Malanjkhand Copper Deposit, India: Is it not a Porphyry Type?

Abstract

Abstract: The classification of the Malanjkhand as a porphyry type copper deposit is still being debated by some, despite the documentation of all the classic characteristics of the porphyry type deposit. A careful analyses and review of the available data, from many papers, unpublished theses and our own work on Malanjkhand, clearly documents it as a porphyry type copper deposit. Some of the salient factors in arriving at this conclusion are: (1) low grade ore coupled with large tonnage, (2) regional geologic and tectonic setting: Proterozoic host rocks of the Malanjkhand deposit belong to a subduction zone calc-alkaline volcanic are category, (3) presence of stockwork type control, (4) the genesis of mineralized quartz spatially related to the mineralized zone, (5) zonation of the alteration products in the deposit, (6) diverse ore mineral associations, and (7) sulphur isotope data that are within the range of values expected for porphyry copper deposits.