Geology and mineral resources of Northern Haiti

What is it about?

The geology of Northern Haïti corresponds to a volcanic arc of Meso-Cenozoic Age that can be traced from Central Cuba, through the Dominican Republic and forms part of the mountains of the Massif du Nord Group in Haïti oriented NW-SE. This group is composed of volcanic tuffs and lavas from the volcanic belt, ranging in composition from felsic, through intermediate, to mafic and ultramafic rocks. The belt is composed of numerous lenticular bodies of lavas and pyroclastic material of felsic composition, varying from dacite to rhyolite, embedded in a thick series of andesites with lesser amounts of basalts and with numerous intercalations of radiolarians cherts, carbonate rocks, and tuffs. Copper and gold are the two main ore types in the area. Copper is usually found associated with the porphyritic facies, the apophyses microtonalitics, and the silicified zones, filling fissures and fractures, as well as disseminated. Within the quartz vein systems, the copper is contained in the chalcopyrite, while the gold appears both as native gold and as a very fine disseminated gold in the sulphide zone. It can also form spectacular concentrations on the oxidised cap. Gold is usually found associated with the chlorite, as well as in grains of pyrite and chalcopyrite. A second generation of gold is found associated to the quartz and the chlorite. The gold content is extremely variable, with some samples reaching up to 226 g/t on surface. As a rule of thumb, the more chalcopyrite, the greater the gold content. However, the reverse is not always true, since there is also gold associated to quartz and chlorite. Gold rich quartz veins are usually enriched in Cu, Pb, Zn, Ba, Mn, Mo, Cr, and Ti, and depleted of Ag, Hg, As, Bi, Th, U, Sr, Rb, Ir, Se, and F. The Author conducted a thorough exploration program while he was working for St. Genéviève Resources Ltd. (SGV). The program included geological mapping, geophysical and geochemical surveys, trenching and diamond drilling, as well as metallurgical studies. The program stopped when the political situation in Haïti deteriorated to a point when SGV was forced to leave the country. We systematically drilled the known targets and discovered several new mineralized points elsewhere within the limits of the studied area. Also, the Author completed a compilation of all the data from the UN and the BRG exploration programs in the region. The ore potential of Northern Haïti remains important and with a more stable political situation and with the latest advances in the hydrometallurgical process to produce both copper and gold presented by Inotel Inc., I believe that the work should be completed.

Featured Image

Photo by Zach Vessels on Unsplash

Photo by Zach Vessels on Unsplash

Why is it important?

There are not many geological studies of this copper-rich country

Perspectives