1 Introduction The Gaojiacun intrusive complex is one of the numerous ultramafic-mafic intrusions in Sichuan Province of China. It was mapped during the 1970s and studied mainly by Chinese scientists (e.g. Geological Team 106, 1975; Shen et al., 1986, 1989; CGGJC, 1986; Yang et al., 1993; Li et al., 1995; Shen et al., 2003; Zhu et al., 2004a). Since the year 2000, China has become one of the largest PGE consumers. While the country can produce only less than 1 ton PGE/year, the Chin…