The study of rhenium occurrence in molybdenite and effect of hypogene and supergene fluids on its redistribution in porphyry systems

Abstract

Molybdenite is the major source of Re in the Earth’s crust. Mineralogical data, chemical analyses and  scanning electron microscopy techniques have been used in this study to document Re behavior in molybdenite, affected by hypogene and near-surface processes. XRD study of  molybdenite samples indicate that the molybdenites are of the 2H polytype.The patterns of rhenium distribution in molybdenite grains provide clear evidence on rhenium precipitation that is syngenetic with molybdenite during the growth of the molybdenite grain. Late–stage hydrothermal fluids can remove Re from molybdenite in the hypogene environment. Re loss in molybdenite can occur in fluids associated with argillic alteration, at temperature as low as 100oC. Molybdenites in the supergene zone were  Re- depleted relative to samples in the hypogene zone.

Keywords


[1] Stein H.J., Markey R.J., Morgan J.W., Du A., Sun Y., " Highly precise and accurate Re-Os ages for molybdenite from East Quling molybdenite belt, Shaanxi Provines China" Econ. Geol. 92 (1997) 827-835.

[2] Todorov T., Staikov M., "Rhenium content in molybdenite from ore mineralizations in Bulgaria" ,Geologica Balcanica 15 (6) )1985( 45-58.

[3] Ishihara S., "Rhenium contents of molybdenites in granitoid –series rocks in japan" Econ. Geol. 83 )1988( 1047-1051

[4] Xiong Y., wood S., "Hydrothermal transport and deposition of rhenium under subcritical conditions (up to 200 oC) in light of experimental studies" Econ. Geol. 96 )2001(1429-1444

[5] Newberry R.J.J., "Polytypism in molybdenite: (II). Relationships between polytypism, ore deposition, alteration stages and rhenium contents" ,Am. Mineral. 64 )1979( 768-775.

[6] Clark A.H., "Compositional differences between hexagonal and rhombohedral molybdenite". Neues Jahrb. Mineral. Monatsh. )1970( 33-38.

[7] Hannah J. l., Stein H. J., Wieser M.E., De Laeter J. R., Varner M. D., "Molybdenum isotope variations in molybdenite: vapour transport and Rayleigh fractionation of Mo" , Geology. 35 )2007( 703-706.

[8] Rempel k. U., Williams-Jones A. E., Migdisov A. A., "The solubility of molybdenum dioxide and trioxide in HCl-bearing water vapour at 350o C and pressures up to 160 bars", Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 72 )2008(3074-3083.

[9] Stein H. J., Schersten A., Hannah J. L., Markey R. J., "Subgrain-scale decoupling of Re and 187Os and assessment of laser ablation ICP-MS spot dating in molybdenite", Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 67 )2003(3673-3686.

[10] Xiong Y., Wood S., "Experimental determination of the solubility of ReO2 and dominant oxidation stage in hydrothermal solutions", Chem. Geol. 158 )1999(245-259.

[11] Xiong Y., Wood S., "Expermental determination of the hydrothermal solubility of ReS2 and the Re-ReO2 buffer assemblage and transport of rhenium under supercritical conditions" Geochem. Trans. 3 )2002 (1-10.

[12] Berzina A.N., Sotnikov V.I., Economou-Eliopoulos M., Eliopoulos D.G., “Distribution of rhenium in molybdenite from porphyry Cu-Mo and Mo-Cu deposits from Russia (Siberia) and Mongolia”. Ore Geol. Rev.26 (2005) 91-113.

[13] Mao J., Zhang Z., Zhang Z., Du A., “Re-Os isotopic dating of molybdenites in the Xiaoliugou W-(Mo)deposit in the northern Qulian Mountains and its geological significance”. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta 63)1999(1815-1818.

[14] Stein H.J., Markey R.J., Morgan J.W., Hannah J.L., Schersten A., “The remarkable Re-Os chronometer in molybdenite: how and why it works”. Terra Nova 13) 2001 (479-486.

[15] Tessalina S.G., Yudovskaya M.A., Chaplygin I.V., Birck J.L., Capmas F., “Sources of unique rhenium enrichment in fumaroles and sulphides at Kudryavy volcano.Geochim”. Cosmochim. Acta 72 (2008) 889-909.

[16] Voudouris P.C., “Rhenium - rich molybdenite and rhenite in the Pagoni rachi Mo-Cu-Te-Ag-Au prospect, Northern greece: Implications for the Re Geochemistry of porphyry style Cu-Mo and Mo mineralization” Mineral. Assoc. Canada (2009).

[17] Melfos V., Voudouris P., Arikas K., Vavelidis M., “High Re concentration in molybdenites from porphyry-Mo Cu in Thrace (NE Greece)”. Bull. Geol. Soc. Greece. 36 )2001( 416-423.

[18] Filippidis A., Vavelidis M., Michailidis K., Evangelou E., “Re-rich and Re poor molybdenite in the Melitena porphyritic intrusion, Rhodope massif”. Fortscr. Mineral. 64 (1986) 47 (abstr)

]‌19 [امین‌زاده ب.، "مطالعه کانی‌شناسی و ژئوشیمی سیالات درگیر در ارتباط با کانسارسازی مولیبدن در معدن مس سرچشمه و کاربرد آن در بازیابی موثر مولیبدن"، پایان‌نامه کارشناسی ارشد، دانشگاه شهید باهنر کرمان (‌1385) 112 صفحه.

[20] Grabezhev A.I., Shagalov E.S., “Rhenium distribution in Molybdenite: Result of Microprobe Scanning (Copper Porphyry deposits, the Urals)”. Doklady Earth Sciences. 431 (2010) 351-355

[21] Xiong X.M., Lentz D.R., Sylvester P.J., "Gold contents of sulfide minerals in granitoids from southwestern New Brunswick", Canada, Miner. Deposita. 41, )2006(369-386.





[22] McCandless T. E., Ruiz J., Campbell A. R., “Rhenium behavior in molybdenite in hypogene and near- surface environments: implications for Re-Os geochronometry”, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 57 (1993) 889-905.

[23] Boykov T.F., Miller A.D., “Behavior of rhenium during weathering of igneous rocks”. Geokhimiya 5 (1980) 773-777.