Mineralization and geochemical studies at Ma'danjoo Fe skarn prospect area, east of Sangan mine, NE Iran

The Ma'danjoo prospect area is one of the eastern anomalies of Sangan Fe skarn deposit. The skarn here consists of prograde garnet and pyroxene, retrograde phlogopite, epidote, chlorite, tremolite, actinolite, and the magnetite ore. The important economic ore mineral at Ma'danjoo prospect area is magnetite. Minor amounts of sulfide minerals such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite and lesser amounts of melnikovite, pyrolusite and psilomelane accompany the magnetite. The highest Fe ore grade is 45%. The S content is 0.05-2% and P is 0.01--0.08%. The copper contentranges from 10 to 300 ppm and Au is below fire assay detection limit (<0.01 ppm). The Ma'anjoo is a magnesian skarn due to the presence of phlogopite, diopside, tremolite, Mg-rich magnetite and the absence of endoskarn and also high Mg content (11%). The area has some similarities to magnesian skarn anomalies of Sangan.

Keywords:

Mineralization , geochemistry , magnesian Fe skarn , Ma'danjoo , Sangan mine , KhafKashmar-Bardeskan volcano-plutonic belt