The geology and origin of the Nolans Bore REE-P-U deposit, Northern Territory  


Authors / CoAuthors

Hussey, K.J. | Huston, D.L. | Dean, R.A. | Goulevitch, J. | Green, M.G. | Maas, R. | Mernagh, T.P.

Abstract

The Nolans Bore deposit, located in the Aileron Province of south-central Northern Territory, is a developing Australian rare earth element (REE) deposit. The deposit currently has a defined global resource of 30.2 Mt grading 2.8% rare earth oxides, 12.9% P2O5 and 200 ppm U3O8 (ASX:ARU 11/11/08). It consists of massive and brecciated fluorapatite veins that are up to 75-m-thick and hosted by ~1806 Ma granitic and metasedimentry units. Although initial drilling indicated that these veins dipped steeply to the NNW, more recent drilling has indicated a more complex 3D-vein configuration across the deposit. Even though apatite is the dominant mineral in the veins, the paragenesis is complex, with a massive zone of apatite-allanite-amphibole breccia, and numerous cross-cutting veins. The apatite hosts REE but it also typically contains abundant inclusions of other REE-bearing minerals, such as monazite and allanite along with other REE 'bearing phosphates, silicates and carbonates. Localised zones of higher grade REE mineralisation occur as intensely kaolinitised and clay altered rocks dominated by fine grained monazite and crandallite group minerals. A preliminary ~1240 Ma U-Pb age for apatite, which is interpreted as a minimum age, corresponds to a major period of global alkalic magmatism between 1300 and 1130 Ma. Low ?Nd and 87Sr/86Sr in the mineralisation are suggestive of EM-1 sources. The deposit is interpreted to be a carbonatite-related hydrothermal deposit. Fertilisation of the mantle to produce the EM-1 source may relate to subduction associated with older convergence along the southern margin of the North Australian Craton.

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nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

73545

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MNHD  

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Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)  
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia

Keywords

  • External PublicationAbstract
( Theme )
  • economic geology
( Theme )
  • geochronology
( Theme )
  • isotopes
( Theme )
  • mineral deposits
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
  • Earth Sciences
  • Published_Internal

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2012-01-01T00:00:00

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