Towards a volcanic-structural balance: relative importance of volcanism, folding, and remobilisation of nickel sulphides at the Perseverance Ni-Cu-(PGE) deposit, Western Australia

Paul Duuring, Wouter Bleeker, Stephen Beresford, Nicholas Hayward

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    Abstract

    Perseverance is a world-class, komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide deposit situated in the well-endowed Leinster nickel camp of the Agnew-Wiluna greenstone belt, Western Australia. The mine stratigraphy at Perseverance trends north-northwest (NNW), dips steeply to the west, and is overturned. Stratigraphic footwall units lie along the western margin of the Perseverance Ultramafic Complex (PUC). The PUC comprises a basal nickel sulphide-bearing orthocumulate- to mesocumulate-textured komatiite that is overlain by a thicker, nickel sulphide-poor, dunite lens. Hanging wall rocks include rhyodacite that is texturally and compositionally similar to footwall volcanic rocks. These rocks separate the PUC from a second sequence of nickeliferous, E-facing, spinifex-textured komatiite units (i.e. the East Perseverance komatiite). Past workers argue for a conformable stratigraphic contact between the PUC and the East Perseverance komatiite and conclude that the PUC is extrusive. This study, however, clearly demonstrates that these komatiite sequences are discordant, implying that the PUC may have intruded rhyodacite country rock as a sill with subsequent structural juxtaposition against the East Perseverance komatiite.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)281 - 311
    Number of pages31
    JournalMineralium Deposita
    Volume45
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2010

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