Putt's Well deposit, Bimbowrie Conservation Park, Pastoral Unincorporated Area, South Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Putt's Well deposit	Occurrence (Abandoned)
Bimbowrie Conservation Park	Conservation Area
Pastoral Unincorporated Area	Unincorporated Area
South Australia	State
Australia	Country

Discovered in 1888, workings developed along a Cu-Au mineralised line of lode extending EW for ~500 m. Mineralisation occurs in fractures, joints and foliation partings, and is confined to a relatively narrow calc-silicate to actinolite quartzite horizon of the Bimba Formation. Host rock trends EW, dip 30-70° S, and forms part of the keel and northern limb of a relatively large syncline pitching SW. Secondary mineralisation is dominantly copper carbonates, with trace chalcopyrite, and minor pyrite. Rare, 2-4 micron blebs and spindles of gold occur as inclusions in oxidised pyrite. Trace blebs of chalcopyrite occur as inclusions in plagioclase. Associated rock types include variants of an igneous suite from mafic micromonzite to recrystallised biotite albitite. Immediate host to mineralisation was a schistose, biotite, microgranoblastic albite rock. The origin of the ore minerals is suggested to be of magmatic origin. Grab samples from parcels of ore ran from 1-10 g/t Au. No production figures are recorded.

The South Australian Government Geologist, HYL Brown, reports in his 1908 book, Record of the Mines of South Australia, "There are small veins of quartz and gossan, with calcareous and argillaccous material stained green with carbonate of copper, varying in width from an inch or two to a foot. The bedrock consists of felsite, containing both mica and hornblende, evidently a metamorphic rock which has been altered by the intrusion of eruptive granite dykes"...... "Two shafts were sunk about 14ft. each. There is a large vein formation here, and besides the gossan and other iron oxide, some rich copper ore was obtained. East of these claims the eruptive granite takes the place of the metamorphic rocks. I found it difficult to discover any gold in the veinstone from these claims except by crushing and washing, although I have been shown moderately rich specimens of auriferous quartz by reliable persons which had been obtained there. So far as the veins had been followed they are small and irregular, but more prospecting is required before it would be safe to say that larger and richer veins do not exist in the locality".

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References