Gold-copper fertile intrusions in the Hualgayoc

mining district, Peru

M Viala , K Hattori , P Gomez 1 1 2

1
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Gold Fields La Cima, Lima, Peru
2

1 Introduction 2 Geological setting 5 238

U/ Pb ages of intrusions from zircons
206
6 Cerium anomaly in zircon: indication of magma
700,000 E 800,000 E
LEGEND San Miguel
LEGEND
Alluvial (Quaternary)
Cerro Jesus
1 sample; N=6 LEGEND oxidation state
N
14-15 Ma
QUATERNARY Cerro 2San Jose
10°

samples; N=35 N 350

11-13 Ma
Postmineral tuff
9300,000 N MIOCENE VOLCANIC ROCKS Ce* = (NdN )2 / SmN
San Miguel andesite
30°

N 8-9 Ma
Ì OLIGO MIOCENE INTRUSION AntaKori 24°
Postmineral rhyodacite 1 sample; N=13 Sample
Andesite dome

Miocene
location 300
30°

OLIGO MIOCENE VOLCANIC ROCKS

San Miguel3 samples;
diorite
35° 9255000

Pyroclastic rocks
Cerro Corona
Cerro Corona PALEOCENE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS N=51
18°

Tantahuatay Tantahuatays
56°

Quartz-phyric dacite
UPPER CRETACEOUS BATHOLITH
Cerro Cienaga
250
28°

Tantahuatay 9255000 40°

30° Quartz-diorite porphyry 1 sample; N=21
CRETACEOUS CARBONATES
Hualgayoc
Hualgayoc Co. Hualgayoc
7°
Porphyritic diorite AntaKori porphyry 1
Mina Congas JURASSIC VOLCANIC ROCKS Co. Cienaga 1 sample; N=22
La Zanja TRIASSIC JURASIC CARBONATES
Cerro Corona

Cretaceous
Galeno San Nicolas 20°

Co. Jesus 25°

9250000
200
Sipan La Carpa

More Oxidized
6 samples; SHRIMP
PALEOZOIC INTRUSIVE ROCKS Limestone 0
0
0
0 0
0

Yanacocha Coymolache
0 0 0
Sandstone

Ce/Ce*
5 0 5
Yanacocha Michiquillay PALEOZOIC METASEDIMENTARY ROCKS
5 6 6

Co. San Jose

7 7 7
30° 30° 1 sample; N=21
Co. Corona 150
9200,000 N Cajamarca
Cajamarca PRECAMBRIAN METAMORPHIC ROCKS Calipuy andesite
12°
Co. Quijote
24°
Bedding 1 sample; N=25
MAJOR FAULTS
9250000 Fault Tantahuatay
CHICAMA-YANACOCHA 2 samples; N=42
Veins (Ag, Cu) 100
STRUCTURAL CORRIDOR
AntaKori porphyry 2
8°

0 0
Sill Coymolache 0
Porphyry Au-Cu
45°
0 0 0
0 0 30°
0 1 sample; N=26
HIGH SULFIDATION Au-Ag
30°
5 0 5
Peer

5 6 6
7 7 7 40°

DEPOSIT
4 Km Oxide Au Calipuy rhyolite 50
ruu

1 sample; N=22
PORPHYRY Au-Cu
Massive pyrite-enargite Hualgayoc rhyodacite
DEPOSIT
25 Km 1 sample; N=22
TOWN AND VILLAGE Fig. 2: Simplified geology of the Hualgayoc mining district, modified from Gustafson et al. (2004), after S. Canchaya,
J. Paredes and R. Tosdal (1996) 0
Fig. 1: Regional geological map of the Cajamarca province, from Cerro Corona technical report Yanacocha district

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The Hualgayoc mining district consists of weakly deformed Cretaceous sedimentary rocks

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The Hualgayoc mining district is located in the Andean Cordillera of northern Peru,

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Yanacocha volcanic rocks

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B
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or
(mainly limestone, with minor sandstone and shale). These formations were intruded by several

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Sa

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ab

C
30km north of the Yanacocha high-sulphidation Au district. The district hosts numerous

C
Alunite age

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Sa

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La
H

Sa
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Miocene dioritic bodies including Cerro Corona, and overlaid by andesitic to rhyolitic flows,

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C

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C

C
C

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Au-Cu deposits, including the Cerro Corona Au-Cu porphyry, the Tantahuatay high (From Longo et al. 2010)

C
domes and tuffs. The AntaKori and Tantahuatay deposits are partially hosted in the Calipuy 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
sulfidation Au, and the AntaKori skarn/high sulphidation Au-Cu deposits. volcanic formation in the western part of the district, south-west of the San Miguel diorite. The Porphyry Au-Cu deposit Age (Ma)
In this study we characterize the igneous rocks in the Hualgayoc mining district and Porphyry Au-Cu deposit High sulphidation Au-style mineralization
Cerro Corona porphyry intruded Cretaceous limestones, west of Cerro Jesus and Cerro San Jose Porphyry-style mineralization High sulfidation Au deposit Apparently barren
identify the features associated with Au-Cu fertile magmas. intrusions, which host historic mines of silver-rich intermediate sulfidation veins. Porphyry-style mineralization Apparently barren
Skarn mineralization High sulfidation-style Au mineralization

The magmatic activity in the Huagayoc mining district was previously thought to Unlike the other Rare Earth Elements, which only exist at the 3+ state, cerium (Ce) can also exist
3 Lithology and alteration Bt
Bt
Kfs-Qz
veinlets
Qz
4 Zircon textures range from Paleocene to Miocene in age. New U-Pb zircon ages indicate that in the 4+ state. In zircon, Ce4+ readily subtitutes for Zr4+ while Ce3+ is strongly excluded. Therefore,
The dominant phase of intrusive rocks in the Hualgayoc magmatic activity ranged from 14.8Ma to 9.7Ma, similar to the ages of igneous and the Ce anomaly in zircon can be used as a tracer of magmatic redox state (Ballard et al, 2002).
mining district consist of hornblende±biotite-bearing
Pl
Qz hydrothermal activity of the Yanacocha high-sulfidation Au district. Most intrusions We observe that all intrusions associated with mineralization have a median Ce/Ce* value
Hbl
porphyritic diorite with magnetite micro-phenocrysts, formed in a 1 m.y. period between 14-15Ma. Some are associated with between 100-170. In contrast, most apparently barren intrusions have a lower median Ce/Ce*
Pl
indicating relatively oxidized parental magma. This mineralization (Cerro Corona) while others appear to be barren (Coymolache). Late value between 50-100. The data suggest that mineralized intrusions are characterized by
1cm Hbl 1cm
includes Cerro Corona, the Coymolache sill, the San magmatism at 9-10Ma consists of barren rhyodacite-rhyolite domes. intrinsically oxidized parental magma, which may be an factor for the Au-Cu mineralization.
Cerro Corona – Phase 1 (weak Cerro Corona – Phase 3 (strong
potassic alteration) potassic alteration)
Miguel diorite, and the San Nicolas, Cerro Jesus and Cerro

7 Bulk rock composition

San Jose intrusions. Chl after Hbl Chl veinlet

Volcanic rocks include the Hualgayoc rhyodacite north of Hbl

a) 100 b) LEGEND
Cerro Corona, the San Miguel andesite which contains 100
“Adakite”-like rocks 80
Cerro Corona Co. Hualgayoc
clinopyroxene with rare xenocrysts of blue sapphire, and All intrusions except Cerro Quijote show an
Pl
the andesitic to rhyolitic Calipuy formation which partially Pl Co. Caballerisa San Miguel andesite
1cm 1cm 200um 100um “adakitic”-like signature with high Sr/Y ratios (40-90) 60
Bt

Sr/Y
hosts the Tantahuatay and AntaKori deposits. and low Y (5-16ppm) (Fig. a). This can be explained by 80 Sill Coymolache San Miguel diorite
San Miguel Diorite Cerro Coymolache Pinkish euhedral zircons with pyrite after Zircon with apatite inclusions in 40
Wavy Qz-Py vein heavy liquid separation. transmitted light. high water contents in parental magmas (>4wt% H2O)
Bt Co. Choro Blanco Co. Quijote
Pl Hbl that suppress plagioclase crystallization (Sisson and 20
Bt
Qz Zircon is a common accessory Grove, 1993). This is consistent with the presence of San Nicolas
Chl
mineral in most intrusions. The biotite and hornblende phenocrysts in most intrusions. 60 0
Hem 0 50 100 150 200

Sr/Y
Ce/Ce* in zircon
grains are euhedral with a pinkish Samples from Cerro Corona, which host the Au-Cu
Pl 80
Pl color. Most grains range from deposit, are among the highest Sr/Y and Ce/Ce* in c)
Mag
Ccp+Py 1cm Chl 1cm d)
50um to 300um and commonly zircon, along with Cerro Choro Blanco and Cerro 40 Garnet residue
Cerro Quijote Cerro Hualgayoc rhyodacite
contain apatite and feldspar Caballerisa (Fig. b). 60 30
2cm 1cm Strong Kfs halo Py Oxidation condition does not seem to correlate with
High-grade ore with Ccp, Py, Mag and K-staining showing pervasive Kfs alter- Hbl inclusions.
magma evolution, suggesting that the magmas were

Mg#

La/Yb
40 20
Hem – Cerro Corona. ation (yellow color) – Cerro Corona. 20
All zircons show typical magmatic intrinsically oxidized (Fig. c). Normal arc rocks
Chl veinlet Cpx
oscillatory zoning, and common Low La/Yb ratio (<20) of most intrusion indicate that 20 10
Pl sector zoning. 100um
these rocks are not adakites, partial melt of the Normal arc rocks
1cm 400um
Inherited cores are present but Zircon with sector and oscillatory zoning. subducting slab with a garnet residue (Fig. d). 0 0 0
White San Miguel andesite Blue sapphire xenocrysts in the This grain is unsuitable for trace elements 0 5 10 15 20 0 50 100 150 200 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
mica San Miguel volcanic rocks rare, and are only found so far in Y Ce/Ce* in zircon Yb
analysis.
zircons from Cerro Corona and
Pl Alteration is prevalent in all intrusions except Cerro Hualgayoc.
Hbl
Qz the Coyomolache sill, the San Nicolas intrusion and
8 Implications for exploration 9 Summary and on-going work References
•Ballard, J. R., Palin, M. J., & Campbell, I. H. (2002). Relative oxidation
400um 400um the Hualgayoc rhyodacite. Weak to medium LA-ICP-MS analysis spot The Hualgayoc mining district has been affected by Miocene magmatism, from 14.8Ma to 9.7Ma. states of magmas inferred from Ce (IV)/Ce (III) in zircon: application to

Intense white mica alteration under

Chl forming veinlets and replacing Hbl
and Bt – San Miguel Diorite.
The age range of intrusions in the district was porphyry copper deposits of northern Chile. Contributions to Mineralogy
chlorite±epidote alteration affects the San Miguel Most intrusions formed early, in a ~1 m.y. period, and have a variable bulk-rock composition and
and Petrology, 144(3), 347-364.
crossed polars – AntaKori previously uncertain, with some suggestion of at least
diorite and Cerro Quijote intrusions. Strong white degree of magma oxidation state. This suggests they could have been formed from different
•Longo, A. A., Dilles, J. H., Grunder, A. L., & Duncan, R. (2010). Evolution of

Qz-Prl matrix Limestone Eocene to Miocene ages. This study showed that the calc-alkaline volcanism and associated hydrothermal gold deposits at
Py mica alteration occurs at San Jose, Cerro Jesus, batches of parental magma, which could explain contemporanuous barren and mineralized
Yanacocha, Peru. Economic Geology, 105(7), 1191-1241.

dated samples range from ~15 to 9Ma; the Cerro

Tantahuatay and AntaKori. Acidic alteration of intrusions. The younger intrusions and volcanic rocks from Tantahuatay and AntaKori plus the
•Sisson, T. W., & Grove, T. L. (1993). Experimental investigations of the role
of H2O in calc-alkaline differentiation and subduction zone magmatism.

pyrophylite±alunite is present in Cerro Cienaga, Corona porphyry that hosts the Au-Cu deposit is Contributions to mineralogy and petrology, 113(2), 143-166.
Hualgayoc rhyodacite coincide with ages of volcanism and hydrothermal activity associated with
Cerro Tantahuatay and AntaKori. Potassic alteration amongst the oldest intrusions. Also, zircon grains the nearby Yanacocha high-sulfidation  Au district. This suggests that the similar aged igneous
Fe-O-OH
from mineralized intrusions have higher Ce/Ce* ratio Aknowledgement
Anh of K-feldspar+biotite+magnetite occurs at Cerro rocks of both districts may originate from the same regional magmatic event.
We thank Gold Fields Cerro Corona staff for
Corona, and locally in the San Jose intrusion. than most zircon grains from barren intrusions. This On-going work includes: more zircon dating to better understand the chronological relationship accomodation at mine site and assistance with
100um 50um suggests that the cerium anomaly in zircon can be between the intrusions; hornblende geothermobarometry to define the depth of emplacement sampling; Buenaventura and Regulus Resources Inc.
1cm Fine grained Aln 1cm Abbreviations: Bt: biotite – Hbl: hornblende – Pl: plagioclase – Qz: quartz staff for assistance with sampling; and Jeffrey
Chl: chlorite – Kfs: potassic feldspar – Cpx: clinopyroxene – Anh: anhydrite used to identify more oxidized intrusions that may and temperature of crystallization; Sr and Nd isotopes to characterize the magmatic signatures Hedenquist, Samuel Morfin, Glenn Poirier and Alain
Advanced argilic alteration forming Aln High Temp alteration forming anhydrite Aln: alunite – Prl: pyrophyllite – Py: pyrite – Ccp: chalcopyrite – Mag: magnetite Zircon with oscillatory zoning. Rounded inherited core in zircon from
and Prl – Cerro Cienaga. veins – AntaKori. Hem: hematite Cerro Hualgayoc. potentially be Au-Cu fertile. and contamination from country rocks. Mauviel for their assistance.