Geological Characteristics and Genesis of Luowen Iron Deposit in Preah Vihear of Cambodia

Luowen iron deposit is located in Luowen county of Preah Vihear, northern Cambodia. Located in the center of Luowen basement vault, the deposit is an important origin of Cambodia iron mineral resources. The eruption and intrusion activity of intermediate-acidic magma is strong in Yanshanian. The primary ore bodies mainly present as banding, lensing, vein, cystic, and are hosted by volcanic rock which contains andesite, diorite porphyrite and tuff. Alterations such as skarnization, chloritization, epidotization, silicification, biotitization and carbonatization strongly occur in the surrounding rock. Based on ore textures and mineral assemblages as well as characteristics of surrounding rock alteration, two periods of ore deposition were distinguished: magmatic period and hydrothermal ore-forming period, which could be further subdivided into three metallogenic stages: diopside-garnet-magnetite stage, diopside-garnet-tremolite-chlorite-magnetite stage and pyrite(chalcopyrite)-specularite-carbonate stage. According to the field geological investigation, ore deposit geological characteristics and geochemistry, the genesis of Luowen iron deposit belongs to volcanic-subvolcanic iron deposit, relating to volcanic-subvolcanic rock and their hydrothermal activities. The mineralization is mainly controlled by the volcanic institutions especially crater and volcanic neck.