A new style of Ni-Cu mineralization related to magmatic breccia pipes in a transpressional magmatic arc, Aguablanca, Spain

The Aguablanca deposit represents a new style of\udmagmatic Ni Cu mineralization in discordant sulfide rich pyro\udxenitic breccia pipes. The orebody is hosted by Variscan calc\udalkaline diorites and gabbros which intruded during an oblique\udsubduction/collision event. Transpressional transtensional\udleft lateral structures facilitated the intrusion of primitive magmas\udto shallow depths in the crust. A two stage genetic model is\udproposed. In the first stage, a transitional deep magma chamber\udformed. The primitive magma interacted at depth with wall rocks,\udresulting in extensive crustal contamination, concomitant sulfide\udmagma immiscibility and settling of orthopyroxene , clinopyrox\udene and sulfide rich cumulates to form a layered magmatic\udcomplex. Geochemical and mineralogical evidence, including the\udvirtual disappearance of olivine, heavy 34S values (7.4‰),\uddistinctive Nd, Sr and Pb signatures, high Au contents, and the\udpresence of spinel and graphite indicate a major interaction with\udthe upper crust, probably with pyrite rich carbonaceous slates of\udLate Proterozoic age. The second stage was related with the\udemplacement of residual calc alkaline gabbroic to noritic melts\udand the development of an intrusive breccia containing fragments\udof the consolidated layered complex rocks and associated\uddisseminated to massive sulfide