The Hongnipo deposit, a newly discovered large copper deposit in the Kangdian copper belt, SW China, is hosted in the Paleoproterozoic Hekou Group. This deposit contains ~4200 Mt of Cu ores, with an average grade of 1.42 wt.% Cu. Orebodies occur mainly as stratiform, stratoid and lenticular forms. Mineralization consists predominantly of high grade vein-type ores and low grade laminated ores. Field relationships indicate vein-type mineralization crosscuts laminated mineralization and host rocks, indicating that there were at least two mineralization events during the formation of the deposit. Pyrite separates from the laminated ores yield a Rb-Sr isochron age of 1552 ± 80 Ma, with a highly radiogenic initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.71214 ± 0.00081, indicating a major contribution from the ore-hosting rocks. Sulfides from the laminated ores have δ³⁴S values ranging from −1.8‰ to 11.4‰, with the vast majority in the range of 5.3‰ to 11.4‰, suggesting the mixed derivation of sulfur from seawater sulfates and magmatic fluids. Chalcopyrite separates from the vein-type ores have a Re-Os isochron age of 794.8 ± 7.9 Ma. The initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os (2.8 ± 1.2) and γ_Os (+2202) values are slightly lower than the average values of continental crust, indicating a major metal source of the Hekou Group with minor mantle input. Sulfides from the vein-type ores have δ³⁴S values that range from −10.3‰ to 4.0‰ and cluster between 0‰ to 2.2‰, which implies a significant contribution of magmatic-sourced sulfur with minor biogenic sulfur. Two major mineralization events have been identified. The Rb-Sr age of the laminated ores likely records a VMS mineralization event at ~1.6 Ga. The much younger Re-Os age is considered to represent the timing of an important mineralization event, which is likely related to the Neoproterozoic magmatism and/or metamorphism and represents a newly documented mineralization event to be targeted by exploration.

The Laoliwan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit is situated in the southern margin of the North China Craton and represents the first large-scale Ag-Pb-Zn ore deposit discovered in the Xiaoshan District. Ag-Pb-Zn orebodies are structurally controlled by NW- and NNW-trending faults and primarily hosted within early Cretaceous granite porphyry intrusions. In this study, sulfide Rb-Sr isotope dating and C-H-O-S-Pb multiple isotope compositions were conducted to constrain the ore genesis of this deposit. The Rb-Sr isotopic data of sulfides yield a weighted mean isochron age of 132.8 ± 9.5 Ma and an initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.7115 ± 0.00016, indicating that mineralization occurred during the early Cretaceous and the ore-forming materials were derived from a crust–mantle mixed reservoir. The δ¹³ C (−1.3‰ to 0.7‰), δD (−96.3‰ to −86.7‰) and δ¹⁸O_H2O (0.3‰ to 5.6‰) values suggest that the ore-forming fluids were mainly derived from magmatic water with a contribution of meteoric water during mineralization. The δ³⁴S values of sulfides (+2.0‰ to +5.8‰) indicate a magmatic source. The Pb isotope data (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 17.301–17.892, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 15.498–15.560, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 37.873–38.029) also reveal that the ore-forming materials originated from the lower crust with a small amount from the mantle source. By integrating geochronological and geochemical data, this study proposes that the Laoliwan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit is characterized as an epithermal deposit, with potential for the discovery of concealed porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization at depth. It is inferred to be related to tectonic–magmatic–fluid activities in the context of early Cretaceous lithospheric thinning along the southern margin of the North China Craton.

Amidst the intensification of strategic mineral exploration, the discovery of concealed and deep-seated deposits within covered areas and the peripheries of existing mines has become a critical challenge and a central focus of contemporary research. “Dongchuan-type” (DCT) copper deposits represent a key mineralization style within the SW Yangtze Block. However, significant exploration breakthroughs have stagnated over the past three decades. Consequently, advanced exploration prediction research is urgently required to guide deep-resource evaluation. Using the Shizishan copper deposit in the Yimen area as a representative case, this study applies the theory of “metallogenic geological body prediction” to construct a tripartite model encompassing “metallogenic geological bodies, metallogenic structures and structural planes, and metallogenic characteristic markers”. The Shizishan deposit is classified as a sedimentary-reformed type, characterized by multi-episodic mineralization involving initial sedimentary processes, non-magmatic hydrothermal activity, and subsequent structural-magmatic hydrothermal overprinting. Key metallogenic geological bodies include ore-bearing stratigraphic associations, basin-margin faults, NE-trending fold–fault systems, and deep-seated concealed intrusions. Metallogenic structural planes comprise primary ore-controlling surfaces, secondary fold-related structures, and potential deep-seated magmatic intrusive interfaces. Alteration patterns display a distinct vertical zonation: shallower levels show medium-to-low temperature hydrothermal processes (silicification, carbonatization, sericitization, and chloritization), whereas deeper portions reveal high-temperature magmatic–hydrothermal indicators, specifically skarnization and intense silicification. This study proposes that the integration of “stratigraphy + structures + concealed intrusions” should serve as the primary criterion for target screening in deep exploration. By integrating geophysical and geochemical datasets into this model, three promising exploration targets were delineated within the Yimen area. These findings provide a refined theoretical framework for large-scale prospecting of DCT.