Abstract:
Potential chromite ore deposits of India are situated in Sukinda, Odisha, which may also be considered as a potential resource for platinum group elements (PGEs). This paper reports on PGE geochemistry in twenty six samples covering chromite ores, chromitites and associated ultramafic rocks of the Sukinda ultramafic complex. Platinum group element contents range from 213 to 487 ppb in the chromite ore body, from 63 to 538 ppb in rocks that have chromite dendrites or dissemination and from 38 to 389 ppb in associated olivine-peridotite, serpentinite, pyroxenite and brecciated rocks. The PGEs are divided into two sub-groups: IPGE (Ir, Os, and Ru) and PPGE (Pd, Pt, and Rh) based on their chemical behaviour. The IPGE and PPGE in these three litho-members show a contrasting relationship e.g. average IPGE content decreases from chromite to chromitite and associated rocks while PPGE increases in the same order. Appreciable Ag in chromitite (270-842 ppb) is recorded. Positive correlation between IPGE with Cr2O3 and with Al2O3 is observed while these are negatively correlated with MgO. Covariant relationships between Au and Mg in rocks devoid of chromite and between Ag and Fe in chromitite sample are observed. Chromite in all seams and some chromitite samples exhibit an IPGE-enriched chondrite normalized pattern while PPGE are highly fractionated and show a steep negative slope, thereby indicating that PGE in the parental melt fractionates and IPGE-compatible elements prefer to settle with chromite. The rocks devoid of chromite and rocks containing accessory chromite exhibit a nearly flat pattern in chondrite-normalized PGE plots and this suggests a limited fractionation of PGE in these rocks. Variation in the distribution pattern of PGE and Ag in three typical litho-members of the Sukinda Valley may be related to multiple intrusion of ultramafic magma, containing variable volume percentage of chromite.