Environmental mineralogy and geochemistry of the epithermal gold deposit at Furtei, Sardinia

Exploitation of the gold deposit at Furtei (Sardinia, Italy) was preceded and has been accompanied by studies of its environmental impact. Similar to other high-sulphidation epithermal deposits, the system has little capacity of fixing the metals released upon oxidation of the primary sulphides in stable supergene phases. Under these conditions, removal of the currently mined oxidised zone and exposure of large masses of primary mineralisation is of potential environmental concern. However, the impact should be limited by a prompt reclamation of the excavation pits, and by the comparatively sluggish oxidation of enargite (the most abundant sulphide after pyrite), as suggested by preliminary experimental data.