Discovery of PGE-rich hydrothermal ore in Yangliuping,Sichuan,and its significance

The Yangliuping Cu-Ni-PGE deposit is one of the most important PGE deposits in China.In the past over97%of the controlled reserves occurred in altered ultrabasic rocks with a low PGE grade.In1999the authors suggested through a field investigation of the hydrothermal ores at the peripheries of the main orebodies that the hydrothermal ores might be rich in PGE.This inference was later proved by ana-lytic data.Furthermore it has been found that hydrothermal ores and magmatic ores in the Yangliuping area have notably different PGE chondrite-normalized patterns.Recent geological survey in Yuhaizi and other areas suggests that there are good prospects for further looking for hydrothermal PGE deposits on the western margin of the Yangtze platform.