Geology – Palito

A series of northwest-southeast, steeply dipping, quartz-gold-copper veins form the basis of the Palito Main Zone deposit. The gold mineralisation of the Palito Main Zone is hosted within the upper levels of a large adamellite granite intrusive associated with felsic volcanics (rhyolites and dactites) and felsic breccias. Mineralisation is contained within vertical to sub-vertical, mesothermal quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite veins filling brittle extensional fault systems. Vein widths typically average over one metre in width with grades typically between 15g/t and 30g/t. Gold grades in excess of this are associated with semi-massive, chalcopyrite-pyrite ‘blowouts’ within the quartz veins.