Prospects for the discovery of strategic mineral deposits (Cu, Co, Ni, EPG, Sc, V, Li, REE, Sr, graphite, hydrocarbons) in the diamond-bearing areas of the South of Western Yakutia

Background. There are prerequisites, signs and manifestations of deposits of strategic types of mineral raw materials Cu, Co, Ni, EPG, Sc, V, REE, hydrocarbons and graphite within the Nakyn, Mirninsky and Syuldyukarsky diamond-bearing fields, which are included, respectively, in the Sredne-Markhinsky, Malo-Botuobinsky and Ygyattinsky districts of the Western Yakut diamond province, there are prerequisites, signs and manifestations of deposits of strategic types of mineral raw materials Cu, Co, Ni, EPG, Sc, V, REE.

Aim. To establish the presence of strategic types of minerals in the diamond-bearing regions of Western Yakutia.

Materials and methods. The study is based on personal documentation of core and spot samples. ALROSA also provided the results of thousands of XRF analyzes that were systematically selected when drilling exploratory wells for kimberlites. Data processing was carried out according to standard statistical analysis methods using the capabilities of the Excel program. Mapping and maintenance of the digital database was carried out in the Quantum GIS (QGIS) environment.

Results. In the Ygyatta district, in the Triassic sills of the Holomolokha intrusion, areas in the rank of potential ore fields of copper-nickel sulfide ores with platinoids of the Norilsk-Talnakh type are localized. In the Late Devonian-carboniferous crust of weathering by kimberlites, there is an ore occurrence of Sc, Co, Ni, V, cerium rare earths. In the Nakyn field, ore occurrences of scandium and manifestations of vanadium and cerium rare earths are localized in the re-deposited weathering crusts of the late Triassic-Early Jurassic age. In the Malo-Botuobinsky district, sites of manifestations of Sc, Si-Ni sulfide mineralization, brown coal, graphite and bitumen as signs of oil deposits, as well as brines with high concentrations of bromine, strontium and lithium were found.

Conclusion. The presented data allows us to establish the presence of various types of minerals in different diamond-bearing regions of Western Yakutia and can become the basis for future prospecting work.

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