SUPERGENE NICKEL ORE DEPOSITS CONTROLLED BY GRAVITY-DRIVEN FAULTING AND SLOPE FAILURE, PERIDOTITE NAPPE, NEW CALEDONIA

摘要

New Caledonia holds one of the largest supergene nickel ore deposits worldwide. Two main ore types are recognized: oxide and hydrous Mg-Ni silicate types. Our study focuses on the latter type, usually located in elevated parts of the Peridotite Nappe, forming the so-called plateau and slope deposits. Understanding the controls of these nickel ore deposits is important in order to optimize the resource exploitation; however, to date there are only a few models to refer to, and structural aspects are rarely documented.