Research Status and Progress of Nonsulfide Zinc-Lead Deposit

The nonsulfide zinc-lead deposits are composed of zinc and lead "oxides". Nonsulfide zinc-lead deposits are classified as supergene and hypogene deposits. The supergene deposits are primarily formed by the supergene oxidation, which are mainly composed of smithsonite, hemimorphite and cerussite. These supergene nonsulfide deposits consist of three subtypes, as as direct-replacement deposits, wall-rock replacement deposit, and residual and karst-fill deposit. The hypogene deposits are mainly formed by the hydrothermal solutions which consist dominantly of willemite, smithsonite and cerussite. These hypogene deposits are subdivided into structurally controlled deposit and stratiform deposit. The hypogene deposits show distinct carbon and oxygen compositions with the supergene deposits. In this paper, the characteristics and genesis of the nonsulfide deposits have been presented, and the research progress on the Huoshaoyun zinc-lead deposit has been introduced. The Huoshaoyun deposit is the largest zinc-lead deposit in China, with the zinc-ead metal reserve of more than 17 million tonnes. This deposit is primarily composed of smithsonite, cerussite, galena and sphalerite. The latest research show that this deposit was experienced two ore-forming stages:an early and primary zinc-lead carbonate ore-forming stage, and a late zinc-lead sulfide ore-forming stage. The geological characteristics and stable isotope features indicate that the Huoshaoyun deposit is a stratiform (exhalative) hypogene nonsulfide zinc-lead deposit.