The role of early sulfide saturation in the formation of the Yulong porphyry Cu-Mo deposit: Evidence from mineralogy of sulfide melt inclusions and platinum-group element geochemistry

Abstract Sulfide melt inclusions enclosed in silicate minerals have been observed in many oxidized Cu-bearing porphyries. The origin of such sulfide melt inclusions could bear critical information of metal enrichment or depletion during magma evolution of porphyry systems. The giant Yulong porphyry Cu-Mo deposit in eastern Tibetan Plateau consists of a series of felsic intrusions, among which the mineralized Yulong intrusion emplaced at a late stage of the magmatic activity. This study reports detailed texture and composition of sulfide melt inclusions from barren and mineralized intrusions, as well as platinum-group elements of these intrusions, to evaluate potential role of early sulfide saturation in the porphyry mineralization system. These sulfide melt inclusions, occurring as globules or droplets, are preserved in zircon, amphibole and quartz grains. Most of them are composed of a major phase of pyrrhotite and minor pyrite, chalcopyrite and pentlandite. Smooth boundaries between these phases suggest the origin of fractionation from sulfide melt upon cooling. Small amounts of Cu and Ni are heterogeneously distributed in the pyrrhotite. The sulfide melt inclusions could be observed in both the pre- and syn-mineralization intrusions at Yulong, indicating that sulfide saturation had commonly occurred during magma evolution. Magnetite mineral inclusions could be observed in zircon and amphibole grains as well. The mineral assemblage of magnetite + pyrrhotite + pyrite of the mineral inclusions constrains the Yulong magmatic system to redox conditions near the magnetite-pyrite/pyrrhotite buffer and above the fayalite/ magnetite-quartz buffer (FMQ). High Eu/Eu* values (0.56–0.78) of the hosting zircons and high calculated ΔNNO values (>0.5) of the hosting amphibole indicate highly oxidized nature of the parental magma. Both pre- and syn-mineralization intrusions have low PGE contents (Pt = 0.04 to 0.17 ppb, Pd = 0.19–0.60 ppb) with compositions plotting in the Au-poor porphyry Cu fields in discriminating diagrams. Early sulfide saturation may have been reached and small amounts of sulfides have been segregated from magma. Most PGEs and Au but little Cu have been removed from the evolved magma because the partition coefficient of Cu between sulfide and silicate melt is about two orders of magnitude lower than PGE or Au. As a consequence, the evolved magma would have high Cu but very low PGE and Au, resulting in the Au-poor porphyry Cu mineralization at Yulong.