The Wassa deposit: a poly-deformed orogenic gold system in southwest Ghana - Implications for regional exploration

S. Perrouty; Mark Jessell; Y. Bourassa; John Miller; D. Apau; L. Siebenaller; G. Velásquez; L. Baratoux; L. Aillères; D. Béziat; S. Salvi

doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.03.003

The Wassa deposit: a poly-deformed orogenic gold system in southwest Ghana - Implications for regional exploration

S. Perrouty, Mark Jessell, Y. Bourassa, John Miller, D. Apau, L. Siebenaller, G. Velásquez, L. Baratoux, L. Aillères, D. Béziat, S. Salvi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Ashanti greenstone belt in southwest Ghana hosts many gold deposits distinguished by different timing and structural contexts. This study investigates the evolution of the Wassa system by integrating field and geophysical observations. This 4 million ounces (past production and current resources) gold deposit is interpreted to represent the oldest gold mineralization event in West Africa with gold-bearing pyrites aligned and stretched within the S1 ductile fabric. Mineralized quartz-carbonate veins were strongly deformed during the D1 deformation event. Three additional folding events are characterized by hectometer-scale tight to isoclinal folds, by a kilometer-scale synform fold centered on the mine and by a late recumbent metric-scale folds. Because of its early timing, the Wassa system represents a new poly-deformed deposit type in West Africa and highlights a potential for new discoveries in the underexplored meta-volcanic and meta-sedimentary Sefwi Group. Timing of the gold mineralization at the Wassa mine makes this deposit type a possible candidate for the source of the gold contained in the Tarkwa paleoplacer.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	536-547
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of African Earth Sciences
Volume	112
Issue number	B
Early online date	21 Mar 2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.03.003
Publication status	Published - Dec 2015

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.03.003

Four Dimensional Lithospheric Evolution & Controls on Mineral System Distribution in Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic Terranes
McCuaig, C., Barley, M., Fiorentini, M., Miller, J., Jessell, M., Begg, G., Angerer, T., Said, N., Bagas, L., Kemp, T., Belousova, E., Hein, K. & Tunjic, J.
ARC Australian Research Council
1/01/11 → 31/12/13
Project: Research

Cite this

Perrouty, S., Jessell, M., Bourassa, Y., Miller, J., Apau, D., Siebenaller, L., Velásquez, G., Baratoux, L., Aillères, L., Béziat, D., & Salvi, S. (2015). The Wassa deposit: a poly-deformed orogenic gold system in southwest Ghana - Implications for regional exploration. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 112(B), 536-547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.03.003

@article{4b02e593ba984ef58d68f446a9c16197,

title = "The Wassa deposit: a poly-deformed orogenic gold system in southwest Ghana - Implications for regional exploration",

abstract = "The Ashanti greenstone belt in southwest Ghana hosts many gold deposits distinguished by different timing and structural contexts. This study investigates the evolution of the Wassa system by integrating field and geophysical observations. This 4 million ounces (past production and current resources) gold deposit is interpreted to represent the oldest gold mineralization event in West Africa with gold-bearing pyrites aligned and stretched within the S1 ductile fabric. Mineralized quartz-carbonate veins were strongly deformed during the D1 deformation event. Three additional folding events are characterized by hectometer-scale tight to isoclinal folds, by a kilometer-scale synform fold centered on the mine and by a late recumbent metric-scale folds. Because of its early timing, the Wassa system represents a new poly-deformed deposit type in West Africa and highlights a potential for new discoveries in the underexplored meta-volcanic and meta-sedimentary Sefwi Group. Timing of the gold mineralization at the Wassa mine makes this deposit type a possible candidate for the source of the gold contained in the Tarkwa paleoplacer.",

author = "S. Perrouty and Mark Jessell and Y. Bourassa and John Miller and D. Apau and L. Siebenaller and G. Vel{\'a}squez and L. Baratoux and L. Aill{\`e}res and D. B{\'e}ziat and S. Salvi",

year = "2015",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.03.003",

language = "English",

volume = "112",

pages = "536--547",

journal = "Journal of African Earth Sciences",

issn = "1464-343X",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "B",

}

Perrouty, S, Jessell, M, Bourassa, Y, Miller, J, Apau, D, Siebenaller, L, Velásquez, G, Baratoux, L, Aillères, L, Béziat, D & Salvi, S 2015, 'The Wassa deposit: a poly-deformed orogenic gold system in southwest Ghana - Implications for regional exploration', Journal of African Earth Sciences, vol. 112, no. B, pp. 536-547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.03.003

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Wassa deposit: a poly-deformed orogenic gold system in southwest Ghana - Implications for regional exploration

AU - Perrouty, S.

AU - Jessell, Mark

AU - Bourassa, Y.

AU - Miller, John

AU - Apau, D.

AU - Siebenaller, L.

AU - Velásquez, G.

AU - Baratoux, L.

AU - Aillères, L.

AU - Béziat, D.

AU - Salvi, S.

PY - 2015/12

Y1 - 2015/12

N2 - The Ashanti greenstone belt in southwest Ghana hosts many gold deposits distinguished by different timing and structural contexts. This study investigates the evolution of the Wassa system by integrating field and geophysical observations. This 4 million ounces (past production and current resources) gold deposit is interpreted to represent the oldest gold mineralization event in West Africa with gold-bearing pyrites aligned and stretched within the S1 ductile fabric. Mineralized quartz-carbonate veins were strongly deformed during the D1 deformation event. Three additional folding events are characterized by hectometer-scale tight to isoclinal folds, by a kilometer-scale synform fold centered on the mine and by a late recumbent metric-scale folds. Because of its early timing, the Wassa system represents a new poly-deformed deposit type in West Africa and highlights a potential for new discoveries in the underexplored meta-volcanic and meta-sedimentary Sefwi Group. Timing of the gold mineralization at the Wassa mine makes this deposit type a possible candidate for the source of the gold contained in the Tarkwa paleoplacer.

AB - The Ashanti greenstone belt in southwest Ghana hosts many gold deposits distinguished by different timing and structural contexts. This study investigates the evolution of the Wassa system by integrating field and geophysical observations. This 4 million ounces (past production and current resources) gold deposit is interpreted to represent the oldest gold mineralization event in West Africa with gold-bearing pyrites aligned and stretched within the S1 ductile fabric. Mineralized quartz-carbonate veins were strongly deformed during the D1 deformation event. Three additional folding events are characterized by hectometer-scale tight to isoclinal folds, by a kilometer-scale synform fold centered on the mine and by a late recumbent metric-scale folds. Because of its early timing, the Wassa system represents a new poly-deformed deposit type in West Africa and highlights a potential for new discoveries in the underexplored meta-volcanic and meta-sedimentary Sefwi Group. Timing of the gold mineralization at the Wassa mine makes this deposit type a possible candidate for the source of the gold contained in the Tarkwa paleoplacer.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.03.003

DO - 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.03.003

M3 - Article

SN - 1464-343X

VL - 112

SP - 536

EP - 547

JO - Journal of African Earth Sciences

JF - Journal of African Earth Sciences

IS - B

ER -

The Wassa deposit: a poly-deformed orogenic gold system in southwest Ghana - Implications for regional exploration

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Four Dimensional Lithospheric Evolution & Controls on Mineral System Distribution in Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic Terranes

Cite this