Fluid inclusion analysis and origin of the Pilok tin-tungsten deposit in western Thailand

The fluid inclusion analysis is carried out in this study for the ore-bearing quartz veins from the Pilok tin-tungsten deposit in western Thailand. The fluid inclusions herein consist dominantly of liquid-rich inclusions and H₂O-CO₂ three-phase inclusions. The microthermometric analysis indicates that these inclusions have the homogenization temperatures ranging between 200 and 350℃, the salinities between 0.43% and 12.42%, metallogenic pressures between 102 and 350 mPa, and estimated metallogenic depths between 0.34 and 1.37 km. All these data show that the quartz vein-type tin-tungsten deposit was formed in the topmost part of the mesothermal to high-temperature granites during the late stages of magmatic evolution. Referenced to the previous results, the Pilok tin-tungsten deposit has witnessed four stages of mineralization, including:(1) pegmatite-hosted wolframite ±cassiterite ±pyrite mineralization during the earlier high-temperature stage; (2) wolframite mineralization associated with quartz ±K-feldspar veins; (3) greisen-type tin mineralization following K-feldspar alteration and tungsten mineralization during the middle stage, and (4) quartz vein-type tin-tungsten mineralization characterized by mixed fluids with mesothermal to high-temperature (220-350℃) and low salinities (< 5% NaCl_eq.) during the late stage. A metallogenetic model is constructed on the basis of the geology of the Pilok tin-tungsten deposit and regional tectonic evolution. The western Taninthayi Mountains in Myanmar are believed to be highly prospective for the exploration of the quartz vein-type or greisen-type tin-tungsten deposits.