Research articles
ScienceAsia 49 (2023):ID 131-140 |doi:
10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2023.142
Geology, mineralization, and alteration of B Prospect of the
epithermal Au-Ag deposit in Central Thailand: A study on
Chatree\'s satellite deposit for future gold exploration
Sirawit Kaewpaluka, Abhisit Salama,*, Thitiphan Assawincharoenkija,b, Takayuki Manakac, Sopit Poompuanga, Surachat Munsamaid, Khin Zawe
ABSTRACT: The B prospect is located at the southeast of the Chatree gold-silver deposit. The mineralization is hosted
in the Late Permian-Early Triassic Chatree volcanic sequence consisting of volcaniclastic and volcanogenic-sedimentary
rocks ranging in composition from basaltic andesite to rhyolite. At the study area, the total thickness of volcanic
succession is about 300 meters, and the succession can be divided into 3 main stratigraphic units from bottom to top,
namely 1) porphyritic andesite unit (Unit 3), 2) polymictic intermediate breccia unit (Unit 2), and 3) volcanogenic
sedimentary unit (Unit 1). The ore zones are mainly confined to polymictic intermediate breccia and volcanogenic
sedimentary units (Unit 1 and 2). At least 3 stages of mineralization have been identified, namely 1) quartz-pyrite
(Stage 1), 2) quartz-chlorite-calcite-sulfide-electrum (Stage 2), and 3) quartz-calcite (Stage 3) veins/veinlets. Gold
occurs chiefly in Stage 2 mineralization which is characterized by typical vein textures of low sulfidation epithermal
deposit (e.g., crustiform, colloform banding, and comb textures). Pyrite is the primary sulfide mineral with minor
sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and galena. Gold occurs as electrum with fineness ranging from 506 to 632. The hydrothermal
alteration at B prospect is composed of 2 main types: (1) quartz-adularia (silicic alteration) assemblage close to ore zone
and (2) adularia-quartz-illite-calcite-chlorite (phyllic alteration) assemblage distal to ore zone. Based on characteristics
of mineral assemblages, textures, and alterations, the mineralization at B prospect can be classified as a low sulfidation
epithermal gold-silver style deposit.
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| a |
Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 Thailand |
| b |
Applied Mineral and Petrology of Special Task Force for Activating Research (AMP STAR), Department of Geology,
Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 Thailand |
| c |
Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment, Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567 Japan |
| d |
Akara Resources Public Company Limited, Thap Khlo, Phichit 66230 Thailand |
| e |
CODES ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001 Australia |
* Corresponding author, E-mail: abhisit.a@chula.ac.th
Received 19 Sep 2021, Accepted 19 Aug 2022
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