CHARACTERIZATION OF HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATIONS AND METALLIFEROUS GROUPS ASSOCIATED WITH NICKEL-COBALT MINERALIZATION IN THE AREAS OF GBATONGOUIN-GBONNE (MAN-BIANKOUMA), WEST OF CÔTE D'IVOIRE

The localities of Gbatongouin and Gbonné are located between the cities of Man and Biankouman, precisely north of Man and south of Biankouman, west of Côte d'Ivoire. The objective of this study is to improve petrographic and metallogenic knowledge of geological formations in these areas in the Man region. To do this, the geological survey conducted in the study area made it possible to encounter a multitude of geological outcrops from which samples were taken for more detailed petrographic and metallographic studies. Thus, two major families of rocks have been highlighted, namely the magmatic formations (norites and charnockites) and the metamorphic formations (orthogneiss charnockitic and pink to garnet granulite). The paragenesis of some rocks has highlighted a retrograde metamorphism from granulite to greenschist facies, evidenced by the presence of low-grade minerals such as chlorite, sericite and epidote. Nickel-Cobalt (Ni-Co) mineralization in the study area is mainly disseminated and hosted in mafic rocks, as evidenced by hydrothermal alteration and soil geochemistry results. Mineralization is carried by sulfides and oxides including pyrite, chalcopyrite, ilmenite and magnetite.