Genetic types of gold deposits in Western Africa and their temporal and spatial distribution

West Africa is known as the "Gold Coast". In recent years, the gold in West Africa prospecting exploration and production has continuously broken new highs, and it has surpassed South Africa to become the most important gold-producing region in Africa. In order to understand the geological conditions and their temporal and spatial distribution of gold deposits in West Africa, this paper systematically sorts out and summarizes 156 gold deposits in West Africa. A comprehensive study found that West Africa has discovered gold reserves accounting for more than 7% of the world, and will become an important pole of global gold mining and supply in the future. In terms of genetic type, the gold orogenic type deposit is the main type in West Africa, and its ore-forming fluid is characterized by the enrichments of water and carbon. The conglomerate type gold deposit is the second important genetic type, which is an unique type in West Africa. The gold deposits in West Africa are widely distributed and highly concentrated in time. The Eburnean Orogeny (2.2 ~2.0 Ga) in Paleoproterozoic has an absolute control on the formation of gold deposits in West Africa, and relatively few gold deposits formed in other periods. The gold deposits in West Africa are widely distributed in space and have obvious cluster distribution characteristics, which are concentrated in the Leo shield area within the West Africa Craton. Whereas, the other areas are sporadically exposed. According to the geological background and spatial distribution of gold deposits in West Africa, 23 Ⅳ metallogenic belts are firstly divided in this area. The above research is not only helpful to understand the metallogenic geological conditions and distribution rules of gold deposits in West Africa, but also could supply some indication on the next prospecting and exploration deployment, and also may provide some enlightenment for the theoretical research of gold deposits in this area.