Reconnaissance investigations of ancient gold mines in the southern part of the Wadi Bidah District, Jabal Ibrahim and Al Aqiq quadrangles, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Ancient gold mines in the southern part of the Wadi Bidah district, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, are located either within lenses of ferruginous chert or in large felsic intrusions of Precambrian age. All are associated with quartz veins, stringers, and stockworks. Samples from both types of deposits have low silver and base-metal contents; samples from deposits within ferruginous chert have anomalous arsenic contents. None of the deposits are large enough to be considered as prime exploration targets at this time. Analytical results from the Bani Sar deposit, which is located within felsic plutonic rocks, are encouraging, but additional surface investigations are needed to define the size and extent of the mineralized zone. Deposits associated with ferruginous chert are also of exploration interest. Anomalous gold contents and other evidence of mineralization were found along a considerable exposure of the metasedimentary unit that contains the chert lenses.