Jinchuan
Gansu (northwest, Longshoushan belt), China
Magmatic (Ni-Cu-PGE, carbonatites)Ni-Cu (PGE)
- Type
- Magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide (ultramafic intrusion)
The largest single-intrusion magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposit in the world. The Jinchuan ultramafic intrusion (about 830 Ma) lies on the northern margin of the North China craton. It has five main orebodies (1, 2, 24, 58 and 9-10), as disseminated and massive sulfides, with cumulative reserves of about 5 Mt of nickel, 3.5 Mt of copper and 190 t of PGE. It has been mined by the Jinchuan Group since 1958.
δ60Ni in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 986
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −1 / 0.5 ‰ | sulfides (pentlandite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite) Approximate range, from the Hofmann (2014) compilation and the corrections of Zhao (2024). δ60Ni is always positive at Jinchuan, unlike other magmatic deposits, attributed to repeated episodes of sulfide segregation (and possibly a sign of hidden orebodies at depth). Positive correlation between δ60Ni and δ65Cu (r² = 0.84). | Zhao et al. 2024, Hidden deep sulfide cumulates beneath the Jinchuan Ni-Cu-PGE deposit in… |
δ56Fe in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : IRMM-014
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −0.66 ± 0.34 ‰ | −0.9 / −0.16 ‰ | 4 | pyrrhotite Mean and standard deviation of 4 analyses. Pyrrhotite is the lightest phase, pentlandite the heaviest. | Wang et al. (2021), Iron Isotope Compositions of Coexisting Sulfide and Silicate Minerals… |
| 0.87 ± 0.29 ‰ | 0.53 / 1.05 ‰ | 3 | pentlandite Mean and standard deviation of 3 analyses. | Wang et al. (2021), Iron Isotope Compositions of Coexisting Sulfide and Silicate Minerals… |
| 0.33 ± 0.25 ‰ | 0.15 / 0.5 ‰ | 2 | chalcopyrite Mean and standard deviation of 2 analyses. | Wang et al. (2021), Iron Isotope Compositions of Coexisting Sulfide and Silicate Minerals… |
| 0.48 ± 0.24 ‰ | 0.24 / 0.71 ‰ | 3 | magnetite Mean and standard deviation of 3 analyses. | Wang et al. (2021), Iron Isotope Compositions of Coexisting Sulfide and Silicate Minerals… |
| 0.56 ± 0.06 ‰ | 0.52 / 0.6 ‰ | 2 | serpentine Mean and standard deviation of 2 analyses. | Wang et al. (2021), Iron Isotope Compositions of Coexisting Sulfide and Silicate Minerals… |
| 0.05 ± 0.02 ‰ | 0.04 / 0.07 ‰ | 3 | primary silicates (olivine, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene) Mean and standard deviation of 3 analyses. | Wang et al. (2021), Iron Isotope Compositions of Coexisting Sulfide and Silicate Minerals… |
Deposits of the same type
- Bayan Obo China
- Norilsk-Talnakh Russia
- Pechenga Russia
- Great Dyke (Main Sulfide Zone) Zimbabwe
- Bushveld, Platreef South Africa
- Bushveld, UG2 chromitite South Africa
- Bushveld, Merensky Reef South Africa
- Rössing Namibia
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Jinchuan, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/jinchuan/ (accessed 2026-10-06).
@misc{isofind2026jinchuanisotopesignatures,
title = {Jinchuan, isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/jinchuan/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06}
}Updated : 2026-10-06