The Ore and Gangue Mineralogy of the Newly Discovered Federation Massive Sulfide Deposit, Central New South Wales, Australia

The newly discovered Federation deposit, with a resource estimate of 2.6 Mt @ 7.7% Pb, 13.5% Zn, 0.8 g/t Au, and 9 Ag, lies 10 km south the Hera deposit within Cobar Basin Lachlan Orogen. Located just north Erimeran Granite contact between Lower Amphitheatre Group underlying shallow marine Mouramba Roset Sandstone, host siltstones sandstones have been brecciated, intensely silicified, chloritized close to mineralization. Oriented in an overall east-northeast strike steep south-southeast dip, mainly comprise quartz, clinochlore, biotite, muscovite. also has highly fragmented zones breccia vein-fill calcite. main ore mineralization includes sphalerite galena, lesser chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, gold, very rare meneghinite. Mineralization occurs silicified veins breccias Zn-Pb sulfides, which generally grade moderate veining sulfides Pb Cu dominant as well minor base metals associated visible gold. throughout is fairly simple, low diversity minerals. Iron concentration varies decreasing towards center. Observations massive gradations red honeycomb yellow indicate transition from high Fe (7–10%) (2–5%) coarse sulfide assemblages over short distance. Within mineralized corridor, fibrous amphibole inclusions galena/sphalerite are observed at 251 m, epidote 573 m. Other ore-associated gangue minerals include ilmenite, siderite, scheelite, magnetite, apatite, rutile.