Title

S.I. TRUSHIN (JSC Polymetal), V.E. KIRILLOV (Albazino Resources Ltd. JSC Polymetal)

Albazino Deposit is a new industrial type of gold mineralization for the Far East

The Albazino gold deposit is located on the left bank of the Amgun River, in the central part of the administrative district named after P. Osipenko, the Khabarovsk Territory. At present, it is actively mined by Polymetal UK. The deposit is located in the near-­axis part of the Omalsky horst­-anticlinorium and related to deeply eroded paleocaldera volcanic structure, the boundaries of which are recorded from aeromagnetic data. Among the rocks of the terrigenous base, numerous dikes and stock of intrusive rocks mainly of moderately acid composition are mapped in the structure. Several commercial ore zones are confined to the inner near-­slope part of the paleocaldera; they are located in the fault extension structures of meridional and northwestern strike. The most significant gold concentrations are associated with the central parts of berezitization haloes, with linear stockworks of quartz and quartz-­carbonate veinlets with sulphide mineralization. The mineralization is manifested both in sandstone and in moderately acid dikes. Most of the gold is associated with arsenopyrite, a small part has a free form. In addition to gold, high concentrations of silver, arsenic and antimony are recorded in the ore. Mineralization is attributed to the gold sulphide­-quartz formation, the gold­low sulphide mineral type.
Keywords: Albazino deposit, ore-­controlling fault, ore localizing fault, structural trap, paleocaldera volcanic structure, near­-ore berezitization, localization factor, ore-­bearing zone, gold mineralization.