Geology, alteration and mineralization studies of the Barmolk porphyry copper deposit (North of Varzeghan – East Azarbaijan Province)

Exploration area of Barmolk is located in the northwest of the country, East Azarbaijan province and northeast of the Varzeghan county. Northern outcrops of the area consist of Eocene volcanic and volcanoclastic rocks and Oligocene porphyry quartzmonzonite intrusion bodies, which are cut off by first and second generation non-mineralized dikes. Towards to the north, this mass is in contact with upper Cretaceous-Paleocene carbonate-flysch deposits. In addition, Plio-Quaternary injection of dacite subvolcanic domes and eruption of alkaline basalt in the studied area have taken place. Kighal porphyry extends to the southwest of Barmolk area. Phyllic, propylitic and argillic hydrothermal alterations were identified in this mass, but potassic alteration was not observed. This indicates that the Barmolk porphyry is not an independent mass and is the margin of Kighal porphyry mass. The main texture in this mass is porphyritic with fine-graind matrix. Mineralization appears to be disseminated, vein-veinlet and fracture surface filling including chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite and pyrite. Pyrite content in this mass is low, and this is one of the reasons for the lack of supergene enrichment zone. Due to the presence of lead and zinc mineralization mostly in the form of vein-veinlet in the first-generation quartzdiorite dikes (DK1) and with regards to the injection of these dikes into Sungun after supergene zone formation, the mineralization of lead and zinc can be attributed to  the epithermal processes, related to the Barmolk intrusive mass. Consequently, the latter mineralization occurred after the injection of first-generation quartzdiorite dikes.