Field studies 2020: the Yenisey Field Party

From July 14 to September 4, 2020, specialists from the Department of Regional Geology and Mineral Resources of Eastern Siberia, FGBU VSEGEI, carried out field studies in the Maly Yenisei River valley (Republic of Tyva) under the task Additional Site Exploration-200 (GDP-200), sheets M-47-I (Uzhep), M-47-VII (Katazy), Stage 1.

Map of Tyva with prospects studied by the Yenisei Party

The purpose of the work being carried out is to collect geological information for compiling State geological maps at a scale of 1: 200,000 and to assess the potential of areas for various types of minerals.
Four employees of the Department of Regional Geology and Mineral Resources of Eastern Siberia took part in the field studies of the Yenisei Party: A.A. Rassolov, head of the party, Yu. Vovshin, chief geologist, L.Yu. Sergeeva, S.O. Saveliev,1^st category geologists. Transportation within the prospects was performed using UAZ vehicle, as well as water and pack transport.
The main task of the field party was to refine geological features of the territory: volume, composition, age, formation affinity, tectonic position, boundaries and areas of Middle Cambrian (Tannuolsky complex) and Early Devonian (Brensky complex) intrusive formations.

Valley basalts

Work on GDP, sheets M-47-I (Uzhep), M-47-VII (Katazy), at the first stage included the following types of field studies:
- ground geological and exploration surveys at a scale of 1:50,000;
- special-purpose geological study of ore occurrences and points of mineralization;
- various types of sampling.

For the field studies-2020, three reference prospects were allocated: Kurzhutsky, Shiveysky and Uzhepsky.
The Kurzhutsky Prospect is located in the northwestern part of Sheet M-47-VII (Katazy) and covers the occurrence of the same name and a number of points of mineralization of gold-skarn association. The prospect was allocated for tracing the limits of skarns with gold mineralization and studying their composition. The Tannuolsky, Brensky and Argoliksky intrusive complexes were concurrently studied at the prospect.
The Shiveysky Prospect is located at the western frame of Sheet M-47-VII (Katazy). The tasks on refining areas of granitoids of the Tannuolsky and Brensky intrusive complexes were solved at the prospect.
The Uzhep Prospect is located in the southwestern part of Sheet M-47-I (Uzhep) on the right bank of the Maly Yenisei River. The prospect was allocated for refining limits and areas of intrusive formations along the southern border of the sheet. At the prospect, areas of intrusions of the Tannuolsky, Mazhalyksky and Brensky complexes were refined as well as and their relationship with the host stratified Riphean-Cambrian sediments; sampling of gold occurrences identified by previous studies was performed.

As a result of the work, the Yenisei Party made more than 170 km of geological exploration surveys at a scale of 1:50,000, about 2,000 m of special-purpose geological studies at the Kurzhutsky gold occurrence (with trench sampling), over 300 chip and 25 geochronological samples were taken.

Further laboratory and analytical studies during the office period will make it possible to determine more precisely the composition and age of the intrusive complexes located within the sheets, as well as the content of gold, copper and other elements in the selected trench and chip samples. Even now it can be said that it is quite possible to identify the new Kurzhutsky gold ore cluster on Sheet M-47-VII (Katazy). It will be possible to outline more precisely the Kurzhutsky gold ore cluster and calculate the predicted ore gold resources within its limits after the second stage of work under the task Additional Site Exploration-200 (GDP-200), sheets M-47-I (Uzhep), M-47-VII (Katazy).