The mineral chemistry, near-infrared, and mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of phengite from the Olympic Dam IOCG deposit, South Australia

Phengite is the main potassic dioctahedral mica identified at the Olympic Dam iron oxide–copper–gold (IOCG) deposit, South Australia, where its mineral chemistry is quite variable. These differences can be explained by contrasting degrees of hydrothermal alteration. In the heavily-sericitized, ore-bearing rocks, the phengites display a lower-Si content, a higher-Al content, and a lower Mg-number than the phengites from the weakly-sericitized alteration halo that surrounds the deposit. Variations are also observed in the near- and mid-infrared reflectance spectra collected from phengite-bearing rocks. In the near-infrared, high-Al phengite produces a spectral absorption feature at 2.206 μm, and this feature is displaced to 2.213 μm for low-Al phengite. In the mid-infrared, high-Al phengite produces a strong reflectance peak at 9.59 μm, whereas this peak is observed at 9.57 μm in the spectra from low-Al phengite. Additional peaks were also identified at 10.98, 12.22, and 13.33 μm. These were most intense in the spectra from high-Al phengite. A drill core profile was produced using the results of the spectral analysis that shows the change in phengite mineral chemistry and phengite abundance as a function of depth. In general, near- and mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy can be used to characterize the aluminum content of potassic dioctahedral micas like phengite, and this information can be used to infer the degree of sericitic alteration that has occurred as a result of hydrothermal fluid flow.

► We identified two compositionally distinct types of phengite at Olympic Dam. ► Phengites from ore-bearing rocks have low Si, high Al, and a low Mg-number. ► Phengites around the deposit halo have high Si, low Al, and a high Mg-number. ► Compositional differences are observed in near- and mid-infrared reflectance spectra. ► Spectra were used to create a drill core log showing phengite abundance and chemistry.