Oreological characteristics of the Duddar Lead-Zinc Mining Area in Balochistan Province, Pakistan

The Duddar Lead-Zinc Mine in Balochistan Province, Pakistan is primarily situated within the Duddar member of the Anjira formation within the Jurassic Ferozabad group. The deposit is hosted by a series of marine carbonate and fine clastic rocks, predominantly composed of black shale, argillaceous limestone, and mudstone. The ore comprises syngenetic sedimentary（stratabound/stratiform） lead-zinc deposits and late hydrothermal filling metasomatic（stockwork） lead-zinc deposits. The syngenetic sedimentary deposits are occurred in the lower Duddar Formation（LDM） in stratified layers, which is conformable contact with the stratum. Based on mineral composition and spatial distribution, these deposits can be categorized into sphalerite, pyrite, and barite types. Hydrothermal filling metasomatic（stockwork） lead-zinc ores predominantly occur in limestone and mudstone of the Bamph member（AB） situated at the base of the middle Duddar member（MDM） and lower Duddar member（LDM）. Sphalerite, galena, and barite within the ore primarily fill the stockwork and undergo metasomatism in the limestone and mudstone. Mineralogical analysis reveals that the metallogenic evolution of the Duddar Lead-Zinc Mine can be categorized into three distinct metallogenic periods: syngenetic sedimentary（stratabound/stratiform）, hydrothermal, and epigenetic. The syngenetic sedimentary metallogenic period unfolds in three key mineralization stages: the stratiform zinc ore belt（Zn belt）, stratiform pyrite belt（Py belt）, and stratiform barite belt（Ba belt）. The Duddar Lead-Zinc Mine is characterized as a polygenetic lead-zinc deposit, primarily featuring syngenetic mineralization and subsequent late-stage hydrothermal filling metasomatism.