

Fsb

Q plusmn Cb

Mica

Fsp Cb

Q plusmn Ch

Sk

arn

Outer Sub

propyllitic

Po

tass

ic

Ch Q Ep Zeo

CtDo AdAb

Ep Act Ch Q

Fsp CtDo

And Al Q

Silica

Group

Alunite

Group

Al-K

Group

Kaolin

Group

I-K

Group

Illite

Group

Chlor

Group

Calc-Silicate

Group

SerQCb

SerFspQChCb

Ch Q Ep

AdAb CtDo

PyrQ plusmnDp

Pyr

Q Ser


Increasing pH

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Inc

re

asi

ng

te

mp

er

atu

re

Advanced

argillic Argillic

Phyllic Propylitic

Dik

Pyr

Q Ser

Pyr

Q SerPyrQ plusmnDp

I Q

Cb

I Q

Cb

Dik I

Q plusmn Sid




ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Quartz

Chalcedony

Barite

Anhydrite

Kaolinite-Dickite

APSminerals

Pyrophyllite

Diaspore

Alunite

Anatase-rutile

Carbonate

Fluorite

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Pyrite

Marcasite

Enargite

Luzonite

Tennantite

Chalcopyrite

Bornite

Goldfieldite

Colusite

Clausthalite

Galena

Sphalerite

Digenite

Chalcocite

Covellite

Tetrahedrite


Native silver

Tellurides













Isotopic data






0

Chelopech

+10 +20 +30-10


δ S (permil CDT)34

Radka

Elshitsa

0705 0710 0715 0720 0725

Sr Sr87 86

Chelopech sulphates




Turonian sandstone


Radka amp Elshitsa



Trachyandesites amp


Paleozoic granite

Basement gneiss




b

V

A A

A EM

ME

E

EE

EChelopech Cu-Au

epithermal deposit

Krassen Radka

amp Elshitsa Cu-Au

epithermal deposits

Porphyry-Cu

deposits

E Elatsite

M Medet

A Assarel

V Vlaykov Vruh

185 187 188

Pb Pb206 204

186

Pb

Pb

207

204

1560

1562

1564

1566

1568

c




Fig 7



Discussion



















Conclusions





Acknowledgements



References

























































































































ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Quartz

Chalcedony

Barite

Anhydrite

Kaolinite-Dickite

APSminerals

Pyrophyllite

Diaspore

Alunite

Anatase-rutile

Carbonate

Fluorite

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa

ChelopechKrassen

RadkaElshitsa


Pyrite

Marcasite

Enargite

Luzonite

Tennantite

Chalcopyrite

Bornite

Goldfieldite

Colusite

Clausthalite

Galena

Sphalerite

Digenite

Chalcocite

Covellite

Tetrahedrite


Native silver

Tellurides













Isotopic data






0

Chelopech

+10 +20 +30-10


δ S (permil CDT)34

Radka

Elshitsa

0705 0710 0715 0720 0725

Sr Sr87 86

Chelopech sulphates




Turonian sandstone


Radka amp Elshitsa



Trachyandesites amp


Paleozoic granite

Basement gneiss




b

V

A A

A EM

ME

E

EE

EChelopech Cu-Au

epithermal deposit

Krassen Radka

amp Elshitsa Cu-Au

epithermal deposits

Porphyry-Cu

deposits

E Elatsite

M Medet

A Assarel

V Vlaykov Vruh

185 187 188

Pb Pb206 204

186

Pb

Pb

207

204

1560

1562

1564

1566

1568

c




Fig 7



Discussion



















Conclusions





Acknowledgements



References


































































































































Isotopic data






0

Chelopech

+10 +20 +30-10


δ S (permil CDT)34

Radka

Elshitsa

0705 0710 0715 0720 0725

Sr Sr87 86

Chelopech sulphates




Turonian sandstone


Radka amp Elshitsa



Trachyandesites amp


Paleozoic granite

Basement gneiss




b

V

A A

A EM

ME

E

EE

EChelopech Cu-Au

epithermal deposit

Krassen Radka

amp Elshitsa Cu-Au

epithermal deposits

Porphyry-Cu

deposits

E Elatsite

M Medet

A Assarel

V Vlaykov Vruh

185 187 188

Pb Pb206 204

186

Pb

Pb

207

204

1560

1562

1564

1566

1568

c




Fig 7



Discussion



















Conclusions





Acknowledgements



References























































































































0

Chelopech

+10 +20 +30-10


δ S (permil CDT)34

Radka

Elshitsa

0705 0710 0715 0720 0725

Sr Sr87 86

Chelopech sulphates




Turonian sandstone


Radka amp Elshitsa



Trachyandesites amp


Paleozoic granite

Basement gneiss




b

V

A A

A EM

ME

E

EE

EChelopech Cu-Au

epithermal deposit

Krassen Radka

amp Elshitsa Cu-Au

epithermal deposits

Porphyry-Cu

deposits

E Elatsite

M Medet

A Assarel

V Vlaykov Vruh

185 187 188

Pb Pb206 204

186

Pb

Pb

207

204

1560

1562

1564

1566

1568

c




Fig 7



Discussion



















Conclusions





Acknowledgements



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Discussion



















Conclusions





Acknowledgements



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Conclusions





Acknowledgements



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Late Cretaceous CuÐAu epithermal deposits of the ...€¦ · This review compiles geological,...

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