Bastielieke W-polymetallic deposit, Fuhai Co. (Burultokay Co.), Altay Prefecture (Aletai Prefecture), Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, Chinai

Regional Level Types
Bastielieke W-polymetallic deposit	Mine
Fuhai Co. (Burultokay Co.)	County
Altay Prefecture (Aletai Prefecture)	Prefecture
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture	Prefecture
Xinjiang	Autonomous Region
China	Country

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The Bastielieke skarn ores are mainly hosted at/near the contact between the Kangbutiebao Formation and Permian granites, and are dominated by W ores with minor Cu-Zn ores. The deposit, including three ore blocks (L1, L2, L3), contains a total reserve of 21,978 metric tonnes (t) W (WO3), 2684 t Cu, and 12,996 t Zn. Twelve W, four W-polymetallic, and eight Zn orebodies have been delineated, which occur as stratiform-like or lenticular shape with dip steeply at 62°–85°. Tungsten orebodies are 1.33–2.83 m thick with average WO3 grade of 0.11%–0.81%. Tungsten-polymetallic orebodies are 3.76–9.08 m thick with average grades of 0.19%–0.31% WO3, 0.23%–0.51% Cu, and 0.45%–11% Zn. Zinc orebodies are 1.13–5.96 m thick with average Zn grade of 0.59 %–1.27 %. In addition, six copper orebodies were hosted in the Kangbutiebao Fm. granulite, with average grade of 0.28%–1.35%. The skarn mineralization at Bastielieke contains the prograde and retrograde metamorphic stage.

The mineralization contains the prograde (including early-stage and late-stage) metamorphic stage, retrograde metamorphic stage, quartz–sulfide stage and quartz–fluorite–calcite stage. The early-prograde-stage skarn is massive garnet skarn, which is composed of coarse- to medium-grained garnet (Fe-poor Al-rich grossular), clinopyroxene, scheelite, quartz, apatite and titanite. Scheelite is commonly euhedral and scattered sparsely, with spotted occurrences in skarn. The late-prograde-stage skarn is mainly massive/banded clinopyroxene skarn, comprising clinopyroxene, garnet, feldspar, quartz, subhedral–anhedral fine-grained scheelite, apatite and titanite. The retrograde stage skarn is characterized by the occurrence of densely disseminated scheelite, epidote, vesuvianite, chlorite, molybdenite, native bismuth, pyrrhotite, apatite, titanite and fluorite. Scheelite grains display patchy textures and remarkable intragrain compositional variations by crystal growth and dissolution–reprecipitation. Sulfides (e.g., chalcopyrite, sphalerite, molybdenite, and pyrrhotite) occasionally occur with epidote and chlorite and are mainly accompanied by quartz as veinlets crosscutting the earlier skarn. Chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and pyrrhotite were replaced with preexisting skarn minerals displaying metasomatic relict texture. Chalcopyrite and sphalerite locally show subhedral to anhedral crystals and solid solution emulsion texture with variable sizes. The textural relationships indicate that these sulfides were simultaneously precipitated and partly overlapped the earlier-stage skarn. They were formed in the late stage of mineralization. In addition, native bismuth grains occur within and along fractures of preexisting minerals (e.g., garnet, clinopyroxene), where they coexist with replacement sulfides (e.g., sphalerite), indicating a paragenetic relationship.

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.

Mineral List

18 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded