The geology, geochemistry and genetic investigation of Inlice (Konya) epithermal gold deposit

Inlice epithermal gold deposit is located in approximately 40 km southwest of Konya province, and hosted by Erenlerdağ-Alacadağ Volcanic Complex (EAVC). Volcanic rocks, which are divided into four units as andesite, block and ash flow, basaltic andesite and andesite lava flow from the oldest to the youngest in the study area, are geochemically subalkaline, high potassium calc-alkaline and metaluminous/weak peraluminous. In addition, it can be said that the volcanism developed in the EAVC is derived from an enriched lithospheric mantle source associated with the subduction, and geological processes such as fractional crystallization, crustal contamination and/or mixing during its formation. The alteration in andesitic rocks is characterized by silicified zones (consisting of vuggy-sugary and chalcedonic/opaline textured quartz), quartz-alunite, argilic and pyropylitic alteration from the center of alteration zone towards fresh host rocks, respectively. Mineralization, represented by sulfide minerals such as mostly pyrite, enargite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, covelline, sphalerite and marcasite, is associated with vuggy-sugary textured silicified zone controlled by NW-SE trending structural lines. Alteration-mineralization geochemistry and mineral chemistry analyses show that gold enrichment is directly related to enargite minerals. Gold can be observed as disseminated grains between 2 and 6 µm in areas where sulfide minerals are oxidized. Mineralization is associated with hydrothermal fluids of magmatic origin mixed with meteoric fluids based on fluid inclusion and stable isotope studies. Mineralogical (such as XRD, SEM and Terraspec), fluid inclusion, sulfur isotope and EPMA studies have shown that Ana Batı ve Merkez Zones are areas associated with mineralogies formed by high temperature hydrothermal fluids. In conclusion, Inlice is a typical high sulfidation epithermal system based on the host rock, alteration pattern, mineral association, ore texture/metal content, fluid inclusion and stable isotope characteristics.