Alteration Mapping for Porphyry Cu Targeting in the Western Chagai Belt, Pakistan, Using ZY1-02D Spaceborne Hyperspectral Data

Abstract The Chagai porphyry Cu belt in Pakistan is an important metallogenic terrain extending approximately 400 km in an east-west direction. Most of the known porphyry Cu deposits, such as the world-class Reko Diq deposit and Saindak deposit, are located in the western Chagai belt. In this study, the ZY1-02D hyperspectral data acquired by a recently launched spaceborne imaging spectrometer with 166 bands within a 0.4- to 2.5-μm spectral region were used to map mineral information over 8,000 km2 for exploring potential targets of porphyry Cu mineralization in the western Chagai belt. False color composite, spectral angle mapper, and wavelength position mapping methods were used in this research leading to the identification of a series of alteration minerals (including muscovite [sericite], kaolinite, alunite, epidote, chlorite, and calcite) from ZY1-02D data. The alteration mineral maps derived from ZY1-02D data match well with the known deposits and field inspections. Twenty-three new targets were identified as potential porphyry Cu mineralization targets for further exploration in the study area. Three targets, north of Saindak, Koh-i-Sultan, and Durban Chah, and six alteration sites in the southwest of Durban Chah, were inspected in the field, and Cu-Au mineralization was confirmed in all these inspected areas. As the ZY1-02D hyperspectral data covers most of the land area of the earth, this study provides new insights for mineral exploration and lithologic mapping in remote regions.