Nairne Pyrite Deposit

Occurrence in South Australia, Australia with commodities Nickel, Palladium, Copper, Graphite, Lead, Iron, Manganese
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10039353
MRDS ID M047008
Record type Site
Current site name Nairne Pyrite Deposit

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 138.99876, -33.99613 (WGS84)
Relative position AT BRUKUNDA, 47 KM. EAST OF ADELAIDE

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Australia(province)

Australia(country)

Australia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Australia South Australia

Comments on the location information

  • COORDINATES ARE APPROXIMATE

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Nickel Critical Primary
Palladium Critical Primary
Copper Primary
Graphite Critical Secondary
Lead Secondary
Iron Secondary
Manganese Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Graphite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) The Complex Mineralogy Of The Sedimentary Deposit Is A Result Of Amphibolite Facies Metamorphism And Subsequent Slight Alteration. Several Unusual Occurrences Including Alabandite, Graphite, And Native Nickel Suggest Highly Reducing Conditions.

Analytical data

Result OVERALL NI CONTENT RARELY EXCEEDS 100 PPM., AND IS HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH SULFUR. PALLADIUM ANTIMONIDE IS FOUND AS SMALL GRAINS IN CHALCOPYRITE WITHIN THE GANGUE: STRUCTURAL FORMULA: PD 1.0 ( SB 1.9 FE .04 CU .03 ) 2
Result THE MINERAL MAY HAVE A PYRITE STRUCTURE ( SEE GRAHAM, PAGE 1170 ). MANGANOCHROMITE IS PRESENT NEAR THE INTERFACE BETWEEN MASSIVE PYRRHOTITE AND GANGUE. ( FOR MICROPROBE ANALYSIS, SEE GRAHAM, PAGE 1167 ).

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Kanmantoo
    Rock description Kanmantoo
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Siltstone

Nearby scientific data

(1) 138.99876, -33.99613

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description "Tension Gash Veins"

Ore body information

  • Length 100000M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Tension Gash Veins Contain Massive Pyrrhotite And A Range Of Sulfosalts.

Comments on the geologic information

  • NENKE, J. A., 1972 , GEOCHEMISTRY OF NAIRNE PYRITE DEPOSIT: HONORS THESIS IN GEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAINE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Both
Significant No

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    GRAHAM, J., 1978 , MANGANOCHROMITE, PALLADIUM ANTIMONIDE, AND UNUSUAL MINERAL ASSOCIATIONS, NAIRNE DEPOSIT, SOUTH AUST.: AMER. MINERALOGIST, VOL. 63 , NOS. 11 AND 12 , P. 1166 - 1174

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1979 Saso, Jerri L. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.