The gold and base metal potential of the Lower Proterozoic Karrat Group, West Greenland

Abstract

The mineral potential of the Karrat Group in West Greenland became important after exhaustion in 1990 of the Black Angel lead-zinc mine situated within this supracrustal unit. It consists of shelf and turbidite type metasediments and subordinate metavolcanics deposited in an epicontinental marginal basin. Known mineralization comprises the Black Angel deposit and a number of other marble-hosted lead-zinc occurrences, as well as extensive sulphide facies iron formations and vein type base and precious metals mineralisation in quartzites and metagreywackes. Further areas with anomalously high contents of both base metals and gold-arsenic-tungsten are indicated by drainage geochemistry. The mineral potential of the Karrat Group is for massive base metal sulphide deposits hosted in marbles or clastic metasediments, and turbidite hosted gold-bearing veins and shear zones.