A review of the current state of knowledge on gold mineralisation in Benin Republic, West Africa

ABSTRACTGold in Benin occurs as primary and alluvial forms in various deposits and occurrences. The mineralisation has a regional distribution covering, in particular, the Atacora area (Natitingou) and the regions of Bembereke, Djougou and Dunkassa which are between the 9th and 11th parallel north. The data collected during previous work allow us to recognise the main style of primary gold as being quartz-vein hosted. This style occurs principally in quartzite, mica schist, schist and amphibolite lithologies, outcropping in the criss-crossing of the faults and the rugged relief. The mineralised veins are milky, deformed and gold is associated with sulphides and tourmaline. In these veins, gold exhibits three forms: free native metal, tellurides, and combined or included in sulphides. These gold-bearing quartz veins would proceed from hydrothermal solutions related to granitic mass. Classical characteristics available about the primary gold mineralisation in Benin are inadequate to better clarify its geody...