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Porphyry Cu-Mo Deposits

deposits are intimately associated with

Porphyry Basics
first copper deposit of this type was mined in

intermediate to acid plutonic intrusives characterized by intense and extensive hydrothermal alteration of the host rocks ore minerals are scattered through the host rock either as disseminated mineralization or restricted to quartz veinlets that form a ramifying complex called a stockwork

the 1920s bulk mining is the key copper deposits that are associated with porphyritic intrusives, soon came to be called copper porphyries same for molybdenum and tin

Porphyry Basics
Cu and Mo occur as very large ore bodies: 50

Porphyry Basics
Porphyry copper deposits provide annually about

-X00 Mt a common size Sn are much smaller: 2-10 Mt common size all three types of metal deposit may yield important by-products
Cu porphyry: Mo, Au Mo (Climax) porphyry: Sn, W, py Sn porphyry: W, Mo, Bi, Fluorite

50% of the world's copper and many deposits are in production

Ore grades 0.5-1+% Cu

Molybdenum porphyries in production are far

fewer, about 10, but account for over 70% of world production Tin porphyries are less important, most tin production coming from placer and vein type deposits

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Grade-Tonnage Plot

U.S. Copper Production - 2008

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Host Intrusion Characteristics

Acid plutonic rocks from granites through granodiorite

I- and S-Type Granites

I-Type
High Na2O > 3.2% Al/(Na+K+Ca) < 1.1 <1% normative Al2O3 Hornblende Magnetite & sphene High Fe+3/Fe+2 ISr 0.704-0.706 18O < 12

S-Type
Low Na2O < 3.2% Al/(Na+K+Ca) > 1.1 >1% normative Al2O3 Muscovite & Biotite Ilmenite Low Fe+3/Fe+2 ISr > 0.708 18O > 12

to tonalite, quartz monzodiorite and diorite I-type granitoids - {Digress: S- and I-type Magmas} host intrusions in island arc settings have primitive initial strontium isotope ratios of 0.705-0.702 and are presumably derived from the upper mantle or recycled oceanic crust - {Digress: Initial Sr ratios} continental settings indicative of derivation from, contamination by, crustal material. multiple intrusions common, mineralization commonly late

Igneous parent

Sedimentary parent

Host Intrusion Characteristics

Acid plutonic rocks from granites through granodiorite

to tonalite, quartz monzodiorite and diorite I-type granitoids - {Digress: S- and I-type Magmas} host intrusions in island arc settings have primitive initial strontium isotope ratios of 0.705-0.702 and are presumably derived from the upper mantle or recycled oceanic crust - {Digress: Initial Sr ratios} continental settings indicative of derivation from, contamination by, crustal material. multiple intrusions common, mineralization commonly late

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Rubidium-Strontium
Rb like K and is enriched in Si-rich magmas Sr like Ca and is conc. in more mafic melt 87Rb decays to 87Sr with half-life of 45 Ga Plot 87Sr/86Sr vs 87Rb/86Sr
Isochron (line) of form y=mx + b where b= initial Sr 87/86

Host Intrusion Characteristics

Acid plutonic rocks from granites through granodiorite

to tonalite, quartz monzodiorite and diorite

I-type granitoids - {Digress: S- and I-type Magmas} host intrusions in island arc settings have primitive

ratio and m=(half life)

initial strontium isotope ratios of 0.705-0.702 and are presumably derived from the upper mantle or recycled oceanic crust - {Digress: Initial Sr ratios} continental settings indicative of derivation from, or contamination by, crustal material. multiple intrusions common, mineralization commonly late

Hydrothermal Alteration Zoning

Propylitic zone: Chlorite is the most common mineral Assoc: pyrite, calcite and epidote Primary mafic minerals are altered partially or wholly to chlorite and carbonate Argillic zone: also called intermediate argillic alteration clay minerals are prominent with kaolin being dominant nearer the ore body, and montmorillonite further away Pyrite is common, mostly in veinlets Primary biotite may be unaffected or converted to chlorite Ca leaching, Kfs unstable

Propylitic: San Manuel; Ray

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Propylitic-Phyllic: Silverbell
Qtz Monzonite Fairly fresh Plag and mafics suffering Chlorite Carbonate Epidote Clays Phyllic Sericite

Propylitic-Argillic: San Manuel

Quartz Monzonite Bio > Chlorite Plag > Kaolin + Montmorillonite Some sericite

Propylitic-Argillic: San Manuel Hydrothermal Alteration Zoning

Quartz Monzonite Bio > Chlorite Plag > Kaolin + Montmorillonite Some sericite
Phyllic zone: Also known as sericitization and advanced argillic alteration Characterized by the assemblage quartz-sericite-pyrite Usually minor chlorite, illite and rutile Inner part is dominated by sericite while further out, clay minerals become more important (Argillic overlap?) Quartz is produced; disseminated and veinlet pyrite Potassic zone: Orthoclase, biotite, quartz Sometimes orthoclase-biotite-chlorite Sericite anhydrite may be present Cpy disseminated, minor bornite K-feldspar important

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Phyllic: San Manuel

Quartz Monzonite Qtz-Ser-Py-Cpy Kspar, plag, mafics have been replaced

Phyllic: San Manuel

Quartz Monzonite Qtz-Ser-Py-Cpy Kspar, plag, mafics have been replaced

Potassic: San Manuel Advanced Phyllic

Quartz Monzonite Kspar flooding Biotite and Sericite added Local porosity may mark removed anhydrite or carbonate Qtz-K-feldspar-SericiteChlorite as stable assemblage

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Models
Sillitoe (1973) suggested that porphyry copper

deposits occur in a subvolcanic environment associated with small high level stocks and he emphasized their close association with subaerial calc-alkaline volcanism.

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Fluid Development/Evolution
Meteoric waters played a significant role in the

hydrothermal fluids responsible for the phyllic alteration. Field and microscopic evidence suggest that the phyllic and argillic alterations were later than the potassium silicate and propylitic alterations and were superimposed to varying degrees upon them. Introduction of much of the metals and sulfur accompanies the early potassium silicate alteration

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Molybdenite Deposits
0.1 - 0.45 MoS2, tonnage ranges from 50 to

1500 Mt.

Host intrusions vary from quartz monzo-diorite

through granodiorite to granite.

Stockwork mineralization is more important

than disseminated mineralization

Ore bodies are associated with simple,

multiple or composite intrusions or with dikes or breccia pipes

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Porphyry Sn and W Deposits

Majority of tin stockworks in the world contain

only about 0.1% tin and they are not, at present, mineable at a profit.
Absence of potassic zone, the association with

stocks having the form of inverted cones rather than upright cylinders and the presence of swarms of later vein deposits.

Cerro Rico de Potosi, Bolivia

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