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Nickel Dispersion at the Bottom of the Regolith: Formation of Pimelite Target-Like Ores in Rock Block Joints in Koniambo Ni Deposit (New Caledonia)

Michel Cathelineau 1 Benoît Quesnel 2 Pierre Gautier 2 Philippe Boulvais 2 Clément Couteau 3 Maxime Drouillet
1 G2R - Géologie et gestion des ressources minérales et énergétiques
2 GR - Géosciences Rennes
3 Service Geologique de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
Abstract : In New Caledonian Ni deposits, kerolite ore occur in fractures within saprolite level, generally several tens of meters to one hundred meters below the present-day relief. They are affected by active dissolution precipitation processes when rocks reach a certain depth close to the surface, e.g. within the water table oscillation zone. Fracture-related kerolite ore account for rather local high Ni-grades, much above the average exploited grade. Close to this kerolite veins occurs pimelite target like characterized by their chemical and mineralogical zoning with an outer green pimelite rim around a white inner zone consisting in Mg-kerolite. These target-like are precipitated in open spaces, particularly in narrow joints. This work presents a mineralogical and chemical characterization of the target-like and proposes a model where alternate periods of hydration and drying, induced by water table movements, lead to the extensive dispersion of nickel and its re-precipitation as target-like.
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Conference papers
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https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01336622
Contributor : Isabelle Dubigeon <>
Submitted on : Thursday, June 23, 2016 - 2:12:49 PM
Last modification on : Friday, April 5, 2019 - 8:17:49 PM

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  • HAL Id : insu-01336622, version 1

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Michel Cathelineau, Benoît Quesnel, Pierre Gautier, Philippe Boulvais, Clément Couteau, et al.. Nickel Dispersion at the Bottom of the Regolith: Formation of Pimelite Target-Like Ores in Rock Block Joints in Koniambo Ni Deposit (New Caledonia). SGA2015: 13th Biennial meeting, Aug 2015, Nancy, France. pp.1157-1160. ⟨insu-01336622⟩

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