Palovaara - Gold Database

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Name	Palovaara	DATA UPDATED	24.5.2007
Alternative names
Deposit summary	PALOVAARA, in the Kuhmo greenstone belt, is an Archaean orogenic gold occurrence with no resource estimate available. It is hosted by banded iron formation, and comprises quartz veins and altered host rock. The location of the occurrence seems to be defined by an intersection of NW-trending D3 or D4 fault crossing the main, N-trending shear zone of the greenstone belt.
LOCATION
Geological domain	Archaean	Belt	Kuhmo
Site photo		Regional map
Map sheet	441212
Northing (kkj)	7153000	Easting (kkj)	4455600
Latitude	64.47270N	Longitude	29.07359E
Municipality	Hyrynsalmi
Nearest town, roads	45 km NW from Kuhmo. 1 km from a sealed road, a gravel road adjacent to the area.
MINING
Exploration licence no	4351/1–3	Mining concession no
Present holder	Polar Mining (2004–)
Previous holders	Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) (1987–1993), Ilmari Exploration (2002–2003)
Mine photo 1		Mine photo 2
Mine photo 3		Mine photo 4
Status of development	Prospect
When mined
Resources
Deposit size (Mt)		Reference (size)
Total in-situ gold (kg)		Reference (in-situ Au)
Total gold production (kg)		Reference (gold prod)
Production of other metals
Extent of mineralisation	The hosting lithology or structure extends, according to ground-geophysical survey, along strike for about 10 km [8].
Lodes
Best sections	0.45 m @ 4.6 ppm Au, 0.5 m @ 3.1 ppm Au [2].
EXPLORATION
Discovery year	1987
Discovery	By GTK: auriferous, sulphide-bearing BIF units detected during zinc exploration in the area [2].
Exploration history	GTK (1988–1993) [2]: bedrock mapping, trenching, till geochemical survey, ground magnetic, electromagnetic, IP and VLF survey.
Section figure 1		Plan figure 1
Section figure 2		Plan figure 2
Section figure 3		Plan figure 3
Trench fig 1		Trench fig 4
Trench fig 2		Trench fig 5
Trench fig 3		Trench fig 6
Explor site photo 1		Explor site photo 2
Geophysical response	The BIF gives the most intense magnetic anomaly in the area [8].
Drilling	GTK (1987–1993): 19 diamond-drill holes, total 1528 m [2,8].
Elements analysed
Primary dispersion
Secondary dispersion	Au-As anomaly in till [8].
Primary anomaly fig 1		Secondary anomaly fig 1
Primary anomaly fig 2		Secondary anomaly fig 2
Primary anomaly fig 3		Secondary anomaly fig 3
Primary anomaly fig 4		Secondary anomaly fig 4
Primary anomaly fig 5		Secondary anomaly fig 5
Economic evaluations
Exploration geologist in charge	GTK: Timo Heino
ORE
Siting of gold
Fineness
Major opaques
Minor opaques
Gangue
Ore miner. photo 1		Ore miner. photo 5
Ore miner. photo 2		Ore miner. photo 6
Ore miner. photo 3		Ore outcrop photo 1
Ore miner. photo 4		Ore outcrop photo 2
Ore composition
Enriched elements
Ore fluid
Stable isotopes
Pb isotope data
GEOLOGY
Geological setting	The deposit is in a 10 km long BIF-intermediate metavolcanic rock sequence, concentrated in compact pyrite bands, in the northern part of the Late-Archaean Kuhmo Greenstone belt [1,2,8].
Major host rocks	BIF [1].
Minor host rocks	Intermediate or mafic metavolcanic rock [1].
Intrusives	An synorogenic tonalite is to the east of the mineralisation [4]. NW-trending Palaeoproterozoic dolerite cut arcoss the deformed Archaean rocks in the rergion [8].
Regional geol map 1		Outcrop photo 1
Regional geol map 2		Outcrop photo 2
Local geology map 1		Outcrop photo 3
Local geology map 2
METAMORPHISM
Metamorphic history	A very weak, unevenly distributed Palaeoproterozoic overprint [5].
Metamorphic grade
Metamorphic mineral assemblage
Metamorph photo 1		Metamorph photo 2
STRUCTURE
Structural style
Closest major shear	The main shear zone of the Kuhmo greenstone belt [8].
Controlling structure	Late D3 or D4 structures [3].
Deformation history	At least, six deformation stages during the late Archaean and two deformation stages during the Palaeoproterozoic detected in the area; gold mineralisation is related to the Archaean late D3 and/or D4 stages [3,7]. D2: 2850-2837 Ma, D3: 2701-2697 Ma, D4: peaked at 2657±32 Ma [7]. Age of D2 is probably 2820±15 Ma [8] or 2843±18 Ma [10].
Ore fabric
Veins	Pre-gold epidote veins, syn-gold quartz veins [9].
Structure photo 1		Vein photo 1
Structure photo 2		Vein photo 2
Structure photo 3		Vein photo 3
ALTERATION
General alteration
Proximal alteration
Intermediate alteration
Distal alteration
Zonation figure		Prox alteration photo 1
Alteration photo 1		Prox alteration photo 2
Alteration photo 2		Intermed alteration photo
Alteration photo 3		Distal alteration photo 1
Post-mineralisation modifications
TIMING	During ca. 2700–2650 Ma [7].
GENETIC MODEL	Orogenic "mesothermal" deposit formed during late-Archaean cratonisation [6].
GENETIC TYPE	Orogenic	References	[6]
Alternative genetic type 1		References
Alternative genetic type 2		References
References 1. Pietikäinen, K. 1998. Personal communication 14/9/98. 2. Heino, T. 1995. Raportti valtausalueilla Palo 1–3, kaivosrekisterinumerot 4351/1, 4351/2 ja 4351/3, vuosina 1988–1993 suoritetuista tutkimuksista. Geol. Surv. Finland, Report M06/4412/-95/1/10. 8 p. (in Finnish, 17.5 MB) 3. Luukkonen, E., Pajunen, M. & Poutiainen, M. 1992. Kuhmo-Suomussalmen alueen arkeeisen kallioperä rakenne-evoluutio ja Au-aiheet. In: E. Ekdahl (ed.) Suomen kallioperän kehitys ja raaka-ainevarat. Vuorimiesyhdistys, Sarja B, 51, 11–12. 4. Sorjonen-Ward, P., Nironen, M. & Luukkonen, E. 1997. Greenstone associations in Finland. In: M. J. de Wit and L. D. Ashwal (eds) Greenstone Belts. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 677–6 98. 5. Korsman, K. (ed.) & Glebovitsky, V. (ed.) 1999. Raahe–Ladoga Zone structure-lithology, metamorphism and metallogeny: a Finnish–Russian cooperation project 1996–1999. Map 2: Metamorphism of the Raahe–Ladoga Zone 1:1000000. Geol. Surv. Finland. 6. Papunen, H., Halkoaho, T., Liimatainen, J. & Luukkonen, E. 2001. Metallogeny of the Archaean Tipasjärvi-Kuhmo-Suomussalmi greenstone belt, Finland. AGSO – Geoscience Australia, Record 2001/37, 456–458. 7. Luukkonen, E. 2001. Lentiiran kartta-alueen kallioperä. Summary: Pre-Quaternary rock of the Lentiira map-sheet area. Suomen geologinen kartta 1:100 000. Kallioperäkarttojen selitykset, 4414 + 4432 Lentiira. 68 p. 8. Luukkonen, E., Halkoaho, T., Hartikainen, A., Heino, T., Niskanen, M., Pietikäinen, K. & Tenhola, M. 2002. Itä-Suomen arkeeiset alueet -hankkeen (12201 ja 210 5000) toiminta vuosina 1992–2001 Suomussalmen, Hyrynsalmen, Kuhmon, Nurmeksen, Rautavaaran, Valtimon, Lieksan, Ilomantsin, Kiihtelysvaaran, Enon, Kontiolahden, Tohmajärven ja Tuupovaaran alueella. Geol. Surv. Finland, Report M19/4513/2002/1. 265 p. (in Finnish, 130 MB) 9. Ojala, J. 2005. Personal communication 27/09/2005. 10. Sorjonen-Ward, P. & Luukkonen, E.J. 2005. Archean rocks. In: Precambrian Geology of Finland – Key to the Evolution of The Fennoscandian Shield. Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, 19–9 9.
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