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Two Contrasting Iron Deposits in the Precambrian Mineral Belt of Cameroon, West Africa

C.E. Suh^1,, A.R. Cabral², E.M. Shemang³, L. Mbinkar⁴ and G.G.M. Mboudou¹

¹ Economic Geology Unit, Department of Geology and Environmental Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, South West Province, Cameroon.
² Department of Geology: Exploration Geology, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa.
³ Department of Geology, University of Botswana, Private Bag 0022, Gaborone, Botswana.
⁴ Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, B.P. 812, Yaounde, Cameroon.

Correspondence: Corresponding Author: E-mail: chuhma{at}yahoo.com

Two iron deposits within the Precambrian mineral belt of Cameroon are described in detail for the first time: the Archean Metzimevin replacement iron deposit enclosed in Fe-enriched itabirite, and the Proterozoic granite-hosted, shear zone-related Mayo Binka magnetite deposit. In the Metzimevin deposit, quartz is corroded and microplaty hematite overprints martite-textured hematite. The Mayo Binka massive magnetite veins show evidence of deformation in magnetite (fracturing and microbrecciation) and in overgrowths of specular hematite (mechanical twinning and undulating extinction). The magnetite is partially replaced by hematite (martitization) and goethite. Ores from both deposits have >88% total Fe₂O₃ and low contents of contaminants such as SiO₂, Al₂O₃, MgO, CaO, P₂O₅, and TiO₂. They are also poor in Cu, Pb, Zn, V, Cr, and Ni. The Metzimevin massive hematite is characterized by an accentuated light rare earth element depletion relative to the Fe-enriched itabirite. It is suggested that the Metzimevin iron deposit is the result of hypogene leaching of gangue minerals from, and further hematitization of, an itabirite protore. Although the genesis of the Mayo Binka massive magnetite is unclear, it is spatially related to Neoproterozoic granitic rocks. The data allow some comparison of these little known, but potentially economic iron deposits, with some of the world’s better investigated deposits, and are useful to the exploration efforts for iron ore currently underway in Cameroon and the Central African subregion.

Key Words: Cameroon • iron deposits • hematite • magnetite • itabirite