Salsigne mine, Salsigne, Mas-Cabardès, Carcassonne, Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Open cast gold mine. Located near Salsigne at the southern rim of the 'Montagne Noire' (meaning 'Black Mountains'), around 13 km N of Carcassonne.

Antehercynian stratabound and tardihercynian NS vein mineralization in sandstones/carbonate rocks alternance (Lower Cambrian).
The stratiform deposit shows a zonality:
- Upper level: pyrite + pyrrhotite
- Massive arsenopyrite + pyrite + (chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite)
- Basal sandstones (quartz + sericite) with arsenopyrite alternance

Presence of hydrothermalized metabasite sills (up to 10 meter thick). Two hydrothermal events have affected the metabasite:
1) Greizenization
Magmatic Cr/Mg spinels --> Cr/Zn spinels
2) Later alteration event, with Fe/Ti-enrichment and pH diminution
Cr/Zn spinels --> Cr/Zn ferritchromites + quartz + phengite

References:
- Rocks & Min.: 60:242;
- Forner H. et al. (1997): La mine d'or de Salsigne (Aude), Le Règne Minéral, n° spécial, 36-60
- Descouens, D. (1986): "Les minéraux de Salsigne (Aude)." Monde et Minéraux, (72), 20-22.
- Vincienne, H. and Mozaffari, C. (1966): "Etude micrographique des minéralisations de Salsigne - Aude." Bulletin de la Société Française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie, 89, 100-106.
- Descouens, D. and Baffaly, C. (1985): "Les phosphates de la mine de Salsigne (Aude)." Monde et Minéraux, 67, 4-5.
- Marcoux, E. and Lescuyer, J.L. (1994): "Les minerais sulfo-arséniés aurifères de Salsigne - Aude - France." Canadian Mineralogist, 32(1), 159-178.