Late-orogenic gold deposits of Egypt

• Main Author: Hani Sharafeldin Elsayed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: National University of Science and Technology MISiS 2018-03-01
• Series: Горные науки и технологии
• Subjects: arabian-nubian shield; collision zone; late orogenic granite; gold-quartz-sulfide formation; gold-quartz veins
• Online Access: https://mst.misis.ru/jour/article/view/98

Egypt belongs to states developing its mineral resource base. Gold-bearing territory of Egypt is located within the Nubian-Arabian shield in the Neoproterozoic collision zone of transverse thrusts. Granitoid massifs are widely developed within this tectonic zone. The massifs of postorogenic granite (540−435 Ma) are confined to the tectonic collision zones of the Late Riphean and characterized by elevated alkalinity. Spatial relationship has been established between metasomatic halos of ultramafic rock carbonatization, granite intrusions in them, and gold mineralization. The gold mineralization is associated with quartz veins in the granite. In all these quartz gold-bearing veins, gold is associated with pyrite or aggregates of pyrite and arsenopyrite. The veining zones consist of massive quartz with impregnated gold and sulfide minerals. Thus, predominant type of the Precambrian gold mineralization is gold-quartz and gold-sulfide-quartz ore veins associated with zones of increased tectonic permeability of the crust and magmatic rocks – derivatives of granitic magmas and sulfide fluid systems.