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Wulff, Katharina, Bolhar, Robert (2025) Geochemistry of alteration and host rock lithologies to the Bisie tin deposit, North Kivu Province, DR Congo. Ore Geology Reviews, 178. 106469 doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2025.106469

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Reference TypeJournal (article/letter/editorial)
TitleGeochemistry of alteration and host rock lithologies to the Bisie tin deposit, North Kivu Province, DR Congo
JournalOre Geology Reviews
AuthorsWulff, KatharinaAuthor
Bolhar, RobertAuthor
Year2025Volume<   178   >
Page(s)106469
URL
DOIdoi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2025.106469Search in ResearchGate
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Mindat Ref. ID18060045Long-form Identifiermindat:1:5:18060045:2
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Full ReferenceWulff, Katharina, Bolhar, Robert (2025) Geochemistry of alteration and host rock lithologies to the Bisie tin deposit, North Kivu Province, DR Congo. Ore Geology Reviews, 178. 106469 doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2025.106469
Plain TextWulff, Katharina, Bolhar, Robert (2025) Geochemistry of alteration and host rock lithologies to the Bisie tin deposit, North Kivu Province, DR Congo. Ore Geology Reviews, 178. 106469 doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2025.106469
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Abstract/NotesWhole rock geochemistry is presented for lithologically-varied igneous and meta-sedimentary rocks associated with the Bisie tin deposit, and combined with geochronological data and petrographic and field-based observations to develop insights into tectono-magmatic environment(s) of deposition as well physico-chemical conditions and timing of ore mineralisation. Bisie tin mine, located in the Mesoproterozoic Kivu Belt (Democratic Republic of the Congo), is the world’s highest-grade tin mine (average grade 4.5 % Sn). Tin mineralisation consists of botryoidal cassiterite veins within an envelope of chlorite alteration, and is situated in a steeply east-dipping shear zone running parallel to the contact to a multi-phase granite massif. The hosting sequence comprises: A lowermost unit, hosting the tin mineralisation and containing mica schists with intercalations of sandstones, felsic tuffs and metabasaltic flows as well as (meta-)gabbro intrusions. Meter-scale pyrite-pyrrhotite-sphalerite-galena lenses of presumed syn-sedimenatry exhalative origin are intercalated in the vicinity of the Bisie deposit. An overlying “metasedimentary unit” comprises tuffaceous shales, siltstones, sandstones and conglomerates. The uppermost unit consists of carbonaceous shales. Peak metamorphic grades in the mica schists are recorded by staurolite-garnet-biotite paragenesis, and decrease towards the top of the sequence and away from the granite massif based on the absence of metamorphic porphyroblasts in the carbonaceous shale. Along the shear zone, peak metamorphic parageneses retrogressed to muscovite (±chlorite) in an alteration zone with a length of > 14 km, which also coincides with a soil Sn anomaly. Zircon U-Pb information regarding the granitoid massif includes a granite age of 1518 Ma (pre-Kibaran), a marginal monzogranite age of 1274–1271 Ma and gneissic granite age of ca. 1000 Ma. Cassiterite from Bisie was previously dated at 1068–1029 Ma, consistent with formation during the G4 granite stage, associated with Sn, Nb-Ta, W and Au mineralisation across the Kibaride Belt. Trace element signatures of the monzogranite as well as the metabasites indicate formation in an intraplate setting, consistent with deposition of central Kivu Belt rocks in an extensional basin during Cycle 2 of the Kibaran Orogeny. Compositions of the mica schist and carbonaceous shale indicate both collisional and rift environments, probably pointing to mixed sources. Similarity in trace element signatures prove that the chlorite schists, forming the alteration of the Bisie tin deposit, are alteration products derived from the hosting mica schists. All altered and unaltered metasedimentary samples as well as the monzogranite have positive Sn and negative Sr and Ba anomalies in Primitive Mantle normalisation, with the most pronounced anomalies observed in the chlorite schists, probably representing an alteration halo associated with the Bisie tin mineralisation. The halo has a larger extent than the zone affected by mineralogical changes, possibly registering destruction of feldspar by acidic tin-bearing fluids. Compared to crustal abundances the chlorite schists are strongly enriched in Sn with moderate enrichment in W. Copper and Zn concentrations are enriched in the orebody in the vicinity of later faults.

References Listed

These are the references the publisher has listed as being connected to the article. Please check the article itself for the full list of references which may differ. Not all references are currently linkable within the Digital Library.

Alphamin Resources Corp. 2023. Investor presentation year ended 2022. 14 March 2023. 29 sl.
Barsukov (1957) Geochemistry The geochemistry of tin 1, 41
Cahen (1979) Bulletin De La SociĂ©tĂ© Belge De GĂ©ologie PrĂ©cisions sur l’ñge, la pĂ©trogenĂšse et la position stratigraphique des «granites Ă  Ă©tain» de l’Est de l’Afrique centrale 88, 33
Cahen, L., Snelling, N.J., Delhal, J., Vail, J.R., Bonhomme, M., Ledent, D. 1984. The Geochronology and Evolution of Africa; Oxford Science Publications: Oxford, UK; Clarendon Press: New York, NY, USA.
Not Yet Imported: - journal-article : 10.1186/s11671-021-03555-6

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Herron (1988) J. Sediment. Res. Geochemical classification of terrigenous sands and shales from core or log data 58, 820
Klerkx (1984) Granitoides Kibariens précoces et tectonique tengentielle au Burundi: magmatisme bimodal lié à la distension crustale , 29
Not Yet Imported: - book-chapter : 10.1029/GD017p0217

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Lavreau (1982) Annales De La Société Géologique Belge Granites à étain et granito-gneiss burundiens au Rwanda (région de Kibuye): Age et signification 105, 289
Lehmann (1990) Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences Metallogeny of Tin 32, 211
Lehmann (2021) Lithos Formation oft in ore deposits: a Reassessment 402–403, 1
Le Maitre (2002) , 2
Lombard, A., 2014. Mineralogical Report No. MIN14/435. Petrographic investigation of thirteen samples. SGS Test Report, Unpublished Report, 18 pp.
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Robb, L., Bolhar, R., Tapster, S., 2018. Interpreting the geochronology of samples from the Bisie Mine area. Unpublished Report, 7 pp.
Rumvegeri (1989) Newsletter Le PrĂ©cambrien de l’Ouest du lac Kivu (ZaĂŻre) et sa place dans l’évolution gĂ©odynamique de l’Afrique centrale et orientale. IGCP 255 2, 73
Rumvegeri (1990) Comptes Rendus L’AcadĂ©mie Sci. SĂ©r. Iia Sci. Terre PlanĂštes GĂ©ochemie des granitoĂŻdes kibariens du Kivu (Est-Zaire) et du Rwanda: Implications gĂ©odynamiques 311, 959
Verma (2010) Turk. J. Earth Sci. Statistical evaluation of bivariate, ternary and discriminant function tectono-magmatic discrimination diagrams 19, 185
Villeneuve (2022) Minerals A review of the G4 „tin granites” and associated mineral occurrences in the Kivu Belt (Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) and their relationships with the last Kibaran tectono-thermal events 12, 1
(1989)
Witley, J.C., Duke, V., 2020. NI 403-101 Technical Report – 31 December 2019, Bisie Tin Mine, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, Prepared for Alphamin Resources Corp., 177 pp.
Wulff, K., Bolhar, R. (under review) Geology of the Bisie wood tin deposit and its host rocks, North Kivu Province, DR Congo. Ore Geology Reviews.

Map of Localities

Locality Pages

LocalityCitation Details
Bisie Tin Project, Bisie, Walikale Territory, North Kivu, DR Congo
Mpama South, Bisie Tin Project, Bisie, Walikale Territory, North Kivu, DR Congo

Mineral Occurrences

LocalityMineral(s)
Bisie Tin Project, Bisie, Walikale Territory, North Kivu, DR Congoⓘ Actinolite, ⓘ Arsenopyrite, ⓘ Biotite, ⓘ Chlorite Group, ⓘ Chlorite schist, ⓘ Garnet Group, ⓘ Metagabbro, ⓘ Mica schist, ⓘ Monzogranite, ⓘ Muscovite schist, ⓘ Muscovite-chlorite schist, ⓘ Pyrite, ⓘ Quartz, ⓘ Shale, ⓘ Staurolite, ⓘ Tourmalinite, ⓘ Tuff, ⓘ Tuffite
Mpama North, Bisie Tin Project, Bisie, Walikale Territory, North Kivu, DR Congoⓘ Arsenopyrite, ⓘ Cassiterite, ⓘ Chalcopyrite, ⓘ Chlorite Group, ⓘ Chlorite schist, ⓘ Galena, ⓘ Mica schist, ⓘ Muscovite schist, ⓘ Muscovite-chlorite schist, ⓘ Pyrite, ⓘ Quartz, ⓘ Sphalerite, ⓘ Wood Tin
Mpama South, Bisie Tin Project, Bisie, Walikale Territory, North Kivu, DR Congoⓘ Arsenopyrite, ⓘ Cassiterite, ⓘ Chalcopyrite, ⓘ Chlorite Group, ⓘ Galena, ⓘ Mica schist, ⓘ Pyrite, ⓘ Sphalerite, ⓘ Wood Tin


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