PIERINA AU-AGDEPOSIT, CORDILLERA NEGRA, NORTH-CENTRAL PERU

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PIERINA AU-AG DEPOSIT, CORDILLERA NEGRA,
NORTH-CENTRAL PERU
David F. Volkert and Craig J .A. McEwan
MINERA ABX EXPLORACIONES S.A.
I II II NTRODUCTION NTRODUCTION NTRODUCTION NTRODUCTION NTRODUCTION
Th e Pi er i n a Au - Ag d ep o si t ( Fi g. 1 ) i s i n t h e Co r d i l l er a Neg r a o f
n o r t h - cen t r al Per at l at i t u d e 9 2 6 . 5 S, l o n g i t u d e 7 7 3 5 W. Pi er i n a
i s a h i g h - s u l f i d a t i o n ( a ci d - s u l f a t e ) e p i t h e r ma l d e p o s i t h o s t e d b y
p yr o c l ast i c vo l cani cs o f t he Ter t i ar y Cal i p uy Gr o u p. In Decemb er 1 9 9 6 ,
p r o ven an d p r o b ab l e r eser ves at Pi er i n a wer e 6 7 . 7 Mt g r ad i n g 2 . 9 8
g / t Au an d 2 2 g / t Ag, g i vi n g a t o t al o f 2 0 1 , 9 0 0 kg Au an d 1 , 4 9 0
t o n n es Ag ( 6 . 4 9 an d 4 7 . 9 mi l l i o n o z , r esp ect i vely) .
Enrique Garay M.
MINERA BARRICK MISQUICHILCA S.A.
R RR RREGIONAL EGIONAL EGIONAL EGIONAL EGIONAL G GG GGEOLOGIC EOLOGIC EOLOGIC EOLOGIC EOLOGICS SS SSETTING ETTING ETTING ETTING ETTING
Th e Co r d i l l er a Neg r a co n si st s o f a t h i ck seq u en ce o f Ju r assi c t o
Cr et aceo u s mar l s, sh al es, l i mest o n es, an d co n t i n en t al cl ast i c r o cks
u n co n fo r mab l y over l ai n by an d esi t es, d aci t es, an d r hyo d aci t es o f
t h e l at e Eo cen e t o l o wer Mi o cen e Cal i p u y Gr o u p ( 5 2 . 5 1 4 . 6 Ma;
Wi l so n et al . 1 9 9 5 ) . Th e Co r d i l l er a Bl an ca i s t h e l at e Ter t i ar y ( 1 6 . 0
2 .7 Ma) gr ano d io r it e b at ho lit h t hat int r ud ed lat e Cr et aceo us sed iment s
an d i s f l an ked by Mi o cen e i g n i mb r i t es.
Th e mai n st r u ct u r al e p i so d es i n t h e r e g i o n h ave b een Ear l y t o
Mi d - Ter t i ar y co mp r essi o n , fo l d i n g, an d o ver t h r u st i n g o f t h e Meso z o i c
st r at a, fo l l o wed by an ext en si o n al p er i o d asso ci at ed wi t h t h e ext r u si o n
o f t he Calip uy vo lcanics, emp lacement o f t he Co r d iller a Blanca b at ho lit ,
an d fo r mat i o n o f t h e Cal l ej o n d e Hu ayl as g r ab en ( Ri o San t a v al l ey) .
Th e Pl i o cen e- Pl ei st o cen e o r o g en i c u p l i f t o f t h e An d ean z o n e wa s
t he last st r uct ur al episode. Main st r uct ur al t r ends ar e NW ( Rio Sant a gr aben
and gener al accr et ionar y st r uct ur es associat ed wit h subduct ion pr ocesses) ,
and NE and EW secondar y cr ossfault s.
Th e Co r d i l l e r a Ne g r a h o s t s s t r u c t u r a l l y c o n t r o l l e d , Pb , Zn , Cu ,
Ag , a n d Au mi n e r a l i z a t i o n , ma i n l y i n t h e Ca l i p u y vo l ca n i cs . Th e p r i n -
ci p a l p r o d u ce r s i n t h e Co r d i l l e r a Ne g r a we r e t h e Al i a n z a ( Pb - Zn - Ag )
a n d Sa n t o To r i b i o ( P b - Z n - Ag ) m i n e s . A 7 0 - k m - l o n g b e l t o f
h yd r o t h e r ma l a l t e r a t i o n i s a s s o ci a t e d wi t h t h e d e p o s i t s a n d d i r e ct l y
c o r r e l a t e s wi t h t h e NW- t r e n d i n g Ri o Sa n t a g r a b e n a n d a s s o c i a t e d
b o u n d i n g f a u l t s . I n t e r s e ct i n g NE- a n d EW- t r e n d i n g s t r u ct u r e s , a l o n g
wi t h ci r cu l a r f e a t u r e s p o s s i b i l y r e l a t e d t o e r u p t i ve ce n t e r s , l o ca l i z e
mi n e r a l i z a t i o n i n ve i n a n d r e p l a ce me n t d e p o s i t s .
Al o n g t h e we s t e r n f l a n k o f t h e Co r d i l l e r a B l a n c a , Pb - Zn - Ag i s
p r ed o mi n an t an d i s l ar g el y co n t r o l l ed b y t h e d eep seat ed , NW- t r en d i n g
co nt act b et ween t he g r ano d io r it e b at ho lit h and sed iment ar y r o cks. The
co nt act i s at l east i n p ar t a mo unt ai n- fr o nt f aul t . Cur r ent Au p r o d uct i o n
f r o m d e Co r d i l l er a Bl an ca i s r el at ed t o t h e af o r emen t i o n ed h i g h - an g l e
st r u ct u r al co n t act at t h e Nu eva Cal i f o r n i a mi n e. Th e Pi er i n a Au d ep o si t
i s a n o m a l o u s i n t h e a r e a i n t h a t i t h a s a t y p i c a l h i g h - s u l f i d a t i o n
ep it her mal char act er, a d ep o sit t yp e wich was p r e vio usly unr eco g nized
i n t h e r eg i o n .
FI GURE FI GURE FI GURE FI GURE FI GURE 1 11 11
S SS SSIMPLIFIED IMPLIFIED IMPLIFIED IMPLIFIED IMPLIFIED R RR RREGIONAL EGIONAL EGIONAL EGIONAL EGIONAL G GG GGEOLOGY EOLOGY EOLOGY EOLOGY EOLOGY A AA AAROUND ROUND ROUND ROUND ROUND THE THE THE THE THE P PP PPIERINA IERINA IERINA IERINA IERINA A AA AAU UU UU-A -A -A -A -AG GG GG
D DD DDEPOSIT EPOSIT EPOSIT EPOSIT EPOSIT ( (( ((A AA AAFTER FTER FTER FTER FTER W WW WWILSON ILSON ILSON ILSON ILSON ET ET ET ET ET AL AL AL AL AL. 1995). . 1995). . 1995). . 1995). . 1995).
David F. Volkert - Craig J .A. McEwan - Enrique Garay M.
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G GG GGEOLOGY EOLOGY EOLOGY EOLOGY EOLOGY OF OF OF OF OF THE THE THE THE THE P PP PPIERINA IERINA IERINA IERINA IERINA D DD DDEPOSIT EPOSIT EPOSIT EPOSIT EPOSIT
The Pi er i na d ep o si t i s i n r hyo d aci t i c p umi ce and l i t hi c t uf f s t hat ar e
u n d e r l a i n b y a n d e s i t i c l a va s . Sma l l e r a n d mo r e r e s t r i ct e d b o d i e s o f
cr yst al t u f f o ccu r l o cal ly at t h e b ase o f t h e p u mi ce t u f f, an d a q u ar t z -
f e l d s p a r p o r p h yr y i n t r u s i o n o ccu r s o n t h e s o u t h f l a n k o f t h e d e p o s i t .
Th e ch a o t i c n a t u r e o f t h e r o ck s o n t h e s o u t h f l a n k o f t h e o r e d e p o s i t
sug g est s t he p r esence o f a d o me co mp l ex o r vent ar ea. Al l r o cks t yp es
wi t h i n t h e o r e d e p o s i t , e xce p t t h e b a s a l a n d e s i t e , a r e p r e s e n t i n t h i s
so ut her n d o me/ vent ar ea. The q uar t z- feld sp ar p o r p hyr y is t o ug ht t o b e
ei t h er co n t emp o r an eu s wi t h t h e l at er st ag es o f mi n er al i z at i o n o r p o st -
mi n er al .
Th e p u mi ce an d l i t h i c t u f f u n i t s wer e d ep o si t ed i n a NNW- o r i en t ed ,
r est r ict ed g r ab en o r st r uct ur al t r o ug h t hat was fo r med wit hin t he o ld er,
b as al an d es i t e. At t h e t i me o f d ep o s i t i o n o f t h e p yr o cl as t i c r o ck s , t h e
a n d e s i t e fo r me d h i g h wa l l s o n t h e n o r t h , we s t , a n d e a s t s i d e s o f t h e
t r o u g h . Th e s o u t h er n p ar t o f t h e t r o u g h co n t ai n ed t h e d o me o r ven t
f r o m wi ch t h e p yr o cl ast i cs wer e er u p t ed .
Do minant st r uct ur es in t he d ep o sit t r end NNW, WNW, and NE. Cr o ss-
sect ions of t he or e deposit ( Fig. 2 ) suggest t hat pr e- miner al fault s displaced
and t ilt ed t he basal andesit e. Post - miner al fault s appar ent ly down- dr opped
t he o r e d ep o sit t o t he east int o t he Rio Sant a g r ab en. The d r o p o ccur r ed
alo ng NNW and NE t r end ing st r uct ur es, so me o f wich may b e r eact ivat ed
pr e- miner al fault s.
A AA AAL LL LLTERA TERA TERA TERA TERATI TI TI TI TION ON ON ON ON AND AND AND AND ANDM MM MMINERALIZA INERALIZA INERALIZA INERALIZA INERALIZATI TI TI TI TION ON ON ON ON
Al t e r a t i o n a n d m i n e r a l i z a t i o n a t t h e Pi e r i n a d e p o s i t a r e t y p i c a l
o f v o l c a n i c - h o s t e d h i g h - s u l f i d a t i o n s y s t e m s . Th e r e i s a s t r o n g
l i t h o l o g i c c o n t r o l o n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e a l t e r a t i o n a n d
m i n e r a l i z a t i o n . Re s i d u a l v u g g y s i l i c a c o n t a i n i n g a l u n i t e i s t h e h o s t
f o r m o s t o f t h e o r e . Su r r o u n d i n g t h e v u g g y s i l i c a a l t e r a t i o n i s a
z o n e o f a l u n i t e wi t h m i n o r p y r o p h y l l i t e a n d d i c k i t e . Th i s a l t e r a t i o n
a l s o h o s t o r e , b u t g e n e r a l l y o f l o we r g r a d e t h a n i n t h e vu g g y s i l i ca .
Th e a l u n i t e z o n e i s s u cce e d e d o u t wa r d b y cl a y a l t e r a t i o n ( k a o l i n i t c
t o i l l i t i c ) .
The vug g y silica and st r o ng alunit e alt er at io n ar e b est d evelo p ed in
t h e p u mi ce t u f f u n i t . Per vasi ve q u ar t z - al u n i t e al t er at i o n o ccu r s i n t h e
over lying lit hic t uff unit , wich is also cut by vuggy- silica- alt er ed st r uct ur es.
The b asal and esit e is char act er ized by p er vasi ve clay- pyr it e alt er at io n,
wit h Au miner alizat io n co nfined t o veinlet s. Pr o p ylit ic alt er at io n is almo st
ab sent , and int r o d uced silica in t he fo r m o f p er vasive silificat io n is r ar e.
St eam- h eat ed al t er at i o n o ccu r s i n t h e u p p er p ar t s o f t h e syst em, b u t
n o Au acco mp an i es t h i s st ag e.
Go l d mi n er al i z at i o n at Pi er i n a i s d i ssemi n at ed i n t h e vu g g y- si l i ca-
al t er ed r hyo d aci t i c p u mi ce t u f f. Mo r e t h an 9 5 % o f t h e mi n er al i z at i o n
d ef i n ed at Pi er i n a i s o xi d i z ed . Th e Au i s p r esen t as mi cr o met er g r ai n s
o f n at i ve go l d asso ci at ed wi t h Fe oxi d es, q u ar t z , an d pyr i t e. In p ar t s o f
t h e o r e b o d y, k e r n e l s o f p y r i t e - e n a r g i t e - c o ve l l i t e - n a t i v e s u l f u r a r e
p r esen t . Th ese su l f i d e- r i ch ker n el s ar e r emn an t s o f t h e ear l i est st ag e
o f mi n e r a l i z a t i o n i n t h e d e p o s i t . Gr a d e s o f Au a n d Ag a t Pi e r i n a a r e
z o n e d , wi t h t h e h i g h e s t g r a d e s ( > 8 g / t Au a n d u p t o 3 0 0 g / t Ag )
l o cal i z ed o n t h e n o r t h en d o f t h e d ep o si t .
A s u l f i d e f e e d e r z o n e h a s b e e n i n t e r s e c t e d i n c o r e h o l e s i n t h e
so ut h- cent r al ar ea o f t he d ep o sit . Wit hin t he feed er zo ne, miner alizat io n
i s mai n l y asso ci at ed wi t h vei n s an d f r act u r es. Go l d o ccu r s wi t h p yr i t e,
e n a r g i t e, a n d s p h a l e r i t e. Th e l i t h o l o g y i n t h e d e e p e s t exp l o r e d p a r t
FI GURE FI GURE FI GURE FI GURE FI GURE 2 22 22
C CC CCROSS ROSS ROSS ROSS ROSS-S -S -S -S -SECTION ECTION ECTION ECTION ECTION OF OF OF OF OF P PP PPIERINA IERINA IERINA IERINA IERINA G GG GGEOLOGY EOLOGY EOLOGY EOLOGY EOLOGY. .. ..
PIERINA AU-AGDEPOSIT, CORDILLERA NEGRA, NORTH-CENTRAL PERU
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o f t h e s y s t e m i s p u m i c e t u f f, s u g g e s t i n g t h a t t h e f e e d e r z o n e t o
t he miner alizat io n may also have b een a so ur ce o f p yr o clast ic volcanics,
and t hat t he andesit e basament was down- fault ed pr ior t o miner alizat ion.
Ou t cr o p p i n g o r e o n t h e n o r t h e n d t h e d e p o s i t co ve r s a n a r e a o f
2 0 0 x 3 0 0 m. Th e t o t al , ver t i cal ly- p r o j ect ed ar ea o f cu r r en t ly d ef i n ed
m i n e r a l i z a t i o n i s 3 0 0 x 9 0 0 m , o r i e n t e d NNW. Mi n e r a l i z a t i o n i s
i n t e r p r e t e d t o h a ve f o r me d i n t h e f o l l o wi n g s e q u e n ce : ( 1 ) Fo r ma t i o n
o f p e r v a s i ve q u a r t z - a l u n i t e a l t e r a t i o n i n t h e p u mi ce, l i t h i c a n d l o ca l
cr yst al t u f f s, wi t h su b seq u en t , p r o b ab l y p en eco n t amp o r an eo u s, aci d -
l e a c h i n g o f t h e p u m i c e t u f f t o f o r m t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c v u g g y s i l i c a
r o ck . No Au mi n e r a l i z a t i o n a cco mp a n i e d t h i s s t a g e . An a g e o f 1 4 . 5
Ma has b een o b t ai ned f r o m hyp o g ene al uni t e at Pi er i na. ( 2 ) Per vasi ve
p yr i t e - e n a r g i t e - co ve l l i t e - n at i ve s u l f u r, wi t h mi n o r Au mi n e r a l i z a t i o n
FI GURE 3 FI GURE 3 FI GURE 3 FI GURE 3 FI GURE 3
C CC CCROSS ROSS ROSS ROSS ROSS-S -S -S -S -SECTION ECTION ECTION ECTION ECTION OF OF OF OF OF THE THE THE THE THE P PP PPIERINA IERINA IERINA IERINA IERINA D DD DDEPOSIT EPOSIT EPOSIT EPOSIT EPOSIT, S , S , S , S , SHOWING HOWING HOWING HOWING HOWING
A AA AALTERATION LTERATION LTERATION LTERATION LTERATION AND AND AND AND AND M MM MMINERALIZATION INERALIZATION INERALIZATION INERALIZATION INERALIZATION. .. ..
( 0 . 5 - 1 . 0 g / t ) i n t h e l e a c h e d , p u mi c e t u f f. ( 3 ) Fo r m a t i o n o f q u a r t z -
p y r i t e - Au v e i n l e t s , wi t h Au p o s s i b l y g r a d i n g 1 - 2 g / t . ( 4 ) Hy p o g e n e
o xi d a t i o n t h a t f o r m e d s p e c u l a r h e m a t i t e a f t e r p y r i t e , a n d c o v e l l i t e
r i m s a r o u n d r e l i c t l o c a l i z e d z o n e s o f St a g e 2 p e r v a s i v e s u l f i d e
m i n e r a l i z a t i o n . Th e b u l k o f t h e Au , wi t h g r a d e s t o 9 0 . 0 g / t Au , wa s
i n t r o d u c e d i n t h i s s t a g e . ( 5 ) Fo r m a t i o n o f b a r i t e - Au v e i n l e t s a n d
b r e c c i a s , wi t h Au g r a d e s o f u p t o 1 . 5 g / t .
R RR RREFERENCE EFERENCE EFERENCE EFERENCE EFERENCE
WILSON, J. REYES, L & GARAYAR, J. ( 1 9 9 5 ) Geo l o g a d e l o s Cu ad r n g u l o s
d e Pa l l a s ca , Taya b a mb a , Co r o n g o , Po ma b a mb a , Ca r h u a z y Hu a r i .
Instituto Geolgico Minero y Metalrgico ( L i m a , Pe r ) , B u l l . 6 0 ,
6 4 p.
David F. Volkert - Craig J .A. McEwan - Enrique Garay M.
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