The algal mat theory of the Carbon Leader Reef (CLR) does not...

The algal mat theory of the Carbon Leader Reef (CLR) does not stand up to elementary scrutiny under petrographic microscope study. The paragenesis of the CLR and other oligomictic reefs is very clear: There was a shock metamorphic event that created widespread shears, splays (brittle ductile deformation combo) and fractures. Hard rock deformation = post diagenesis not algal ponds. Many of the detrital grains such as uraninite, zircon, quartz show classic cataclastic features (pressure fringes, in situ fracturing of clasts, undulose extinction and neoblastic growth. Carbon clearly post-dates this event must have come into the fracture as a liquid or gas. Carbon deposits preferentially on rounded uraninite which it assimilates until there are isolated rafts of the uraninite with specks of radiogenic galena left hosted in the carbon mass. The theory of radiolytic polymerisation could have merit. The carbon is so obviously a fluid infiltration into the fractures that post-dates the uraninite. Gold is resident in the fractures, splays and shears and strongly associated with carbon in many cases. Gold precipitates on the outside of the carbon grains and is obviously in a secondary form. Gold also precipitates in fractures in pyrite which later close up leaving elongate slithers. Gold is also associated with uraniferous leucoxene which is the end product of titanium alteration of uraninite via brannerite. How weird is that?

Again I am not saying the land is not prospective for gold but don't explore using models that are obviously wrong. Incidentally, the average gold abundance of the Pilbara is similar to cratons that have gold deposits rather than cratons that don't.