The Zhubu mafic-ultramafic intrusion of the Permian Emeishan large igneous province (LIP), SW China hosts a magmatic Ni, Cu and platinum-group element (PGE) deposit. It consists of a layered sequence with sub-horizontal modal layering wrapped by a sub-vertical marginal zone. Our new zircon U-Pb isotopic dating gives a mean age of 263.2 +/- 5.6 Ma for the layered sequence. The volatiles extracted from the mineral separates of the Zhubu intrusion are composed of predominant H2O (11,769.84 mm(3) . STP/g, STP-standard temperature and pressure) and minor H-2 and CO2. The layered sequence has lower H2O but higher H-2, CO2, H2S and SO2 contents than themarginal zone. The CO2 and CH4 extracted at 400-900 degrees C and 900-1200 degrees C have light delta(CCO2)-C-13 varying from 17.45% to-7.10% and delta(CCH4)-C-13 varying from - 41.35% to - 22.88%. The pyroxene separates have significantly lower (Sr-87/Sr-86)(i) values (0.705882 to 0.708912) and slightly higher e(Nd) (t= 263 Ma) values (-2.8 to 0.7) than the whole rocks. The epsilon(Hf) (t= 263 Ma) values of zircon crystals vary from-3.05 to+1.90. The chemical compositions of volatiles from the Zhubu intrusion indicate a slightly reduced condition and aH(2)O-rich parentalmagma. The C-Hf-Sr-Nd isotopes for the Zhubu intrusion are consistent with similar to 15 wt% assimilation of the upper crust by a mantle-derived magma. The carbon isotopes indicate that a thermogenic component from sedimentary organic materials was present in the contaminated magma. A weak positive correlation between volatile and PGE contents, together with the C-Hf-Sr-Nd isotopes, indicates that sulfide saturation in the Zhubu magmawas triggered by crustal contamination including the addition of volatiles. (C) 2017 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.