An Evaluation of the Lithologies and Geochemistry of the Upper Beaver Deposit of the Kirkland Lake Area
Abstract
The Upper Beaver Cu-Au deposit contains a unique style of mineralization in the Larder Lake and Kirkland Lake areas in terms of mineralization, alteration style, and age. This study aims to use company-provided data, supplemented with focused data collection, to evaluate what information can be attained from company-provided geochemical data. The evaluation uses a combination of hand sample, petrographic, geochemical, statistical, and microprobe analytical methods.
Lithogeochemical analyses indicated that the altered igneous host rock is calc-alkaline in composition and is most likely part of the diorite-monzonite suite. Further, exploratory data analysis of Au and Cu mineralization identified that there are two distinct styles of mineralization in the deposit, including: (1) a Cu-rich style of mineralization and (2) a Mo-rich style. SR-XRF trace element mapping shows that the two styles of mineralization also differ at the microscopic scale.