- Maden Tetkik ve Arama Dergisi
- Volume:122 Issue:122
- COPPER AND ZINC OCCURRENCES AT KILISE TEPE, MURGUL AREA, NE TURKEY
COPPER AND ZINC OCCURRENCES AT KILISE TEPE, MURGUL AREA, NE TURKEY
Authors : Radule POPOVIC
Pages : 41-50
View : 14 | Download : 9
Publication Date : 2000-03-01
Article Type : Research Paper
Abstract :The copper occurrences in the Murgul area had been known in ancient times, but their systematic exploration and exploitation began at the end of nineteenth century, and later in twentieth century they had been continued and intensified. The Kilise Tepe showings argue, on the basis of slag material, show that there had been provided a primitive exploitation, judging from high copper (even 4%) contents. Otherwise, the Kilise Tepe district is built up mostly of volcanic and volcanic-sedimentary rocks units, chiefly of rhyolitic composition. These formations are injected along faults by minor quartzdiorite bodies, commonly in from of sills. In this field 12 copper and zinc-copper occurrences have been registered. The most important copper mineralizations occur in lower stratigraphic level, generally related to the argillized breccious zone with chalcopyrite fragments ("oreclasts"), dropping from the loose rock material with copper contents up to 20%. This situation is characteristical for the source part of the Kopitvan dere stream. On the other side, a stratiform ore body consisting around 2% copper takes place in the source part of Skutari Dere. It is supposed that these occurrences are continuation of the Anayatak - Çakmakkaya mineralization zone. In the same zone the mineralized rhyolite volcanic breccia appears as well, grading over 0,2% copper, where ore reserves of 10-20 million tons of the low grade copper ore are to be expected. The next occurrences are represented by mineralized quartzdiorite sills where zinc is predominant, grading from 1% to 10% and with copper as accompanying metal, showing contents from 0.1% to 0.5%. Finally, on the Kilise tepe - Kopuk zone, a belt of molybdenum geochemical anomalies is distinguished, with Mo contents ranging from 200 -1000 ppm. The potential of Kilise tepe area, taken as a whole, is considerable: 1- KiliseTepe mineralization could to be a continuation of the Anayatak - Çakmakkaya ore zone, and 2- in deeper levels quartz diorite sills, a mineralized quartz diorite could be expected maybe related to the porphyry type of the zinc and copper sulfide ore.Keywords : Copper, zinc, ore occurrences, volcanite, quartzdiorite, Kilise Tepe, Kopitvan Dere, Skutari Dere, Murgul, Turkey