Pyrite chemistry from key mineral prospects in the Delamerian

The Cambrian-Ordovician Delamerian Orogen formed during the transition from a passive margin setting during the rifting of Rodinia, to an active subduction margin along the eastern margin of Gondwana (Folden et al., 2006; Gilmore et al., 2023). It is spatially and temporally extensive, covering five states in central and eastern Australia, and extended to Antarctica. The area is largely underexplored, however resource potential has been demonstrated through the presence of numerous mineralising systems, particularly along the eastern margin. These mineralising systems include porphyry-epithermal, volcanic hosted massive sulfide (VHMS), orogenic gold and mafic-ultramafic copper-nickel-platinum group element (Cu-Ni-PGE) mineral systems (Cheng et al., 2024). Trace element analysis of pyrite via Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) can be used to reconstruct the conditions of pyrite formation in complex mineral systems. This project assesses the pyrite from the key prospects of multiple types of mineral systems across the Delamerian in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Pyrite samples have been collected from various porphyry Cu-Au, VHMS, orogenic gold and orthomagmatic Ni-Cu-PGE prospects to gain a better understanding of these systems in the Delamerian. Additionally, samples from several metallogenetically undefined mineral prospects in Delamerian have been analysed to compare their metallogenic characteristics with these of known systems. These results will provide a new understanding of the mineral potential of the Delamerian Orogen, aiding mineral exploration in the region.

Abstract presented at the 30th International Applied Geochemistry Symposium 2024 (IAGS 2024)