Placer Gold Deposits in Madari Gold Mine Southern

World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Geological and Environmental Engineering

Vol:15, No:1, 2021
Placer Gold Deposits in Madari Gold Mine, Southern

Eastern Desert, Egypt: Orientation, Source and
Distribution
Tarek Sedki
 along the northwest direction due to the effect by NW-SE

Abstract—Madari gold mine is delineated by latitudes 22° 30' sinistral strike-slip fault against the metavolcanics and
29" and 22° 32' 33" N and longitudes 36° 24' 03" and 35°11' 44" E. metatuffs further west. Elsewhere, the movement by this fault
Geologically, Madari rock units are classified into dismembered is associated with thrust component and some slices of the
ophiolites, arc volcanic assemblage, syntectonic metagabbro-diorites
highly sheared ultramafic rocks are thrusted over these arc
Open Science Index, Geological and Environmental Engineering Vol:15, No:1, 2021 waset.org/Publication/10011738
and Mineralized quartz diorite and granodiorite. Deposition of gold in

area occurred as a direct result of weathering of nearby gold-bearing volcanics in style of transpression contact. To the east and
veins. Main concentrations of gold are supposed to ensue close to the south, the foliatons are mainly striking ENE-WSW as they
bed rock. Nevertheless, the several shallow channel-fill features controlled by the ENE-WSW dextral strike-slip fault. In this
covering lag deposits, arising throughout the alluvial fan sequence part, the dip of foliations is generally moderate (50o-60o) and
would definitely contain a percentage of the finer gold due to the orients SE but, in places, it attains NW direction revealing
limited washing and sorting capacity of the uncommon flood events.
NE-F1 minor plunging folds.
Gold deposits arise as disseminated and separate gold with limited
pyrite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite everywhere veins in the wall The ultramafic rocks form the higher peaks and are
rocks and lode gold deposits in quartz veins. In places, the wall rocks, separated tectonically from the ophiolite metagabbro and
in near district of the quartz vein, are grieved strong silicification, amphibolites by highly sheared derivatives of talc schist,
chloritization and pyritization as a result of a metasomatic alteration tremolite talc schist, talc graphite schist and talc carbonates
due to purification of external hydrothermal fluids. Quartz veins are (Figs. 4 (a)-(c)). The ophiolite metagabbros are highly
mostly steeply dipping and display banding features and frequently
deformed and dominantly transformed, especially along the
sheared and brecciated.
contact with the ultramafic rocks into amphibolite. They form
Keywords—Madari gold mine, placer deposits, southern eastern elongated masses with relatively moderate outcrops but with
desert, gold mineralization, quartz veins. unmapped scale.
B. Arc Volcanic Assemblage
I. INTRODUCTION
This assemblage covers the easternmost part with some
M ADARI gold mine area is delineated by latitudes 22° 30'

29" and 22° 32' 33" N and longitudes 36° 24' 03" and
35°11' 44" E, can be reached by “Shalatin-Gabal Maladob”
exposures farther west of the study area. It is mainly
recognized as metabasalts to metabasaltic andesites and
metatuffs. In the field, the rocks are characterized by dark
asphaltic road, then 15 km south east of Gabal Korab Kansi green colour and rusty brown weathered surfaces. Their
(Fig. 1). The rock units showing in the area are categorized foliations are mainly striking WNW-ESE to NW-SE and dip
into dismembered ophiolites, arc volcanic assemblage, syn- generally NE and, elsewhere SW indicating development of
tectonic metagabbro-diorites and mineralized quartz diorite NW-F2 minor plunging folds. Against the ophiolitic
and granodiorite (Fig. 2). components, they are extensively transformed into epidote
Gold placers follow in a varied number of kinds situated in chlorite, chlorite and, occasionally, hornblende schists.
a diversity of geomorphological environs. Reference [1] made
a simplified classification that included Residual placers, C. Syntectonic Metagabbro-Diorites
Eluvial placers, Stream placers, Bench placers, Flood gold These rocks are intruding the northern parts of the
deposits, Desert placers, Tertiary gravels, Miscellaneous types dismembered ophiolites and form highly eroded moderate and
(Beach placers- Glacial deposits- Eolian deposits- Marine low-lying exposures (Fig. 4 (d)). They are less deformed and
placers), Fig. 3. enclose relics of dismembered ophiolitic components.
Generally, the rocks are dark in color, but occasionally display
II. GEOLOGICAL SETTING leuco- and melano-cratic bands away from the ophiolitic
contact.
A. Dismembered Ophiolites
These rocks form rugged mountainous belt and delimits the
study area from the east and south then their foliations turn left
Tarek Sedki is with the Minia University, Egypt (e-mail:

t.sedki@yahoo.com).
International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 15(1) 2021 18 ISNI:0000000091950263
Vol:15, No:1, 2021
Fig. 1 Location map of Madarai gold mine and accessibility
Fig. 2 Geologic map of Madari area
Vol:15, No:1, 2021
diorite. The first type is relatively very rare and unmineralized,

while the second type is mostly enriched auriferous quartz
veins and delimits the margin of quartz diorite against the
metagabbro-diorite (Figs. 4 (d), 5 (c)). Elsewhere, the
mineralized granodiorite involves relics of highly altered or
digested quartz diorite masses.
Fig. 3 Placer types
D.Mineralized Quartz Diorite and Granodiorite
Fig. 5 (a) Auriferous smoky quartz veins and sigmoidal vein striking
ENE-WSW in quartz diorite (shown by small yellow arrows in (a),
(b)) and granodiorite (yellow arrow in (c))
III. GOLD TRAP SITES DETERMINATION AND SAMPLING

PROCESS
The orientation stream sediment survey is carried on Madari
area to help in identifying the best parameters in the sampling
process.
Stream classifications are used to choice the best (Grade A)
area to take the placer sample (gold trap), if the channel
pattern is straight, meandering or braided (Fig. 6) [2].
Prospection of gold mineralization of stream sediments
program is accompanied by digging of pits in the stream
sediments shed of the investigated area. Collected samples of
stream sediments were panned into heavy concentrate fraction
Fig. 4 (a) White line separating the contact of mineralized quartz which endangered to mineralogical studies and atomic
diorite against the high relief dismembered ophiolites, (b) Outcrops absorption analyses to identify their gold and silver contents.
of talc schist and graphite schist of highly sheared ultramafic rocks, Applied prospecting program includes also the atomic
(c) Relics of ultramafics within talc schist, (d) Yellow arrow refers to absorption analyses of stream sediments (-3 mm fraction)
moderate relief of syntectonic metagabbro against low-lying outcrop samples to identify their gold contents, Fig. 7.
of mineralized granodiorite
IV. GOLD DEPOSITION AND DISTRIBUTION
Quartz diorite is highly deformed mainly exposed in the
center forming low-lying outcrops (about 350 by 850 m) Other Deposition of gold in Madari gold mine occurred as a direct
masses are exposed in the east and west penetrating and, result of weathering of nearby gold-bearing veins, Fig. 8, and
sometimes, extending underlying the foliations of metagabbro- was deposited as a result of the alluviation of the pedimont
diorite and rarely dismembered ophiolites. To the north, field surface along the base of the uplifted fault block. A series of
work showed appearance and extension of the quartz diorite at shallow braided channels starting at the head of the deposit
many unmapable outcrops beneath the wadi deposits. A lot of merge down slope to form a broad area of more or less
auriferous smoky quartz veins to veinlets attaining linear and continuous placer diggings.
sigmoidal pattern and enriched in gold mineralization are Highest concentrations of gold are believed to occur close
injected the quartz diorite and dominated along ENE-WSW to the bed rock interface in topographically low areas
and occasionally NW-SE trends (Figs. 5 (a), (b)). delineated by channels and scoured depressions. However, the
Granodiorites form low relief in the center and are represented numerous shallow channel-fill features containing lag
by coarse-grained and fine-grained types intruding the quartz deposits, occurring throughout the alluvial fan sequence would
Vol:15, No:1, 2021
undoubtedly contain a portion of the finer gold due to the events.

limited washing and sorting capacity of the infrequent flood
Fig. 6 Stream types, gold trap sites in 2D and 3D,
V. NATURE AND SOURCE OF GOLD MINERALIZATION

Gold mineralization in Madari prospect is highly complex,
due to different trends of the smoky and white quartz veins
and not all of them mineralized as well as the felsic porphyry
dikes which sometimes have a low grade and sometimes
barren. The smoky quartz veins, in general have two main
trends 120/25 SW and 350/50 E. The first trend is the
mineralized one with thickness from a few centimeters to half
Fig. 7 Sampling preparation for analysis (sieving and panning) [Op; a meter and found as sheeted veins and always host in the
operation abbreviation] gabbro-diorite. While the second trend is related to the post
mineralization N-S shear zones and not mineralized. The felsic
Vol:15, No:1, 2021
porphyry dikes invaded throw the gabbro-diorite intrusive and with trend 280/70 N host in gabbro diorite and located to the
always neighbor to the smoky veins. This porphyry has high SW of the main old work area and appears to be post
silica, biotite and sericite alterations. The white sheeted veins mineralization veins.
Fig. 8 Landsat map show the distribution of the placer gold sample near the bed rocks and auriferous quartz veins
Gold deposits occur as disseminated and discrete gold with

limited pyrite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite around veins in
the wall rocks and lode gold deposits in quartz veins. In
places, the wall rocks, in close vicinity of the quartz vein, are
suffered intense silicification, chloritization and pyritization
suggestive a metasomatic alteration due to percolation of
external hydrothermal fluids. Quartz veins are mostly steeply
dipping and exhibit banding features and mostly sheared and
brecciated.
Originally, the gold mineralization depends on three factors;
source rocks, source of hydrothermal fluids and engine that
transport and concentrate the gold deposits in mineable gold
localities. In the Eastern Desert of Egypt, despite there is a
general agreement that the source rocks are mainly ophiolites
and island arc volcanics and, sometimes, granitoids intruded
inside or nearby the contact of these rocks, however source of
the two other factors have been a matter of controversy among
many authors. Some authors consider that the intrusion of
granitic rocks is accompanied by a convection flow system at
the contact with the pre-existing metamorphic rocks and
represent as heat engine and thus leads to the mobilization,
leaching and re-deposition of gold into quartz veins close to
this contact [3]. Others favor either a metamorphic origin [4]
combined metamorphic-magmatic origin [5] or brittle-ductile
Fig. 9 (A) Smoky quartz vein with visible gold, (B) White Qz vein
shear zones for the source of hydrothermal solutions and
intruded within gabbro-diorite
Vol:15, No:1, 2021
spatial distribution of gold deposits [6]. The results of surface depth. Green and black circles in the structural map represent
(Avg. = 0 to 3.08 ppm) and subsurface (Avg. = 2.1 to 21.01 distribution of surface and subsurface locations of rock
ppm) samples reflect more concentration of gold deposits at samples, Fig. 10.
Fig. 9 Structural map showing the distribution of surface and sub-surface bed rock and quartz vein samples
VI. CONCLUSION factors; source rocks, source of hydrothermal fluids and

Madari area contains geologically dismembered ophiolites, machine that conveyance and distillate the gold deposits in
arc volcanic assemblage, syn-tectonic metagabbro-diorites and mineable gold localities.
mineralized quartz diorite and granodiorite. Gold in Madari
gold mine transpired as outcome of weathering of adjacent REFERENCES
gold-bearing veins. Gold deposits ensue as disseminated and [1] Wells, J. H. (1969). "Placer Examination, Principles and Practice.
United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management."
discrete gold with pyrite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite Technical Bulletin 4.
everywhere veins in the wall rocks and gold deposits in quartz [2] Schumm, S. A. (1985). "Patterns of alluvial rivers." Annual Review of
veins. Formerly, the gold mineralization is firm by three Earth and Planetary Sciences 13: 5-27.
Vol:15, No:1, 2021
[3] Said, A., Zaghlol, K, and El Shimi, K. (2015). "Gold bearing-quartz

veins in island arc metavolcanics, case study: Wadi mahasin, west
Qusier, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt."
[4] Hassan, M.M. and El Mezayen, A.M. (1995). Genesis of gold
mineralization in the Eastern Desert, Egypt. Al-Azhar Bulletin of
Science v. 6: pp. 921-939.
[5] Klemm, D. D., Klemm, R., Murr, A. (2001). "Gold of the Pharaohs-
6000 years of gold mining in Egypt and Nubia" J. Afr. Earth Sci. v. 33:
pp. 643-659.
[6] Zoheir, B., Emam, A., El Amawy, M., Abu Alam, T. (2017).
"Auriferous shear zones in the central Allaqi-Heiani belt: Orogenic gold
in post-accretionary structures, SE Egypt." Journal of African Sciences,
v. 30: pp.1-14.

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World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology

International Journal of Geological and Environmental Engineering

Placer Gold Deposits in Madari Gold Mine, Southern

 along the northwest direction due to the effect by NW-SE

and Mineralized quartz diorite and granodiorite. Deposition of gold in

M ADARI gold mine area is delineated by latitudes 22° 30'

Tarek Sedki is with the Minia University, Egypt (e-mail:

Fig. 1 Location map of Madarai gold mine and accessibility

Fig. 2 Geologic map of Madari area

diorite. The first type is relatively very rare and unmineralized,

III. GOLD TRAP SITES DETERMINATION AND SAMPLING

undoubtedly contain a portion of the finer gold due to the events.

Fig. 6 Stream types, gold trap sites in 2D and 3D,

V. NATURE AND SOURCE OF GOLD MINERALIZATION

Gold deposits occur as disseminated and discrete gold with

VI. CONCLUSION factors; source rocks, source of hydrothermal fluids and

[3] Said, A., Zaghlol, K, and El Shimi, K. (2015). "Gold bearing-quartz

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