Timing and Source of the Hermyingyi W-Sn Deposit in Southern Myanmar, SE Asia: Evidence from Molybdenite Re-Os Age and Sulfur Isotopic Composition

Abstract

The Hermyingyi W-Sn deposit, situated in southern Myanmar, SE Asia, is a typical quartz-vein type W-Sn deposit. The ore-bearing quartz veins are mainly hosted by the Hermyingyi monzogranite which intruded into the Carboniferous metasedimentary rocks of Mergui Series. According to mineral assemblages and crosscutting relationships, four ore-forming stages are recognized: (1) silicate-oxide stage; (2) quartz-sulfide stage; (3) barren quartz vein stage; (4) supergene stage. Five molybdenite samples from the deposit yield Re-Os model ages ranging from 67.8±1.6 to 69.2±1.6 Ma (weighted mean age of 68.7±1.2 Ma), and a well-defined isochron age of 68.4±2.5 Ma (MSWD=0.18, 2σ). This Re-Os age is consistent with the previously published zircon U-Pb age of the Hermyingyi monzogranite (70.0±0.4 Ma) (MSWD=0.9, 2σ) within errors, which indicates a genetic link between the monzogranitic magmatism and W-Sn mineralization. The new high-precision geochronological data reveal that the granitic magmatism and associated W-Sn mineralization in southern Myanmar took place during the Late Cretaceous (70-68 Ma). The extremely low Re contents (22.9 ppb to 299 ppb) in molybdenite, coupled with sulfide δ³⁴S values in the range of +1.9‰ to +5.6‰ suggest that ore-forming metals were predominately sourced from the crustal-derived granitic magma.

Keywords

Hermyingyi W-Sn deposit / molybdenite Re-Os dating / sulfur isotopes / Myanmar / SE Asia

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