Genesis of Dochileh copper deposit, east of Mayamey; based on geological, mineralogical and geochemical constraints

Dochileh copper deposit is located 72 km east of Shahrood, 15 km east of Mayamey, in North Central Iran volcanic belt. The stratigraphic sequence of the region comprises a considerable amount of volcanic and volcanic-sedimentary deposits of Eocene. these deposits are locally covered by Neogen and Quaternary deposits. The volcanic rocks hosting mineralization are composed of different rocks including basalt, andesite basalt and trachy andesitebasalt rocks that often contain plagioclase and clinopyroxene phenocrysts. The copper mineralization mostly occurred along the faults and fractures with the dominant trend of NW-SE in the basaltic rocks as vein-veinlets and open space fillings. Ore minerals including primary native copper and hematite, and secondary minerals such as malachite, goethite, hematite. gangue minerals such as calcite, zeolite and analcime. The wallrock alterations in the host rocks include chloritic, carbonatic, analcime-zeolite and iron oxide. The oxidation of mafic minerals such as pyroxene and magnetite were responsible for copper reduction and hematitic alteration. Geochemical investigation indicates that amounts of Cu and Ag are up to 5.11 wt% and 7.8 ppm, respectively. According to field studies, mineralogy and alteration, the Duchileh copper deposit appears to be formed during diagenesis and burial metamorphism, and dominantly during the orogeny and uplift processes, due to enterance of hot ore fluids along the fractures and faults perpendicular to the fold axis. The Duchileh deposit have a large resemblance to the basaltic copper or Michigan-type copper deposits in terms of tectonic setting, host rock, mineralogy, metal content, alteration and ore controls.