INGEMMET ARCHIVO TECNICO INGEMMET ARCHIVO TECNICO George B. Brickeen 1952* Hamseript page Introduction 6 eee ee ee ee ee ee sence General statement see ee ee ee ee 2 Geography we eee eee ee ee eee eee & Regional sotting. eee ee abe eens 4 Location and accessibility... . +. eee wee ee & ~\ Population and industry se eee ee ee ee ee 8 — Surface features 6. eee ee ee ee ee 10 Drainage and water supply 6 ee eee ee ee ee ee Climate and vegetation, we eee eee ee ee ee DD Previous goologgo work 6. ee eee ee ee eee Field work and acknowledgmntr 6. eee ee ee ee eee eee eee Goology sees eee eee ees Regional setting se. ees s reer eevee eee lB Stratigraphy oe eee ee eee ee a Lover Noecontan, Aptian, and Ablian sandstones and shales se ee eee ee ee eee eee ee A Mbian, Cenomanian, Turonien, and Senonian limestone . 3 Tgneos WOKS oe ee Stock at Cerro Jess se eee ee ee ee eT SiU1s 4m the canyon of Ro fualghoe we eee Paso Yanacancha regions see ee eee eee 30 Stocks of the Tingo regions ss ee eee ee eee 30 Faso Coymolache region + se ee eee ete ee ee 32 Other intrusives . . +Contents Geology (cont.) Structure. se ee eee ee ee Folds wee eee eee rene Faults and joints 2... 1s Metamorphism and wall rock alteration Geologic history . s+ +s se eee Mineral deposits . 2. ee eee ee eee General features 22. 6 eee eee Structural control and types of deposits . Vein struetires 2. +. + CAassification of depnsits Minerclozy se eee eeees Native elements Sulfites and sulfosmlts . GCartonates ys. ee eee Haloide nnd oxides... « sulfates . . Sequence of hypogene vein minerals Suporgene alteration . 4... Eeonomie factors affecting minem:1 production Methods of mining and concentrating ore Operation and transportation costs Manpower and costs 6 ee eee ees Production , Future possibilities and recomendations . . at Mtamsoript, page os 35 - 0 3B oe 36 oe + 40 oe A? - + 42 oe 42 ~. @B oe oe 45 oe 45 ee AS oe DD ee 50 oe DL os 3B oe 5h - 6 oe 5 oe ST . 538 2 & oe 6a Contents Manusertpt = Mines and prospect® se see te eee ee ee eee eee Region east of Hualgéyoc «+e ee yee eee eee ene San Agustin mine see ese eee eee eres ‘EL Imperial or Paccha mine 2 eee see eee ee ee Los Negros Mines. ss eee ee eee eee eee El Dorado mine see eee tee te eee eee Continela mine s 2. ee eee eee ee eee ee Praternidad mine ss es epee ee ee eee eee Nueva California mines. see eee eee eens Atahualpa mine 6... se ee eee eee renee Socav6n Carassai and Socevén Marta eye eee eee aeasegspaisaeaed Victoria mine. eee eee eee te ee eee eee Segunda Rebelde mine 2. ee eee eee eee eee 86 EL Misti mine... ee tee ee eee eee ee ee BF Mario MING 2 eee eet ee ee ee et ee @ Cerro Jemtis regions. ee eee eee ee eee ee OM Socavén Reel se ee yee eee ee ee eee eee Sooav6n Barrag6n wee ee eee ee ee tee ee Aurelio prospect «6 see eee eee eee eee Socav6n Purgatorio «1. ee ee ee ee ee ee 102 gs Mensita mine»... Loreto and San Antonio mines sees epee eens Bas Socavin El Milagro ses ee ee cece eee eeeContents Mines and prospects (cont.) Posos Ricos region... - + Mesa de Plata mine... Apra mine. ee see ee Predilecta mines... +s Heele and Porefa mincs . . Pozos Ricos mine and others Chorita and Merchero nines and nearby Corona ming sees eee ee ee foribaldd mine 6... ee Qnebre/la Vanada region... . Carmencita prospect . 1 ss ee La Solorada, Moff, and Atémtea GConsulade mine 6 ee ee eee Tingo revions eee eee eee Region of cuebrada Liplac . .. Cuebreta Le "M"™dinehao region . Ia Froveedora mine...» Tres amigos mine... Sinchao mine and others . ‘Tres Moscueteros mine . . Congas mine and other nrospedts Prospects in Quebreda Tante Huatet Bibliography ss eee ee eee ee ee iv Mamsoript EERESS ». 3 ». 5 ». 6 +. 16 o/ D6 +. 8 29 +9122 +213 +218 +16 = 218Introduction General statement: The study of the HualgSyec mining district was undertaken as part of an overall survey of the lead-sinc mines in Perf, a cooperative project betifeon the Geological Survey of the United States Department of In@krior and the Instituto Nacional de Investigacién y Fomento Mineros of the Ministerio de Fomento y Obras Piblicas del Perf. The project was part of @ larger cooperative program sponsored by the Interdepartnental Committee on Scientific and Cubtural Cooperation and was carried out under the auspices of the United States Department of State. The Hualg4yoc district was selected for detailed study because of Ate location at the north end of the Andean metallogenic province which Aneludes Perf, Bol{via, and northern Argentina and Chile, and because of ite phenominal production of silver in the past and ite more recent reactivation and production of lead and copper. Southward from Hualgsyoo into the central Peruvian Andes there is a gradual increase in the oumber of base metal veins and mineral districts, but northvard in the Andean region are only scattered cecurrences of base motals, To the north of Hualg§yoe in Pert small lead-zinc veins are known to occur only at Chota and Jaén, In Equador one or tvo small copper mines have been worked in the past, and a fev small lead-zinc deposits are knovn, Small lead=sino veins are reported in Colombia, In addition to the gathering of data on the mineralization of the Andean metallogenie province, we hoped that a detailed geologic study would aid in the search for new ore bodies in HualAyoc,‘The Hualgéyoe district is famous for its production of silver from oxidized ores during Spanish Colonial times and from sulfide ores during ‘the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 2th centuries, Although complete records of production are not available, from the time of discovery in 1771 until 1903 the mines of the district produced 4,942,248 kilograms of silver /. After the early part of the present century the _l/ Data on this production were compiled from a report on the Hualg4goc district by Santolalla (1904). Production of silver decreased markedly, and during recent years miners have been more concerned with the extraction of copper and lead ores. Veins occur in stocks of granodicrite or diorite porphyry and in sandstones, shales, and limestones of Lover and Middle Cretaceous age. Most are along fuult or shear zones and contain fragments of the wall rook and gouge, with vein minerals in fissures and cavities. A few veine are mantos, or low-dipping veins parallel to bedding of the sediments, in which minerals were deposited largely by replaéement of the wall rock. Minerals in all veins are crystalline but for the most part show well developed crystal faces only where they line cavities. Much of the material in the fissure-filling veins 1s crustified or banded, and all. is porous and vuggy. Some veins contain comb quartz. Post-mineral movement along many veins caused brecciation of the ore.the principal ore minerals and those found in association in most veins are galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and tetrahedrites gangue minerals are pyrite, quartz, and barite with lesser amounts of caleite, rhodochrosite, and rhodonite. Enargite 4s the principal ore mineral of two or three veins, stibnite occurs in minor quantity in a few veins, and flakes of molybdenite were seen in waste material at one vein, Native silver and silver sulfides evidently accounted for most of the silver pdoduction during Colonial times and argentiferous galena and tetrahedrite during more recent tines. ‘Throughout ite history production in the district has been sporadic, and many plants or mills for the treatment of the ores have been constructed, used, and then let fall in ruins. Santolalla (1904, pp. 102-103) listed eight leaching plants within distances of 1,5 to 2 kilometers of Hualgdyoc and another within 80 kilometers, which vere treating ores from Hualedyoo during the early part of the present century, The ruins of several of these plants can still be seen, and one, Pilancones, still has most of the machinery intact, This plant and another at Amaro, which apparently wae built after Santolalla's visit, have small smelting furnaces, During 1950 only one concentrator, a 90-ton mill owned by CEMSA _Z/, was producti =/ CEMSA, an abbreviation for Compafifa Explotadora de la Mina San Agustin, #411 be used throughout thie report. concentrates of copper, lead, and sinc. Another small mill at Hualgayoc, which did not work during 1950 but had been working in previous years, has a capacity of 15 to 1 tons per 24 hours, During 1950 the fanco Minero del Perf started construction on another mill which eventually will have a capacity for treating about 100 tons of ore per day. 2Geography Regional setting The Hualgdyoc mining district is in the eastern part of Hualg&yoo Province, one of eight provinces in the Department of Cajamarca (fig. __). The town of Cajamarca, the capital of the department is about 45 kiloneters airline south of Hualg¢yoc. The department is bordered on the north by Equador, on the south vy the department of La Libertad, and on the west by the departments of La Libertad, Lambayeque, and Piura, The eastern boundary is mirked by the Rfo Marafion which separates Cajamarca from the Department of Amazonas. The Department of Cajamarca is in the northern part of the Peruvian Andes vhich here are considerably lower in altitude than elsewhere in Ferg. ‘The continental divide, which passes through the southern part of the department, 1s very sinuous, following irregular ridges rather than straight mountain chiililras it does farther south, The divide 1s also lower than elsewhere in Perd, the highest point being less than 4,000 meters. The road pass over the divide into Jaén in the northern part of the department is one of the lowest in the South American cordillera, being only slightly more than 2,000 meters in altitude, Mountain peaks in Cajamarca are also low; the hivhest are reported to be less than 4,200 meters in altitude, Along the Rfo Marafion altitudes are as low as 500 meters," Phystographically the region included in the department is a broad upland vith shallow rounded valleys in the higher regions and sharp Veshaped valleys along the major streams, draining vestward into the Pacific or eastward into the Marafion, The upland topography of rounded hills and valleys is in direct contrast to the craggy ridges and peaks and deep valleys found in many other parts of the Peruvian highlands, Although there is evidence of Pleistocene glaciation throughout the southern highlands of the department, ice has since completely disappeared, and none of the peaks today supports glacial ice. Many of the high valleys are U-shaped, and their floors and sides are covered with morainal material, A morainal area between Cajamarca and Hualg&yoc has many mall kettle lakes, tut throughout the remainder of the department lakes are fow in number. the Due to the differences in altitudes/climate of the department: ranges from cool temperate to tropical rain forest conditions, and a wide vaiety of crops are giijm. In the highland areas near Hualgé&yoc and Cajamarca the crops consist principally of vegetables, grains, and alfalfa; the inhabitants also raise sheep and cattle. Principal products exported from these areas are potatoes, grains, hides, and stock, In the valley of Cajamarca during recent years a dairying industry has been built up, with small factories for producing cheese, butter, and condensed milk.Location and accessibility ‘The town of Hualgdyoo is ut 6°46! south latitude and 78°37! vest longitude. The plaze of Hualgfyoc is at an altitude of about 3,480 meters, Hualg&yoc Province ws created in 1870,and Hualg4yoc was made the capital city, but in 1949 the capital was changed to Bambamarca 8 Kilometers to the northeast. Nearly all the mines of the district are within a belt trending in a northuesterly direction, 3 to 5 kilometers wide and about 10 klometers long, Hualgdyoe is near the southeast end of this belt and, as can be seen in fig. __, mines extend from about 2 kilometers southeast to & kilometers northwest of the town, The most distant mines, in Quebrada >/ ‘£/ Quebrada, defined by the dictionary as a ravine or gorge, ia applied dn Perf to all but the very largest vallehs. Tanta Huataf (not shovn on the map), are 10 to 11 kilometers northuest of Hualgdyoe. From the seaport of Pacasmayo on the Pacific coast Hualg4yoc oan be Feebbiid-by an all-veather road, a total distance of 21 kilometers, In detail the route 1s 7 kilometers by the Pan-American highway from Pacasmayo to the Cajamarca turnoff, 97 kilometers from the turnoff to Chilete, 90 kflometers from Chilete to Cajamarca, and 94 kilometers from Cajamarca to Hualgéyoc. A railroad also connects Pacasmayo to Chilete. Most of the ore from Huslgfyoo 18 trucked to Chilete and then transported by rail from Chilete to Pacasmayo where it is loaded into ships by lighters or barges.‘Some ore is trucked directly to Pacasmayo. During the ary season Hualgdyoe may also be reached by road from Chiclayo, a route considerably shorter than that from Pacasmayo, However, even vhen passable the road ia 4n poor condition and traffic is light. None of the ore is trucked out over this route. Within the district a road extending from HualgSyoc to Bambanarca passes through the canyon of lifo HualgSyoctag past the CIMSA mill. The Toad to Cajamarca extends westward and crosses the continental divide at Faso (Pass) Coymolache; near Coymolache a branch road extends northward to Tingo, A road no longer passable to ears also extends from Tingo to near the Tres Mosqueteros mine. A short road connects Fl Vorado mine to the Hualgdyoe-Tambamarea road, and another extends from liualgéyve to the head of Quebrada Mesa de Flata, During 1951 the owners of Mario mine were construeting @ road about 1 kilometer long from Hualg4yoe to the mine. Mines which are not made asscessible by these roads are for the moat part within 2 kilometers trail distance of them. The longest trail distance, from Tanta Huataf to Tingo, 1s about 10 kilometers. Although nost of the trai are in poor condition because of disuse, they could be rebuilt at small cost.Popultion and industry The population of Hualgéyoe Province according to the 1940 census 4s 102,482 inhabitants; as the area of the province is 5,543 square kilometers, the average density of population is about 18 inhabitenks per square kilometers, No accurate data were availutile on the population of ‘the town of itualgfyoe 4h 1950, tut inhabitants estimsted that it had about one hundred resident families or about 500 people, and tie political istrict had several thousand inhabitants, Santolalla (1904, p. 10) stated that according to the census of 1876 the population of Hualefyee Province was 32,379 and that accorwing to the Trujillo newspaper La Industria” tho mumber had risen to 76,800 by the year 1900, He further stated that according to "La Industria" the political district of Hualgéyoc in 1900 had 13,801 inhabitants, the second largest population of the seven districts in the province. To jucge from the munter of deserted and ruined houses in and around iluslgfyoc, the population has been considerably reduced in recent years. ‘he transfer of the province capital to Bambamarca also reflects a populution shift away from Hualgéyoc. Houses in Hualgéyoe are mostly two stories hizh and constructed of obi, a mixture of ma, strox, and pebbleegtanped Anto wall forms, oF adobe blocks (sun~difed bricks of mid, straw, and pedsles), Roofs are generally gabled and thatched with dried Ichu grass. A few houst ere roofed with tiles or corrugated iron.In Huelgdyoe the most important industry 4s mining, and a large part of the revenue comes fron the export of minerale, Agriculture is second to mining here, though it is the principal industry of the other districts of the provinee, During 1950 the mines’ employed between 150 and 200 men, nearly all of whom w-re residents. Of three small concentration plants and tvo small smelters near Hualgdyoe, only one was operating in 1950, The operating mill of CEMSA was powered by @ hydroelectric plant Several kilometers southeast of the mine. Another plunt in the canyon of Rfo Hualgdyoc furnished electricity to Hualgdyoc and the El Dorado mine, and two other snall hytroelectric plants, one downstream from Filancones and the other at Amaro, have furnished power to the smelters. Although no metals are now proluced, before World War II the plants at Amaro and Pilancones produced matts of copper and lead. Previously other plants produced matt copper and le«d and bars of silver. In the highlands near Hualg&yoc sheep, cattle, and pigs are raised, and agricultural elips are potatoes, alfalfa, and oca (a starchy tuber). Small amounts of other vegetables, wheat, and oats are gopvn. eprle also raise chickens, turkeys, and cuyes (domesticated cavies) for their own use. Most of the agricultural products are consumed locally, but some, such as potatoes and beef, are exported to Cajamarca, Hams are cured for export, Wool 4s spun and voven by hand, and most of the eloth is used locally, though some is exported. At lower altitudes, approaching Bambamarca, a wider variety of agricultural products are exported, including corn, cocoa, coffee, tobacco, and many vegetables. From jungle areas to the north of Rambamaroa come bananas, orades, and several kinds of timber. 7Surface features The Hualgdyoe mining district is in an upland of Cretaceous sediments and Tertiary intrusives, which has been dissected by stream and glacial erosion, Paso Coymolache is on the continental divide, and streams of the district drain into the Anszon basin, whereas those to the west of ‘the pass drain into the Pacific Ocean. Relief between the floors of the valleys of the tv major streans, Rfo Hualgéyoe and fo Pilancones, is generally less than 500 meters and that of tributary val cys less than 200 ucters. The lovest point in the mapped urea (fig. __), where the Huslg{yoc-Janbamarea road crosses 20 Hualgéyoc northwest of CEMSA, io about 3,160 neters and the hivhest point, the crest of Cerro Jests, 3,900 meters in altitude, Paso Coymolache 1s «tout 3,780 meters in “ates Valleys tend to be broad and U-shaped, and intervening ridges und peaks are rounded, Walls of tho largest valleys consist of steep alluvial slopes or broken cliffs which were cut by the glueiors., The region between Mueledyoc ane Mngo 43 a broad, gently undulating upland with broad low valleys und g ntly rounded peaks and ridges. The lower parts of the valleys of the tvo major rivers are sharp V-shaped canyons eut by the strows after the glacial dee had receded. Gradionts of these streams are moderately steep; in the lovermaches are a series of small waterfalls and turbulent rapids, Many of the tribrtaries of iifo iiualgdyoe and fo Pilancones are in hanging valleys. The streams in the Pampa _'/ de Buey —/ Flat marsh- or grass-covered valley floors are locally e&fMled pampas and are referred to as such throughout this report. north of Tingo, Cuebrada Lipiac north of Pilancones, and Quebrada La Pastora south of Huslgdyoe drop sharply 100 to 200 meters before emptying into the larger streans, In the upper reaches of the villey of RSo Hualgéyoc is 4 prominent glacial tread. JOFloors and sides of valleys are covered with morainal material and peaks and hill slopes with soil, so that bedrock is only moderately well exposed, Structures such as contacts, faults, and veins are commonly obscure, and their location can be determined only by inference, The covered areas shown on the map (fig. ___) consist largely of morainal materdal with minor amounts of recent soil and alluvium deposited by the streams, At places these deposits may be several tens of meters thick, and although they have been modified by recent erosion and overgrown with grass, it de still posatble to recognize both terminal and Jateral moraines. Southwest of Cerro Garibildi dolution of limestone dipping gently to the southwest has formed typical karst topography. Limestone along fractures and small favlts has been dissvlved to form numerous solution fisoures and sink holes, The fissures range from a few centimeters to several meters wide and a few meters to several hundred meters longs although they are filled with alluvium, most extend downvard 1 to 2 meters, Sink holes range up to several hundred meters in dianeter and are as mich as 50 meters deep. Dititinage and water supply As the district is east of the continental divide, it is am the Atlantic drainage. Ho Hualgéyoe and Kfo Pilancones drain northeastward into Rfo Lleuedn which in turn empties into the Rfo Marafion, a major tributary of the Amazon River. These rivers trend parallel to a mgjor fault and fracture system of the district; Rio Hualgfyoc follows o fit in ite lower reaches, and although it is not recognizable in the field, it is Possible that another small fiult lies along Rfo Pilancones. Many tributary streams evidently follow contucts beiveen sedimentary and intrusive rocks or'fractures in these rocks and bedding in sedimentary rooks. ’ tThe two major streams carry moderate amounts of water all yearf part of the tributary streuns are perennial, and part flow only during the wet season, During the wet season all the small valleys and gullies carry water, and the mjor streans contain several times as mch witer as they do during the dry season, Most of the water is pure, containing only small amounts of calcium carbonate and having mterial in suspension only during rains or shortly after, @he strekms draining the Pozos Kicos and Cerro Jests area are acidic, ccntaining sulfates in solution and iron oxide and clays in suspension, ‘This water contaiminates Rfo Hualg4yoe east of the town, Although this water is not drinkable, it evidently does not cause excessive wear in the livalg4yoe hydroclectric plant and, after neutrelization with lime is used in the CEMSA mill, ‘The yearsaround volume of water would be great enough to supply a large concentration plant tut is not enough to supply adeifutie hydroelectric powor for a large mill. CEMSA gets electric power from a hydroelectric plant on the Rfo Llauedn several kilometers southeast of the mine. f2-Climate and vegetation The climate of Hualgdyoc is similar to that elsevhere in the Peruvian Andes, with a dry season extending from April to September and a wet Beason from October to March. However, in Hualg&yoe it is common for heavy ruins to continue until the end of May and start again in September. During the wet season many days are characterized by heavy fogs in the morning and rain in the afternoon and evening. Hail storms are common iuring this season, vith hail pedlets as mch as 0.75 centimeters in dianeter covering the ground to a thickness of a few centimeters. Hail usually melts rapidly and at most remains on the vround only a few hours, Many rein and hail storms are also eleotrical storms, and occasionally Lightening kills pebple or livestock. Darin’ the dry season in aliftthdes above 3,500 meters days are warn but not hot, and the temperatures of many nights drop to freezing or a few degrees below freesing. Day temperatures seldom are more than 70° F, During the wet season days are cooler and nights warner, so that the average temperature is higher, Helow 3,500 meters the average temperature comes progiessively higher, For example, the climtie change between Hualpfyoe at 3,480 meters and CFMSA at 3,185 meters is notable. at CEMSA sone days are uncomariijly hot, and night time temperatures rarely érop to freezing, At Bambamerce, still lower, and northward along the Laaucdn temperatures are stil] higher, JdThe hills around Hualgdyoc are covered vith several types of grasses, of which a bunch grass (Ichu) is most common, Some hill slopes and valleys contain low shrubs or small trecs such as the quinual. Cultivated plunts are eucalyptus, potatoes, and alfalfa, tut fields are few and small. In protected gardens in Hualgdyoc several varieties of Mowers and vegetables are vrovn, including daisies, roses, vansies, tiger lilies, artichokes, lettuces, cabbages, carrots, and onions, Buculyptus 4s grown for firewood and construction miterial. Pelow the altitude of HucleAyoe the vevctation becomes progressively more succulent, In the canyon of xfo Huulg4yoe and on hill slopes below the Los Necros mine more or loss at the same altitude as Hualglyoc, grow a wide variety of shrubs and smill trees and a jointed cane resembling bamboo, In Bambamarca, 2,600 meters in altitude, grow many more plunta, several charucteristic of a tropical climate, and to the north is a jungle ares with even wider varioty of tropical plants. Previous geologic work Reese of ts renown as one of the major silver camps of the western hevinphore, Hucls4yoe has been visited by many geclorists and mining engineers, several short reports have been published, and others are to be found in the files of mininy compinies now operating in Perf. The only conprehensive published report, by Sentolalla (1904), describes the regional geolocy and veins as well as the history of mining and production during the 1éth and loth centurges, Santolalla (1906) reviewed part of this report in a later publication, a monograph on the Depabtment of Cajamarca, 1Shorter published geoloric reports are as follows: The earliest report was by Humboldt (1827) who visited the district in 1802, This report briefly describes the geology and mines, imimondi (1861) gave additional information on the ceology of the district. Orton (1874) and Griffeth (1898) described some of the silver veins and their geology. Duefias (1909 and 1913) briefly described several of the mines and minerals from tho veins, Singewald (1929) mentions mines and geolozy of the district, but hie resumé apparently was taken from the literature. Coologiete and encineero of tiorthern Perf Mining and smelting Company mde a study of the district in the 1920's, including regional and vein -eology. Reports and mips are on file in the company offices, Field work «nd acknowledgements The field work on which this feport is based was done between August 1950 and January 1951. During the work I vas ably assieted for most of the time by Ing. Ulrich Petersen, Ing. Mariano Iberico M. and Ing. Dante Brambilla P, also were assigned to the project for about half of the vork, Sr, Guillermo Abele assisted during the first three veeks on the project. Al1 mapping was done in relition to magnetic north, and maps vere later corrected in the office to true north which had been determined by CEMSA from azimths to be 7° east of magnetic north, Tho altitude of the top of Cerro Jess, the principal base line point for surface mappiny, was estublished by Wallace and Bisrnan altineters with a range of 1,700 ‘to 6000 meters and acale graduations of Sneters, Fram a check of these instruments with known elevations in the Peruvian Andes, it is estimted ‘that the error in our altitude of Cerro Jestis is less than 50 meter 1sUnderground mpping was done on the scale of 1:500 by means of compasses bfunton/:nd 30-meter steel tapes, One mine, Socavén Barragon, was mapped on the scxle 111,000, Mino workings were mapped at floor level, and geology was either mpped or projected to this datum plane, Control for surface mapping vus est.blished by tr@dngulation with plane tabke and tclesccpic alidude on the seule 1:10,000, and most of the geclogic mapsin: was done on trinetrogon aerial photorraphs on scales ranging from about 1:23,000 to 1:74,000, ‘The area betweon Cerro Jess and the Porcin minc, comprising avout 1,5 mquare Kilometer, anc the area couth and southvoat of CRMSA, about 1 scuare kLlonetery were mapped by plane table or the scale 1:10,000, Plane table triangulation control consisted of a bisa Line with two legs, one of which extended fron Cerro Joss to c point atout 10 meters weut of the top of Cerro Hualgyoc, a total @ictunce of 898 meto=s, The other limb extended westward from a point on the Corro Jesis-Hualgfyoe limb along the Pozps Ricos ridge for a @istanen of 1,595 meters, Trianmilation control covered the area between Pago Y~azenncha on the south, CMSA camp on the east, Cerro Las Gordas on the vest, end a point near La Proveedora mine on the north. Geologic data were transferred from the photographs to the base map An the office. Contucts outsblld the area of base control (fig. __) may be as mich as 500 meters from their correct position, but as they had been mppet on the photographs, they were included in the surface map. The conter Line of the vertical photpsraphs extends throuyh the district from a point about 1 kilometer west of imalgfyoe to the Sinchao ridge, These photographs include an area about ? kilometers vide, and oblicue photographs cover the lateral areas. In areas of equal base control the geology mapped on the vertioul phébographs could be transferred to the base map with mch greater accuracy than could the geology of the oblique photographs. 16The directive personnel of CHMSA vere exceedingly cooperative during the field work, and I wish to oxpress my gratitude to dr, Ga'ove| Lanata, goneral manager, Ing. Giovanni DeCol, mine superintendent, and Ing. Giusoppe DeCol, ansistant mine superintendent. The company furnished maps of the Gun Agust{n mine, a mining clain and vein map of part of the district, and andlyses of ore: from several veins, ‘he two Ings. Detol were “ost hospititle during 0: y in Hu-lstyoe. ir, Ferruccio Csrassaiy nuayer of the trucking division of CHA, was nest cooper tive in haulin eouiyment in unl out of Hudgdyoe and in purchuciuy sviplies in Gajamarcs for the Piel? group. lic also furndshed Anformation on mines, yeographie feutures, and analyses of ore from sevor:1 mis Mr. Sumoel A, Nould, p privits mine owner, vas most genorovs in ellowing our flo) -roup to Live in his house in Hualgyoc and mite our stay in the district most enjoyable. Sr. Lufs Souza of Huslztyoe sudded us through part of the district and gsve much information reg rio: the mines and hictory. Ing, Eloy S:ntolalla, over of El Dorado and Sincheo mines and the plants of Amaro and . dlancones, also gave information regarding mine provuction and history of ihe diutrict. Sr. Mario i! anda, through long expericnce in tualg4yoc, wis also able to give muck information regarding mines. /7I am grateful to Ing. Jorge A. Broggi, Driector o: the Instituto Geolégico del Perf, for his aid in the administrative work of the job end his invaluable suggestions regurding the geology and general field work, Sr, Victor Benavides, who was working out the Cretaceous stratigraphy of northern Perf during the years 1951 and 1952, was very gracious in talcinr me over the well-known section at Cajamarca and furnished information about the section at Huslgdyoc. Mr. Lawson Entwistle, Chief Geologist of the Northern Peré Mining and Snclting Company, gave information which the company had gathered during studies in the 1920's, The many other persons in Hualgdyoc and Cajamarca, who aided in the work in many ways and who by their friendliness mde the work more plessant, are too munerous to List separately. I wish to thank them and say that their cooperation made the study of Hualg4yoe most enjoyable. Geology Regional setting Sedimentury rooks in the southern part of the Department of Cajamarca, as in the upland areas of the Departments of La Libertad and Ancash, are principally Cretaceous, ranging from lover Neocomian to the middle of ‘upper Senonian in 9; The aggregate thickness of the Cretaceous in Cajamarca is about 5,000 metors. ..t several localities these rocks confornably overlie Jurassic rocks, and at other localities they are overlain by a thin conglomerate sevuence which my be Tertiary in age, The lower part of the Cretaceous, Keocomian and Aptian, are characterized by clastic mterial, sandstones, shales, and mdstones with minor amounts of interbedded limestone. Overlyinr Cretaceous rocks aro principally limestones with varying amounts of interbedied shale. /3Inasmuch as the nomenclature of Cretaceous rocks in Perti is the same as that used 4n Europe, the following table, with equivalents used in the lInited States, 19 given for reference: Gret_cenis Upper sdddle sous Lower Cvetuc Grotucoos In Perf 2/ In the United states _2/ Western interior Gulf coast Danian _3/ Navarro Yeestrichtian 4 : Fox Hills ss. group £5 Pierre ‘Taylor Campanian a shale shale 3 8 3 é 3 @ Santonian 3 3 & 3 & § ¢ Whtrara a Contaedan . & halk dustin go chalk 54 uronian & Benton Eagle Ford 3 shale shale Cenominian Dakota ss, Purgatoire fm, Washite 2 eroup aa Albian PFrodericaturg gM deposits a° ‘Trinity ee 3 ° group 3 B 5 (base. Barremian S concealed) 8 q i g kautervian a 24 3 Valanginian Berriasian _4/ -A/ After Steinmann (1930). u2/ Muplified from C.0. Dunbar and others (1942). -3/ The Danian is not included in the Cretaceous by Dunbar, -4/ The Berriasian ic not included in the Cretaceous by Steinman, 77At many places in southern Cajamarca the sedimentary rocks have been Antruded by igneous rocks ranging from granodiorite (bo diorite in composition and covered with extensive flows or tuffs, principally andesite but at some places rhyolitic in composition, Most of these igneous rocks are probubly Tertiary in age. During the uplift which formed the Andean chain of South America the sedimentary rocks were extensively folded and to a lesser extent faulted. Most of the fuults I have seen in the Departments of Ancash, La Libertad, and Cajamarca are of the normal type, and large thrust faults are rere. In the Hualgdyoe mining district sedimentary rocks are Cretaceous, from upper Noocomian to Senonian are, and have beon intruded by grancdiorites of Yertiary age. Neocomian and Aptian rocks are principally sandstones and shales, and the younger rocks, Albian, Cenomanien, Turanian, and Senonian, are principally limestone with lesser amounts of interbedded shale. Diagnostic fossils identified by paleontologists of the U.S, Geological Survey, range in age from Aptian to Turonian, The underlying Neocomian strata and overlying Senomaniun strata are inferred by comparigon with a vell-exposed section of Cretaceous rocks a few kilometers east of Cajamarca, ‘This section was measured by geologists of the International Petroleum Company in the late 1940's and by Sr. Victor Benavides 4n 1951 /. ~/ During 1951 and 1952 Sr, Victor Benavides made a study of Cretaceous stratigruphy in northern Pert, including the departments of Ancush, La Libertad, and Cajamarca, In 1951 Sr. Benavides guided me through ‘the section at Cajamarea and gave mich useful informstion concerning lithology and thicknesses of formational units. 20he section at Iuslgfyoc is similar to that at Cajamirea in both lithology and fossils, As I did not measure a section at Hualgdyoe, in the followins discussion comparison is made with the Cajamirea section; thicknessns of 1ithologic units are taken from meapurenents by Sr. Tenavidess Strata graphy Noocomian, Aptian, and Albian sandstones and shales In the tualgfyoe district the oljest sedinontary rocks, exposed in the canyon of Ro Hurdgéyoe an’ fn clifis orth and wost of the San Arustfn mine, consist of interbedded sandstones, shales, and mudstones with a fou thin leyors of impure Limevtotie or caloxrcous shale, The lowest part of the sequence consists of ouurtaitie sanéstero with lessor amounts of ten, gray, oni black shale ond midstone and grades upwerd into strata which consist nrineipally of shale end méstone, Layers of different rock types rene fron 2 few millimeters to several meters in thickness. Colors of these rocks are varied. On the surface they are vhite, gray, tan, and pink, uhereas underground, ac in Jocavén De Biasio, sandstones are predowinantly gray and tan, shales pray to blick, and mdstones are eray or tan. In the canyon (fig. __) the secuence vas intruded by several, pills which cavsed alteration of the sedinents and mide it difficult to recognize the different tock tynes.‘At Cajamirca the Neocomian 1s represented by a massive sandstone about 400 meters thick, the aptian by shales, with lesser amounts of Anterbedded Limestones and sundstones, about 150 meters thick, and the Albian by a black bituminous limestone with interbedded shale, about 200 meters thick, In comparison, at Hualgdyoc the sandstone in the lower part of the sequence, vhich 19 50 to 75 metera thick, may correspond to the Neocomfan sandstone at Cajamarca, The overlying shale sequence seems to correspond to aptian, and on the bisis of fossil evidence the upper strate may be Albian. ‘the section at Hualglyoc differs from that at Cajamarca in having mich less interbedded Limestone and more sandstone. The lower sandstone is barren of fossils, but parte of the overlying strata contain abundant fossils, Shales and shaley limestones of this sequence along the Hu:lgSyoc-lambanavea road northwest of the CEMSA eamp yielded a mmber of diagnostic fossils. Mr. Ralph W. Imlay of the U.S. Geological Survey identified the following among the fossils collected: Knemiceras aff, K, raimondi (Lisson) Knemiceras sp. Lyelliceras pseudolyell4 (Parona and Bonavelli) Pecten (Neithea) sp. Protocardia ap. cf. Paphia peruana Richards Enallester texamus Roemer Mr, Inlay stated that Knamloeras is characteristic of the Albian tut has been reported from the Aptian of Peri. Lyellfceras is known from the late lower Albian and the carly mide Albian; Neringa is rare above the Lower Cretaceous, Enallaster texamis toemer in Texas is confined to the Fredericaburg and Washita groups of lover Comanche. At Cajamarca Sr. Benavides found most of these fossils in the correlated sequence and in addition the echinoid Holeotypus planatus which is listed by Shimer and Shrock (1944) as having been found in the Fredericsburg and Washite of Toxas. LEAlbian, Cenomnian, Turanian, and Senonian limestone Overlying the shale and sandstone sequence is a thick sequence of limestone with minor amounts of interbedded shale, Beds of limestone range from few centimeters to nearly a moter in thickness, and nost interveaing shale layers range from a few millimeters to 50 centimeters in thickness, However, at places in the sequence units of calcareous shale or shaley Limestone range from a few meters to tens of meters in thickness. As can be seen in fig. __, the most extensive sedimentary rocks of the region are the limestones, The aggregate thickness exposed in the mapped area is more than 1,000 meters, Overlying Limestone south of the mpped area was estimated in the field to be considerably more than 1,000 meters. The limestone is fine-grained, at places lithographic, and is typically gray of blue-gray in color, Weathered surfaces arc light-gray. Interbedded shale or shaley limestone layers are gray to black in color and rarely are exposed, as they weather readily to a soil and become overgrown with grass, The lower part of the sequeuce contains more shale than the upper part, and it is probable that the contact with the underlying shale and sandstone sequence is gradutional, Fossils collected from this limestone sequence were identified by Mr, Inlay as follows: 1. Locality 1 kilometer southeast of Amaro, lower part of the ‘imestone sequence: Oxytropidoceras sp. Exogyra df, E, aquile (Brogniart) 2. Several localities along the roid between Hualg&yoc and Paso Coymolache: Nerinea sp. Exogyra ? 8p. Exoyra olisiponensis Sharp 2%3. Locality at Paso Coymolache: Exogyra africana (Cocuand) Exogyra olisiponensis Sharp Trigonia sp. Hucula? ap. Cyprimeria sp. ‘Mactra" ap, 4. Locality near the roai about 1 kilometer west of Paso Coymolache: Bxogyra africana (Coqnand) Exogyra veissi Steinmann (Paulcke) Exogyra cf, E, olisiponensis Sharp 5. Locality in a roadeut about 2 kilometers west of Paso Coymolache: Exogyra sp, Flaventia? ef, F, ovalis (Sowerby) Mactra" sp, Ostrea sp, Eohinolds from this locality were identified by Mr. C. Wythe Cook as: Tetragramma sp. of. Heterodiadema sp. + variolare (itrongniart) In describing these fossils itr. Imlay stated that Qxytropidoceras is known only from the middle Albian, and the other fossils vere assigned to ‘the Cenomsnian or lower Turonian stages because of the presence of Bxogyra africana (Coquand) and Exogyra olisiponensie Sharp, He further stated that ‘the most cited occurrences of these species of Exogyra are in the Cenomsnisn, but that there are several authentic ocourrences in the basal Turonian, lr, Cooke stated that Tetragrama yariolare is Cenomanian in Europe and that the range of the genus Heterodiadems is reported to be Cenomanian to Turonian, The upper most part of the sequence from which fossils were collected was at Paso Coymolache. Diagnostic fossils were not found in the overlyiag Jamestones, but comparison with the CaJamarea section indicates that they are nostly Senonian in age. 24At Cajamarca the section, as measured by Mr, Benavides, included Limestones and shaley limestones of Albian, Cenomanian, and Turonian age having an aggregate thickness of about 1,350 meters, In detail this sequence consisted of: Albian, 300 meters of black bituminous limestone containing Oxytropidoceras; Cenom.nien, 1,000 neters of irregularly bedded limestone with Exogyra africana in the uppermost beds; and Turonian, 50 neters of marly limestone containing Exogyra olisiponensis. Overlying ‘this sequence in Cajamarca is about &,500 meters of dark-gray Limestone with shule leyers contuining fossils diagnostic of the Senonian, Igneous rocks For the guke of continuity the following discussion of igneous rocks will include details of petrography, structure, and alteration, Igneous rocks occur in stocks, bosses, sillsy and dikes which have a wide range of sizes and shapes. Flow rocks appesr to be absent in the mapped area, but andesite flows and tuffs cover extensive areus to the south toward Cajamarca. Stocks, the largest intrusive bodes exposed in the mapped area (fig. __), have outcrop areas of several scusre kilometers, Bosses, amaller plug-like intrusives, range up to 300 meters in diameter. Dikes or tabular bodien range from about 50 centimeters to 10 meters thick and from 50 meters to about 400 meters long. Sills range from e few meters to nearly 600 meters in thickness and can be traced on the surface for as mch as 2 kilometers, 2‘The igneous rocks are mostly porphyrytée with groundmasses ranging from (ine-grained to microépystalline; in texture and mineral composition ‘they range from granodiorite porphyry to diorite porphyry. On the basis of composition of feldspar phenocrysts several specimens were classified as monzonite porphyries, Other specimens, from one or two sills in the canyon of iifo Hualgdyoc and from Cerro las Cordas, had cryptocrystalline groundmasses and vere classified as quartz latites. On the whole, individual Agneous bodies are not uniform in coxposition or temture, and contacts between different rock types are not recognisable in the field. The rock types seem to grade into one another, and it 1@ probable that they represent variations in magmatic composition rather than intrusions of different material, Much of the igneous rock has been altered by hydrothermal solutions, and although textural features can te distinguished, few original minerals remain and composition can be inferred only by making comparison with less altered rocks. ‘Typically, the most intensely altered rocks consist of @ groundmass of granular secondary quartz and sericite dotted with quartz phenocrysts and angular misses of felted sericite crystale formed during the alteration of feldspar. 26Stock at Cerro Jests The stock comprising Cerros Jests, Haulgdyoc, and San José is structurally the most compley in the district, having many irregular protuberances and having been strongly fuulted, sheared, and fractured. The main mass 1s about 4.5 kiloneters long and ranges fron 1 to nearly 2 kilometers in width. Contacts with the surrounding Limestone are largely covered, but north of Cerro Hualgfyoe and along the west side of the body they seem to be essentially verticxl, To the south fits extend along part of the contact, dipping either vertically or steeply to the north and south; unfaulted poptions of the southern contact are essentially vertical. ‘he east contuct is complicated by flat-lying sills vhich vere intruded into the sediments north and south of Rfo Huslgfyoc. Another thick sill extending northwestward from Paso Yanacnacha may connect to the main intrusive body bene«th the alluvium in Quebrada Le Pastora. The principal intrusive mass as exposed at Cerro Jesis and in Socavones Rezl and Barragén, is mostly white, tan, or gry in color and porphyritic in texture, All the rock has been altered by hydrothermal solutions, Ferromgnesian minerals have been leached, feldspurs altered to sericite, and the groundmass is silicified. Microscopicully the rock consists of as mich as 90 percent sericite and secondary quartz and 10 percent quartz phenocrysts. Much of the rock is porous, with angular Aron-stained cavities remaining after leached ferromgnesian or feldspar phenocrysts, and newrly all contains disseminated grains of pyrite. Many quartz phenoerysts are corroded and have halos of fine granular quartz, Outlines of foldspar phenocrysts are preserved and in hand specimens appear to be filled with a white clayey substance vhich mleroscopic study reveals to be a felted mass of sericite crystals, AF