Mineralization at the Santa Luz Project is consistent with an orogenic gold deposit type. Orogenic gold deposits are distributed along major compressional to transpressional crustal-scale fault zones, in deformed greenstone terranes commonly marking the convergent margins between major lithological domains, such as volcano-plutonic and sedimentary domains.
In the Project area, gold deposits are hosted within the Paleoproterozoic aged Rio Itapicurú Greenstone Belt (RIGB), which was deformed and metamorphosed during the Trans-Amazon Orogeny (approximately 2 Ga). Gold mineralization mainly occurs with fault-related quartz-sulphide and quartz-carbonate-sulphide veining and quartz-sulphide breccia. Alteration includes sericitization, carbonate alteration, albitization, sulphidation, and silicification.
Gold deposits and prospects in the Project area occur in silicified breccia zones at or proximal to the faulted contact of the volcanic and sedimentary domains of the RIGB. Significant gold targets and deposits in the Santa Luz trend include the C1 (formally called Maria Preta and including Antas 1), Antas 2, Antas 3, the Mansinha Trend (South, including M11 and M3-M4, and North, including M16 and M17), and the Mari Deposit.
The C1, Antas 2, Antas 3, Mansinha South (including the M11 and M3-M4 zones), Mansinha North (including the M16 and M17 zones), and Mari deposits are hosted in a set of three parallel, gently to moderately dipping, reverse and/o ........
