Publication: Mineralogical alteration and paragenesis of gold mineralization in Air Piau deposit, Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia
Date
2025-08-04
Authors
Muhamad Rai-Yan bin Mohamad Hatta
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Abstract
The Air Piau deposit in Kelantan, situated within Malaysia’s Central Gold Belt, hosts significant gold mineralization associated with mesothermal quartz veins in deformed metasedimentary rocks, yet its mineralogical alteration and paragenesis remained poorly characterized compared to other regional deposits. This research aimed to investigate the mineralogical alteration and paragenesis gold mineralization at the Air Piau deposit. The study combined detailed petrography, ore microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Laboratory preparation of thin and polished sections for mineralogical characterization. The results revealed that gold mineralization is spatially associated with quartz-carbonate veins hosted in greenschist (Chl+Bt+Qz) to lower amphibolite facies metasediments. Hydrothermal alteration zones(propyllitic and argillic), were found to correlate strongly with elevated gold concentrations. The highest gold content recorded was 0.93 ppm, with corresponding high values of arsenic (137 ppm) and lead (100 ppm). Paragenetic analysis indicated multiple stages of mineral deposition influenced by regional tectonics and magmatic-hydrothermal processes. This study provides the comprehensive mineralogical alteration of the Air Piau gold deposit to refine exploration models and guide more effective targeting of mineralized zones in Central Gold Belt, Malaysia.