Re-Os and U-Pb geochronology of the Laochang Pb-Zn-Ag and concealed porphyry Mo mineralization along the Changning-Menglian suture, SW China: implications for ore genesis and porphyry Cu-Mo exploration

Numerous polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS), vein, and replacement deposits are distributed along the Changning-Menglian suture zone in Sanjiang Tethyan metallogenic province, SW China. Laochang is the largest Pb-Zn-Ag vein and replacement deposit in this area, with a proven reserve of 0.51 Mt Pb, 0.34 Mt Zn, and 1,737 t Ag. Its age and relationship to magmatic events and VMS deposits in the region, however, have long been debated. In this paper, we present pyrite Re-Os and titanite U-Pb ages aiming to provide significant insights into the timing and genesis of the Pb-Zn-Ag mineralization. Pyrite grains in textural equilibrium with galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite from stratabound Pb-Zn-Ag and Cu-bearing Pb-Zn-Ag orebodies have a Re-Os isochron age of 45.7 +/- 3.1 Ma (2 sigma, mean square weighted deviation (MSWD) = 0.45), whereas titanite grains intergrown with sulfide minerals yield a weighted mean Pb-206/U-238 age of 43.4 +/- 1.2 Ma (2 sigma, n = 8). A Mo-mineralized granitic porphyry intersected by recent drilling below the Laochang Pb-Zn-Ag ores yields a zircon U-Pb age of 44.4 +/- 0.4 Ma (2 sigma, n = 12). Within analytical uncertainties, the ages of the Pb-Zn-Ag deposit and the concealed Mo-mineralized porphyry are indistinguishable, indicating that they are products of a single magmatic hydrothermal system. The results show that Laochang Pb-Zn-Ag deposit is significantly younger than the host mafic volcanic rock (zircon U-Pb age of 320.8 +/- 2.7 Ma; 2 sigma, n = 12) and Silurian VMS deposits along the Changning-Menglian suture zone, arguing against its origin as a Carboniferous VMS deposit as many researchers claimed. The initial Os-187/Os-188 ratio (0.540 +/- 0.012) obtained from the pyrite Re-Os isochron suggests that metals were likely derived from the granitic porphyry that formed from a hybrid magma due to mixing of crustal- and mantle-derived melts, rather than from the mafic volcanic host rocks as previously thought. Our results favor that the Laochang Pb-Zn-Ag deposit is the shallow product of a porphyry Mo system. Thus, there is potential for discovery of porphyry Mo or Cu-Mo deposits below Laochang and similar Pb-Zn-Ag deposits in the Changning-Menglian suture zone.