PGE metals Resources and Prospecting Suggestions in the Qinling orogenic belt(Shaanxi Part)

Platinum Group Elements (PGE) are vital strategic minerals, yet they rarely form independent ore deposits and are mainly produced as byproducts. The Qinling orogenic belt in Shaanxi holds potential for PGE mineralization, although little information on such deposits has been uncovered so far. Based on metallogenic conditions, host rock types, associated elements, and mineralization types, these deposits can be categorized into chromite type, Cu-Ni sulfide type, carbonate vein type, and sedimentary type. PGEs are found in metal sulfides or complexes, often in isomorphic or adsorbed forms, and are primarily associated with ultrabasic rocks, mantle-derived magmas, and black rocks. Conducting systematic investigations into the PGE metals associated with chromite, metal sulfide ores, and black rock type polymetallic ores in the Qinling belt, which are related to ultrabasic rocks, and assessing their prospecting potential, could lead to new areas, types, and minerals for prospecting. This effort could also expand the scale of existing metal deposits, enhance the overall benefits from associated resources, and support breakthroughs in the next round of ore prospecting.