Transport of gold and silver in oxygen‐saturated fluids and the formation of high‐fineness gold in saprolitic supergene environments

This paper presents the results of thermodynamic calculations on the solubility of gold and silver in low‐temperature, moderately saline, oxygen‐saturated fluids. Based on the solubilities of gold and silver it is argued that the quantity of gold transported by the fluids depends on the concentration of silver in the primary ores. In ores where the silver/gold ratio is high (1 to > 10), the fluids become saturated in silver and can not dissolve geologically significant concentrations of gold. In ores where the silver/gold ratio is low (< 1), the fluids remain undersaturated with respect to silver and are able to dissolve geologically realistic concentrations of gold and silver. The oxidized fluids start depositing gold and silver as they move downwards and are reduced by the Fe⁺²‐bearing minerals of the primary ores. The occurrence of gold in lateritic profiles can be explained by a prolonged process of interaction between the fluid and primary ores, during which gold and silver precipitate and redissolve selectively at the gradually advancing oxidation‐reduction interface.

Key words:

• gold
• laterites
• saprolites
• silver
• thermodynamic modelling