Discovery and geological significance of Sandaowanzi telluride type gold deposit in the northern Daxing′anling, Heilongjiang, China

Sandaowanzi gold deposit in the northern Daxing′anling belongs to mesothermal-epithermal type. The gold bearing quartz veins are hosted by trachyandezite and trachyandezite brecia of lower Cretaceous Tamulangou formation. Optical Microscope and Scanning Electron microscope analyses with EDX indicate that tellurium-bearing gold mineral assemblage is the dominant gold-bearing minerals present in the ore vein. It is shown from statistical analysis that Au, Ag and Te contents are respectively, Au: 30.20 wt %, Ag: 34.35 wt %, and Te:35.45%wt. Based on the gold bearing mineral assemblages and metallogenic setting, the Sandaowanzi gold deposit may be comparable with typical epithermal Au-Ag-Te deposits in the world.