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The Hydrothermal Alteration Activity Related to the Orogenic Lode-Gold at Kplessou, Toumodi, Cote d’Ivoire

Received: 7 October 2022    Accepted: 25 October 2022    Published: 4 November 2022
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Abstract

The southern part of the Fettèkro greenstone is known to host orogenic gold deposits. It is the case of Kpléssou in the region of Toumodi where gold has been mined since colonial times, in the 1900s, from its auriferous quartz plus calcite veins. Therefore, this gold potential has attracted the artisanal and small gold miners. The objective of this study is to highlight the characteristics of the geological formations and their mineralization from the distal to the proximal zone in order to deeply undertand the associated hydrothermal alteration footprints. In the fulfillment of this objective, field work has been undertaken at Kpléssou then followed by discussion with artisanal miners to elucidate the gold hosts and favorable structures. This step has been used to sample three mineralization zones: distal, intermediate and proximal. These samples served as the basis for the laboratory work realized at the University of Man. Petrographically, we notice the basalts, sericitoschist and various shales impregnated by the aurifeous veins of quartz and carbonates. The basalt and sericitoschist have undergone a ductile deformation resulting to their folding and schistosity and a brittle deformation which forms the veins. A strong hydrothermal alteration has affected the lithologies: sericitisation, chloritisation, carbonatation and sulphidation. Gold mineralization is epigenetic in the basalt, post-magmatic and is associated with sulphides lining the quartz + ankerite veins. However in the sericitochist where sulphides are disseminated, the mineralization is admitted as syngenetic, synmetamorphic and prekinematic. This mineralization in Kpléssou shows that it is an orogenic lode-gold type.

Published in Earth Sciences (Volume 11, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12
Page(s) 355-363
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Orogenic Lode-Gold, Artisanal Miners, Fettèkro Greenstone Belt, Kpléssou, Côte d’Ivoire

References
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    Zie Ouattara, Gnamba Franck Emmanuel Gouedji, Aristide Ghislain Beugre Dago, Aya Anne Flora Koffi, Allialy Marc Ephrem, et al. (2022). The Hydrothermal Alteration Activity Related to the Orogenic Lode-Gold at Kplessou, Toumodi, Cote d’Ivoire. Earth Sciences, 11(6), 355-363. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12

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    ACS Style

    Zie Ouattara; Gnamba Franck Emmanuel Gouedji; Aristide Ghislain Beugre Dago; Aya Anne Flora Koffi; Allialy Marc Ephrem, et al. The Hydrothermal Alteration Activity Related to the Orogenic Lode-Gold at Kplessou, Toumodi, Cote d’Ivoire. Earth Sci. 2022, 11(6), 355-363. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12

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    AMA Style

    Zie Ouattara, Gnamba Franck Emmanuel Gouedji, Aristide Ghislain Beugre Dago, Aya Anne Flora Koffi, Allialy Marc Ephrem, et al. The Hydrothermal Alteration Activity Related to the Orogenic Lode-Gold at Kplessou, Toumodi, Cote d’Ivoire. Earth Sci. 2022;11(6):355-363. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12,
      author = {Zie Ouattara and Gnamba Franck Emmanuel Gouedji and Aristide Ghislain Beugre Dago and Aya Anne Flora Koffi and Allialy Marc Ephrem and Yacouba Coulibaly},
      title = {The Hydrothermal Alteration Activity Related to the Orogenic Lode-Gold at Kplessou, Toumodi, Cote d’Ivoire},
      journal = {Earth Sciences},
      volume = {11},
      number = {6},
      pages = {355-363},
      doi = {10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.earth.20221106.12},
      abstract = {The southern part of the Fettèkro greenstone is known to host orogenic gold deposits. It is the case of Kpléssou in the region of Toumodi where gold has been mined since colonial times, in the 1900s, from its auriferous quartz plus calcite veins. Therefore, this gold potential has attracted the artisanal and small gold miners. The objective of this study is to highlight the characteristics of the geological formations and their mineralization from the distal to the proximal zone in order to deeply undertand the associated hydrothermal alteration footprints. In the fulfillment of this objective, field work has been undertaken at Kpléssou then followed by discussion with artisanal miners to elucidate the gold hosts and favorable structures. This step has been used to sample three mineralization zones: distal, intermediate and proximal. These samples served as the basis for the laboratory work realized at the University of Man. Petrographically, we notice the basalts, sericitoschist and various shales impregnated by the aurifeous veins of quartz and carbonates. The basalt and sericitoschist have undergone a ductile deformation resulting to their folding and schistosity and a brittle deformation which forms the veins. A strong hydrothermal alteration has affected the lithologies: sericitisation, chloritisation, carbonatation and sulphidation. Gold mineralization is epigenetic in the basalt, post-magmatic and is associated with sulphides lining the quartz + ankerite veins. However in the sericitochist where sulphides are disseminated, the mineralization is admitted as syngenetic, synmetamorphic and prekinematic. This mineralization in Kpléssou shows that it is an orogenic lode-gold type.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Hydrothermal Alteration Activity Related to the Orogenic Lode-Gold at Kplessou, Toumodi, Cote d’Ivoire
    AU  - Zie Ouattara
    AU  - Gnamba Franck Emmanuel Gouedji
    AU  - Aristide Ghislain Beugre Dago
    AU  - Aya Anne Flora Koffi
    AU  - Allialy Marc Ephrem
    AU  - Yacouba Coulibaly
    Y1  - 2022/11/04
    PY  - 2022
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12
    T2  - Earth Sciences
    JF  - Earth Sciences
    JO  - Earth Sciences
    SP  - 355
    EP  - 363
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5982
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20221106.12
    AB  - The southern part of the Fettèkro greenstone is known to host orogenic gold deposits. It is the case of Kpléssou in the region of Toumodi where gold has been mined since colonial times, in the 1900s, from its auriferous quartz plus calcite veins. Therefore, this gold potential has attracted the artisanal and small gold miners. The objective of this study is to highlight the characteristics of the geological formations and their mineralization from the distal to the proximal zone in order to deeply undertand the associated hydrothermal alteration footprints. In the fulfillment of this objective, field work has been undertaken at Kpléssou then followed by discussion with artisanal miners to elucidate the gold hosts and favorable structures. This step has been used to sample three mineralization zones: distal, intermediate and proximal. These samples served as the basis for the laboratory work realized at the University of Man. Petrographically, we notice the basalts, sericitoschist and various shales impregnated by the aurifeous veins of quartz and carbonates. The basalt and sericitoschist have undergone a ductile deformation resulting to their folding and schistosity and a brittle deformation which forms the veins. A strong hydrothermal alteration has affected the lithologies: sericitisation, chloritisation, carbonatation and sulphidation. Gold mineralization is epigenetic in the basalt, post-magmatic and is associated with sulphides lining the quartz + ankerite veins. However in the sericitochist where sulphides are disseminated, the mineralization is admitted as syngenetic, synmetamorphic and prekinematic. This mineralization in Kpléssou shows that it is an orogenic lode-gold type.
    VL  - 11
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • School of geological and mining Sciences, University of Man, Man, Cote d’Ivoire

  • School of geological and mining Sciences, University of Man, Man, Cote d’Ivoire

  • Department of Earth Sciences, University Jean Lorougnon Guede, Daloa, Cote d’Ivoire

  • School of geological and mining Sciences, University of Man, Man, Cote d’Ivoire

  • School of Earth Sciences and Mineral Resources, University Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

  • School of Earth Sciences and Mineral Resources, University Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

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