NEW FORMS OF PLATINUM GROUP MINERALS IN FERRUGINOUS QUARTZITES OF THE LEBEDYAN DEPOSIT, KURSK MAGNETIC ANOMALY (CENTRAL RUSSIA)

Abstract

The subsequent special investigations provided new insights into the mineralogy of PGE and Au in ferruginous quartzites of the KMA. We studied the mode of occurrence of noble metals in compositionally different ferruginous quartzites from the largest iron ore deposit of the KMA (Lebedyan deposit). The productive Korobki Formation (Kursk Group) of the Lebedyan deposit can be divided into two iron ore and two shale subformations. The distribution of noble metals in these subformations is primarily governed by the content of sulfides. Concentrations of the sulfides are maximal at the contact of ferruginous quartzites and intraore carbonaceous shales that serve as the major barrier for the accumulation of sulfur.