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Deposit Synonyms
GOOD LUCK; MOUNT FITTON
Mineral District
Deposit Summary
structurally controlled Cu-Ag-Pb-Zn mineralisation with anomalous Sb, Bi, As, Cd, Au, U. Production ~600t. Host dolomite of the Amberoona Formation. Mineralisation with no significant depth extent.
Deposit Description
BILLY SPRINGS, mine situated in the northern Flinders Ranges and ~3 km SW of Billy Spring and ~1 km from Mt Fitton No. 5 Talc workings. Workings consist of several shallow shafts with drives, surface costeans and a narrow open-cut pit (~60 x 6 x 6 m). Operations continued sporadically from 1889 to 1917, 1923 to 1937 and 1959 to ~1975.
The mine is located on the north limb of a westerly pitching syncline. Within this main syncline disharmonic folding produced a central anticline flanked by synclines to the north and south. The orebody was localised at the intersection of the regional cleavage, and dolomite and tremolitic dolomite. This intersection plane plunged 21 towards 287 (magnetic). Observations in the open cut indicated a lode striking 110, dipping 80-85 S. Ore lodes include steeply dipping partly oxidised antimonial zinc-copper-lead-silver sulphides (mostly as galena, some chalcocite, pyrite and tetrahedrite, most with trace gold). Secondary oxidation minerals included willemite, malachite, azurite, cerussite, smithsonite, oxides of Pb and Sb, chrysocolla, with subordinate calamine, digenite and carnotite located nearby the main mineralisation. Gangue minerals included quartz, calcite, siderite and iron oxide.
The lodes occur within hydrothermally altered Neoproterozoic Amberoona Formation dolomite that forms folded rocks with hornfels, phyllite and talcose schist textures and fabrics. Lode attitude has a northwesterly strike with a steep dip southwards. Numerous ore assays have been reported by several authors but Coats and Blissett (Bulletin 43), provide a summary of the maximum values obtained: Zn 42%, Pb 50%, Cu 32%, Ag >30 oz/t, Sb 7%, As 0.1%, Cd 0.2%, Sn 5 ppm, with trace Au and Bi. Total ore production from this deposit was small (<2,500 tonne). There were mineral separation and beneficiation difficulties encountered with the ore, and some challenging metallurgical issues that the ore presented when smelted overseas (1889-1917). For those reasons, from 1959 most ore went into fertiliser production as trace element additives.
Subsequent exploration drilling in 1970 suggested the mineralisation was near surface, and of no significant depth extent.
Discovery Year
? 1884
Commodities
Zinc, Copper, Lead, Silver, Antimony
Ore Minerals
Argentite, Azurite, Cerussite, Cervantite, Chalcocite, Chrysocolla, Galena, Malachite, Smithsonite, Stibnite, Tetrahedrite
Gangue Minerals
Calcite, Iron oxide (non specific), Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite
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