Abstract:

The paper presents major geological and mineralization characteristics of IOCG deposits including distribution, tectonic - structural - geological setting and mineralization and alteration, on the basis of synthesizing study results in the published domains. This deposit type is considered as the most complex one in term of genetic models as well as the ore genesis. The main economic metal in the IOCG deposits is Cu or Cu-Au (±Fe, REE) while the associated metals vary from mine to mine and could be one or some of following metals: Au, Fe, REE, U, F, P, Co, Ni, As, Mo, Ag and Ba. The outstanding characteristics of this deposit type are medium-high sulfides of Cu, poor in quartz, low in pyrite; commonly formed in brittle to brittle-ductile environments, from two to nine km; and having unclear genetic relationship with magma in the area but the stable isotopic studies indicate that the ore components are mainly sourced from magmatic and/ or metamorphic origins.