Cu-Bearing Mokama Granite Prospect of the Kibara Belt in the Maniema Province, DRC: A Preliminary Petrography, Geochemistry, and Fluid Inclusion Study

Abstract

The Mokama granites are located in the Kibara belt (KIB) and hosts tin oxide group minerals (TOGM: Sn-W), and sulfide group minerals (SGM: Cu-Zn-Fe-As). The essential of Cu mineralization (non-economic deposit) is disseminated inside the rock and consists of minerals (Raman, EPMA and metallographic microscopy) including chalcopyrite and bornite that are replaced by chalcocite and covellite, and the last also replaced later by malachite. The chemistry (XRF, LA-ICP-MS) of these peraluminous S-type leucogranites show SiO2 (71 wt% - 79 wt%), ASI (1.4 - 3.1 molar), and are enriched in Rb (681 - 1000 ppm), Ta (12–151 ppm), Sn (43 - 142 ppm), Cu (10 - 4300 ppm), Zn (60 - 740 ppm), U (2.2 - 20.7 ppm) while depleted in Zr (20 - 31 ppm), Sr (20 - 69 ppm), Hf (1.3 - 2.0 ppm), Th (2.2 - 18.9 ppm), W (9 - 113 ppm), Pb (5 - 50 ppm), Ge (5 - 10 ppm), Cs (21 - 53 ppm) and Bi (0.6 - 17.4 ppm) and low ratios of (La/Yb) N, (Gd/Yb) N, (La/Sm) N). Fluid inclusion assemblages (FIAs) hosted in quartz in the Mokama granites show ranges of salinities of 4 - 23 wt% (NaCl equivalent) and homogenization temperatures (Th) of 190°C - 550°C. A boiling assemblage in the granite suggests a fluid phase separation occurred at about 380 - 610 bars, and this corresponds to apparent paleodepths of approximately 1 - 2 km (lithostatic model) or 3 - 5 km (hydrostatic model). FIAs hosted in TOGM such as cassiterite (salinities of 2 wt% - 10 wt% and Th of 220°C - 340°C) helped set up the possible temperature limit of SGM (Cu sulfide) precipitations that are estimated below 200°C.