Oyu Tolgoi

Name: Oyu Tolgoi, isotope signatures
Creator: IsoFind

Ömnögovi Province (South Gobi), Mongolia

PorphyriesCu-Au (Mo)

Type: Cu-Au-Mo porphyry (cluster of seven deposits)

A linear cluster of seven porphyry deposits over 12 km, with more than 42 Mt of copper and 1,850 t of gold, among the largest in the world. It lies in the Gurvansayhan island-arc terrane of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and was mineralised in the Late Devonian (372 to 370 Ma). It includes Central Oyu, South Oyu, South West Oyu and Hugo Dummett.

δ34S in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system

Standard : V-CDT

Value	Range	n	Mineral or matrix	Source
	9.8 / 17.9 ‰		alunite (sulfate sulfur) Alunite formed by condensation of rising magmatic vapour in the upper part of the porphyry system. Heavy values typical of magmatic alunite.	Khashgerel et al. 2006, Geology and Reconnaissance Stable Isotope Study of the Oyu Tolgoi…

δ18O in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system

Standard : V-SMOW

Value	Range	n	Mineral or matrix	Source
	8.8 / 20.1 ‰		alunite (sulfate) δ18O of alunite sulfate, complementing δ34S to characterise the origin of the fluid.	Khashgerel et al. 2006, Economic Geology

δD in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system

Standard : V-SMOW

Value	Range	n	Mineral or matrix	Source
	−73 / −43 ‰		alunite (structural water) δD of the structural water of alunite. Together with δ18O, it points to a magmatic origin of the fluid.	Khashgerel et al. 2006, Economic Geology

Deposits of the same type

Qulong China
Sharang China
Jiru China
Zhuonuo China
Chagele China
Malanjkhand India
Mikheevskoe Russia
Sar Cheshmeh Iran

Cite this page

IsoFind Atlas (2026). Oyu Tolgoi, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/oyu-tolgoi/ (accessed 2026-10-06).

@misc{isofind2026oyutolgoiisotopesignatures,
  title = {Oyu Tolgoi, isotope signatures},
  author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/oyu-tolgoi/},
  note = {Accessed 2026-10-06}
}

Updated : 2026-10-06