Integrated Geophysical and Geochemical Characterization of Subsurface Sulfide Mineralization Over Parts of Gawuch Formation, Chitral, North Pakistan

Characterization of Sulfide in Chitrial

Abstract

A multidisciplinary approach combining geophysical and geochemical exploration techniques which have been employed in this study. The sulfide minerals characterization hosted in the Gawuch  formation, Chitral, northern Pakistan. Geologically, the mineralization is observed in several forms such as disseminated, fracture filling and supergene enrichment. The geophysical survey, using the electrical self-potential (SP) method have identified five prominent circular to semi-circular, high conductive or negative (SP) anomaly closures (A, B, C, D and E). These anomalies suggest geological discontinuities or fracture zones typical of porphyry deposits, indicating the potential in which presence of a subsurface network of fractures or veins that could be promising drilling targets for sulfide mineral prospection in the area. The half-width method indicates that the anomaly sources range from near surface to around

22.48 meters deep, suggesting shallow mineralization targets. Shallow core drilling and samplings further confirmed the geophysical anomalies and yielding an average geochemical composition of Cu (7.84%), Fe (28.34%), Pb (87.2 ppm), Sb (157 ppm), Zn (446 ppm), Ag (75.5 ppm) and Au (0.14 ppm), thus confirming the presence of polymetallic sulfide deposits. The integrated geophysical, core drilling, geological and geochemical analysis has led to the interpretation that sulfide mineralization in the Gawuch formation, Chitral region is structurally controlled by NNE-SSW trending fault/fracture system and associated with diorite-granodiorite intrusion which exhibit affinities with porphyry systems, thus intimating a potential porphyry style mineralization.