Geology and mineralogy of the Cu-Ni-Co-U ore deposits at Talmessi and Meskani, Central Iran

Polymetallic hydrothermal veins and impregnations carry copper-iron sulphides (bornite, chalcopyrite, digenite, chalcocite) and nickel-cobalt arsenides (niccolite, rammelsbergite, safflorite, skutterudite) with bismuth and uranium as well as some copper arsenides (domeykite, koutekite etc.) in two dormant mines in the Anarak District. The geological and tectonic framework and the mineral associations of both occurrences have been investigated in detail. Both mineralization can be attributed to Tertiary magmatism, but were deposited in two temporally distinct periods. The older copper sulphide minerealization is structurally controlled by pre-middle Eocene tectronics and is linked to Eocene shoshonitic volcanism. The second, younger nickel-cobalt-silver-bismuth-uranium mineralization might be attributed to a granitic magmatism linked to a Miocene phase of movement. (Authors)