XIII Congreso Peruano de Geología.

Resúmenes Extendidos
Sociedad Geológica del Perú

TRACKING FLUID EXHAUST FROM POLYMETALLIC CARBONATE

ROCK-HOSTED ORE DEPOSITS: EXAMPLES FROM CENTRAL PERÚ

Richard Tosdal, Thomas Bissig, Abraham Escalante, Greg Dipple, Shane Ebert, Julio Jurado
Mineral Deposit Research Unit, University of British Columbia

Manuel Pacheco, Eric Lipten, Jhon Espinoza

Compañia Minera Antamina S.A.

Angel Sabastizagal
Compañia Minas de Buenaventura, Unidad de Produccion Uchucchacua

Gervasio Rodriguez
Sociedad Minera Corona

INTRODUCTION

Carbonate rocks uplifted and intruded by shallow level stocks are host to zoned polymetallic ore
systems (Einaudi et al., 1981; Titley, 1993, 1996; Megaw, 1998; 2001), including some of the largest
deposits in the world. The districts have a core of intrusive rocks that may or may not contain
porphyry-style base-metal deposits. Skarn lies at the intrusive contact with the host carbonate rocks,
with replacement massive sulfide (CRD) deposits that are concordant “manto” type deposits or
discordant cross cutting chimney deposits up to several kilometers away from the magmatic core
(Beaty et al., 1990; Megaw, 2001). Discrete veins and auriferous jasperoid deposits lie in a more
distal position, as much as 1 km away from the magmatic core (Noble and Alvarez, 1988; Pareja,
1995; Noble et al., 2000). The outward succession of deposit types accompanies a decrease in
temperature of formation and a transition from Cu±Au dominated metal assemblages to Pb-Zn±Ag
assemblages in distal replacement and vein deposits that are rich in manganese. In some of the more
distal deposits, the connection between the distal deposits and a causative intrusive complex may not
be evident and or supported by any geochemical evidence (Megaw et al., 1996).
Based on much previous work in carbonate terranes as well as a recently completed project in the
carbonate rock-hosted polymetallic deposits in central Perú, structural architecture, igneous geometry,
dip of host carbonate strata, and composition of host carbonate rocks exert a fundamental control on
mineralization and the rock record of the exhausted hydrothermal fluid as it exited the ore forming
environment. The complexities of these controls must be taken into account when evaluating
individual prospects or deposits and when exploring for deposits that have not been exhumed by
erosion. As a first order control, the size of distal alteration halo is dependent in part on the size of the
mineralized zones, the size of associated intrusions, and the permeability structure (bedding geometry,
fracture and fault mesh, etc.). Other factors, briefly described herein, to consider include the thermal
aureole, proximal and distal veins, metal zoning, geochemical dispersion halos, and alteration. Taken
together, recognizing the subtle visible and cryptic alteration zonation can provide useful vectors
toward sulfide deposits hosted carbonate rocks.

THERMAL AUREOLE

Thermal aureoles around high-level intrusion form much larger exploration targets than the individual
mineralized zones. The most pronounced visible alteration features are thermal metamorphism and
fluid flow effects surrounding intrusion-centered systems. Visible effects include recrystallization,
bleaching, and conversion of calcareous rocks to hornfels or to marble, depending upon the protolith
composition. At Antamina, bedding or fracture controlled bleaching extends as much as 300 m
vertically and 200 m laterally from the skarn whereas unbleached gray marble and hornfels extend up
to 800 m laterally and 300 m vertically above the skarn. Yauricocha contains an inner zone of bedding

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and structurally controlled bleached marble, and an outer zone of gray marble that extends at least 500
m into the carbonate rocks.
Most skarn-CRD deposits formed at deeper levels (Antamina, Yauricocha, Milpo) mainly lie within
the thermal aureole of the adjacent intrusion. Iscaycruz, however, is a skarn-CRD system that lies
outside a significant thermal aureole. The only thermal aureole effects evident at Iscaycruz are small
zones of bedding controlled bleached marble with traces of sulfides and minor calcsilicate minerals
underground at the Chupa skarn zone.

PROXIMAL AND DISTAL VEINS

Surrounding carbonate-hosted ore zones are veinlet networks or swarms of thin (hairline to 2 cm)
wavy-planar veins that represent escape pathways for the fluids responsible for sulfide mineralization.
The vein swarms also connect different mineralized zones and form halos extending up to 800 m
laterally and >500 m vertically from mineralized zones. The veinlets are an important exploration
guides, as they will contain anomalous geochemistry that varies outward from the thermal source. The
veinlets contain variable amounts of carbonate (calcite, ferroan, or dolomite) ± quartz ± calcsilicate
minerals with pyrite and base-metal sulfides. Distinct orange carbonate veins surround virtually all the
deposits; the orange color is due to the weathering of sulfide. Geochemically the veins contain
elevated base metals and Mn with or without elevated Ag as well as the epithermal suite As, Hg, Sb,
and Tl in the shallower deposits such as Cerro de Pasco or at the distal fringes of deeper deposits such
as Yauricocha. In some deposits (Iskaycruz), these veins are concentrated along favorable beds,
therefore forming an asymmetrical halo extending outward from mineralized zones, and diminishing
in intensity away from mineralization. The vein swarms follow the permeability structure, and
recognizing them and their structural control is important for exploration.
Larger Ag-base metal veins of potential economic interest, analogous to the veins at Uchucchacua, lie
distal to some skarns above and lateral to the main skarn (Antamina). At Antamina, the distal veins
are present over a 9-km2 surface area, extending at least 1 km laterally from the main skarn and
extending over 400 m vertically above it. At Yauricocha, similar veins extend up to 3 km laterally
from the main zones. These Ag-base metal veins provide a significantly larger exploration target than
the main mineralized skarn-CRD bodies or any proximal veinlets.
At Yauricocha, Uchucchacua, and Antamina, proximal and distal carbonate-dominated veins locally
contain unique ultraviolet fluorescent (UV) characteristics, with many fluorescing a distinct red-
orange color. Less common fluorescent colors include yellow and white. The shades of red-orange
fluorescence color is related to the concentration of Mn in the calcite, thus provide a link to the
hydrothermal system. The other fluorescent colors reflect other trace elements in the calcite.
Mapping of core or underground exposures with a hand held UV light potentially provides a cheap and
easy prospecting tool as the density of red-orange fluorescing veins increases in proximity to
mineralized zones.

METAL ZONING

Lateral metal zoning is evident in several of the districts. Low-grade porphyry style Cu ± Mo
mineralization occurs at the core of many of the deeper deposits. Proximal to the porphyry-carbonate
contacts are Cu-rich zones (locally with high sulfidation mineralogy) grading outward to more Zn-rich
zones. Outboard of the porphyry-carbonate contacts are Zn-Pb-Ag dominated zones lacking high
sulfidation mineral assemblages. The most distal mineralization occurs as Pb-Zn-Ag veins located as
far as 3 km laterally from the center of the districts. In shallow level deposits such as Colquijirca, high
sulfidation ore mineral assemblages associated with Cu (±Au) mineralization in the center of the
district are flanked laterally by more Zn-rich mineralization (Bendezú and Fontboté, 2002, 2003,
2004). Many of the individual ore bodies are not significantly zoned over vertical extents exceeding
300 to 400 m.
Skarn and CRD mineralization closely associated or proximal to porphyry intrusions are hosted
entirely within the zone of bleached marble and are surrounded by a network of thin proximal
carbonate-sulfide veinlets. Distal Ag-base metal veins lie above and lateral from porphyry intrusions.
Zones of high fluid permeability, specifically faults and dike margins, control distal Zn-rich skarn and

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CRD at Iscaycruz and distal Ag-Pb-Zn-Mn veins at Uchucchacua and Fortuna (Antamina).
Mineralization in these zones lies outside the marble aureole within limestone. At Iscaycruz, the host
carbonate strata have near vertical dips and the zones of mineralization, dolomitization, and jasperoid
alteration. At Colquijirca the host calcareous strata are shallowly dipping resulting in the subhorizontal
mineralized zones and dolomite alteration and jasperoid bodies.

GEOCHEMICAL DISPERSION HALOS

Geochemical studies at Antamina, Yauricocha, Cerro de Pasco, and Uchucchacua permit some
generalization to be made. The dispersion halo rising above a skarn and through veins such as those at
Uchucchacua is variable, are broadest at depth in rocks and narrow at shallower levels in the
hydrothermal system along the fluid escape channels. Elements typical of higher temperature
environments, such as Cu, Bi, and Mo, are enriched in at depth. Conversely, elements typical of low
temperature environments, such as As, Mn, Sb, and Tl are those that will be enriched in the lower
temperature veins found at shallower crustal levels. A similar suite of anomalous elements is present
in carbonate veins forming the distal fringes up to 800 meters from the polymetallic deposits
Yauricocha.
Oxygen isotopes provide an additional tool to recognize magmatic-derived hydrothermal systems. For
example, distal Ag-Mn-Pb-Zn veins and white, gray and brown carbonate veins at about 400 m
vertically above the top of the Antamina skarn and through the vertical extent of the Uchucchacua
veins have δ18O VSMOW values between 11 and 15 ‰, indicating a dominantly magmatic-
hydrothermal origin. Depletion halos, where δ18O values are <20‰, in the host carbonate rocks are
variable. They lie within the zone of visible alteration in the skarn environment but extend almost 100
meters out in visibly unaltered rocks as a cryptic alteration for up to 400 meters vertically above the
Antamina skarn. In the shallow, distal vein environment represented by Uchucchacua, the depletion
halo lies within the main fluid escape structure represented by the white calcite vein.

IDENTIFYING HYDROTHERMAL DOLOMITE AND JASPEROID

Dolomitic rocks and chert are common in calcareous rock terranes where they principally reflect syn-
depositional or diagenetic processes. However, around many shallow level carbonate rock hosted
polymetallic deposits, large areas of jasperoid and dolomite are present where they partially overlap
the main ore bodies (eg. Coljijiraca, Cerro de Pasco, Iscaycruz) but also extend as much as 1 km from
the sulfide orebody. Detailed study at Cerro de Pasco has shown that wholesale depletion of Sr from
the host rock distinguishes hydrothermal from diagenetic dolomitization. Hydrothermal jasperoids
contain the epithermal suite of elements (As, Sb, Tl, Hg and perhaps Cs) in anomalous concentrations,
whereas diagenetic chert or siliceous horizons in the limestone show no evidence for the input of these
elements. At Yauricocha, these elements are also associated with low-grade distal Au in the Purisima
Concepción prospect, hosted in marls of the Celendin Formation (Alvarez and Noble, 1988; Noble et
al., 2000).

CONCLUSIONS

Work around the carbonate rock hosted polymetallic deposits in central Peru has defined predictable
visible and cryptic alteration patterns that extend a minimum of 500 to 800 meters from the sulfide ore
body. Locally, evidence can be found as much as 1 km from the sulfides. A critical element in using
the predictable patterns as exploration vectors is recognizing the permeability structure along which
hydrothermal fluids may have exhausted from an ore-forming environment that does not out crop.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank Anglo American Exploration, BHP Billiton, Cia de Minas Buenaventura, Cia Minera
Antamina, Noranda, Phelps Dodge and Teck Cominco for financial and logistical support for the
project. Additional financial support was provided by a Cooperative Research and Development grant

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from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Sociedad Minera Corona
and Volcan Compania Miñera provided additional logistical support to the project.

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