Nickel, cobalt, copper, zinc, lead and sulfur contents of some North American base-metal sulfide ores

Composites of mill feed from North American base metal sulfide mines have been analyzed for Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and S. Co:Ni:Cu:Zn:Pb ratios and particularly Ni:Cu:Zn:Pb ratios show similar trends for igneous rocks and base metal sulfide ores, which are plotted on compositional diagrams. Similarities and one difference in trends for rocks and ores, and correlation of positions of rock and ore types, support a magmatic origin for these ores. Igneous rock types which are associated with these ores, show a distribution similar to that for North American igneous rocks, along a series of Cu-, Zn-, and Pb-rich ores.

This record provided courtesy of AGI/GeoRef.