Age and Genesis of the Laodaizhanggou Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit in the Fudian Ore Field, Southern North China Craton: Implications for Regional Mineral Prospecting

The Fudian ore field in the southern North China Craton hosts the giant Donggou porphyry Mo deposit and several Pb-Zn-Ag vein deposits. Ore genesis of the Pb-Zn-Ag deposits and their relationships with the Donggou porphyry-related system are still controversial, which further restricts the regional prospecting and exploration. The Laodaizhanggou Pb-Zn-Ag deposit in the northwest of the ore field was focused in this study, to investigate its ore-forming age and genesis, and further to explore the implications for regional prospecting of Pb-Zn-Ag and Mo. The Pb-Zn-Ag veins at Laodaizhanggou are structurally controlled by the east-striking fault zones transecting the host volcanic rocks of Proterozoic Xiong’er Group. Field observations and textural relationships indicate that there are four paragenetic stages during ore-forming process, including the quartz-pyrite veins (stage I), siderite-polymetallic sulfide veins (stage II), ankerite-polymetallic sulfide veins (stage III), and quartz-calcite veins (stage IV). Ore-related sericite 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating shows that the Pb-Zn-Ag mineralization at Laodaizhanggou was formed at 124.7±1.2 Ma. Carbonate minerals (siderite, ankerite, and calcite) have δ 13 C PDB values of −9.1‰ to −3.9‰ and δ 18 O SMOW of 12.1‰ to 15.6‰, corresponding to calculated values for the ore fluids of −8.0‰ to −2.8‰ and 4.9‰ to 10.1‰, respectively. These isotope values are in accordance with those of magmatic fluids. Sulfide minerals at Laodaizhanggou have δ 34 S values of 5.3‰ to 10.1‰, and galena separates have 206 Pb/ 204 Pb ratios of 17.380 to 17.458, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb ratios of 15.459 to 15.485, and 208 Pb/ 204 Pb ratios of 38.274 to 38.370. Both S and Pb isotope data of Laodaizhanggou are consistent with those of the Donggou porphyry Mo deposit and distal Sanyuangou and Wangpingxigou Pb-Zn-Ag deposits, suggesting they share a similar magmatic origin. However, the Laodaizhanggou deposit was not the distal product of the giant Donggou porphyry-related magmatic-hydrothermal system, as the former is about 7 Ma older than the latter. The ore-forming age of Laodaizhanggou is consistent with that of the phase 1 magmatism of Taishanmiao batholith, indicating the Laodaizhanggou deposit is genetically related to ca. 125 Ma magmatism in the area. Combined the geochronological and geochemical data on Laodaizhanggou and the regional geological setting, we propose that the fracture systems in the northeast of the Taishanmiao batholith are potential sites for prospecting Pb-Zn-Ag deposit and the deep part among Laodaizhanggou, Xizaogou, and Liezishan is a target for prospecting porphyry Mo deposit.