Scientists in Krasnoyarsk detected fluids from gold deposits
Gold researchers from the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy named after V.S. Soobolev (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) in Novosibirsk and the Siberian Federal University in Krasnoyarsk have examined the composition of fluids at the Konduyaak gold deposit in the Krasnoyarsk region. These findings could shed light on the processes responsible for the formation of gold-bearing ore deposits.
Fluids, microscopic pockets of liquid and gas within minerals, form during the process of mineral creation. By analyzing the chemical composition of these fluids, scientists can determine the conditions under which the ore deposits were formed, including temperature, pressure, and the oxidizing-reducing environment.
However, the exact influence of various components within the fluid on gold deposition and the factors that contribute to the formation of large-scale deposits remain unclear. While this knowledge is valuable for both scientific and practical purposes, enabling the development of more precise methods for discovering new sources of precious metals, researchers have been struggling to understand these details.
By analyzing ten samples of ore from the Konduyaak deposit using modern methods, the team found that water, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen were the primary components of the fluids. More detailed analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed the presence of various organic compounds, sulfur-containing, and nitrogen-bearing species in addition to water and carbon dioxide.
"Previous research has shown that these compounds play a key role in transporting and depositing gold, as they can form complexes with gold, facilitating its movement through rock formations," the researchers noted. "When conditions change, such as temperature or pressure, these complexes break apart, and gold deposits form, creating large gold deposits."
Elena Shaparenko, the project leader, a candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences, and a researcher at the lab of thermobarogeochemistry at the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy named after V.S. Soobolev (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences), stressed the importance of studying the chemical composition of mineral-forming fluids in creating and refining geological-genetic models of ore deposits. These models are applied during the search for new ore sources and the re-exploration of existing ones.
"The study of the chemical composition of fluids in ore deposits contributes to expanding the mineral resource base of the country. In the future, we plan to compile data on the parameters of mineral-forming fluids from more than ten gold deposits in the Yeniseiountarea and construct a model of the fluid regime responsible for the formation of the large-scale Yenisei gold-bearing province," Shaparenko said.
The researchers noted that the fluids at the Konduyaak deposit exhibit similar chemical compositions to those at other gold deposits in the Krasnoyarsk region. This suggests that the formation of gold deposits in the region could be part of a larger, regional mineral-rich system.
Photo: Russian Science Foundation
By delving into the chemical composition of minerals' fluid pockets at gold deposits like Konduyaak, researchers could potentially unravel the complexities of gold deposition and the formation of large-scale deposits. These investigations, using advanced techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, have unveiled the presence of water, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, organic compounds, sulfur-containing, and nitrogen-bearing species. Further studies on fluids from other gold deposits in the Yenisei region may help construct a model of the fluid regime responsible for the formation of the Yenisei gold-bearing province, offering vital insights into science, medicine, finance, technology, and news related to mineral resources and the economy.
