Principal Ore Types: Ores Derived

From Igneous Processes

Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

Porphyry Copper Deposits

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

 Cu-Mo Porphyries

Porphyry Copper Minerals

• Mineralogy
– Chalcopyrite CuFeS2
– Pyrite FeS2
– Bornite Cu5FeS4
– Chalcocite Cu2S
– Molybdenite MoS2
– Galena PbS
– Sphalerite ZnS

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

 Porphyry Copper Deposits
Muscovite Chlorite/Epidotes
Sericite
K-Feldspar
• Situated around the
Pacifc ocean
associated with
subduction zones
• Ores are associated
with extensive
alteration to clays and
layer silicates

Argillic
• Distinct zoning of
alteration and ore
Clay
mineralogy
After Lowell & Guilbert, 1970
Supergene Enriched
Arenaceous vs
Argillaceous
15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores
Hypogene Enriched
Porphyry Copper Deposits
• Situated around the
Pacifc ocean
associated with
subduction zones
into continental
• Ores are associated
with extensive
alteration to clays and
layer silicates
• Distinct zoning of
alteration and ore
mineralogy

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

 Also known as the
Kennecott Copper
Mine, situated near
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Still operating,
despite two massive
landslides in 2013

Bingham Canyon copper mine is 4km wide and 800m deep. It is one
of the most efficient copper producing mines in the world

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

The Bingham Porhyry Copper Molybdenum Mine in
Utah is one of the most important deposits of this type.

It represents a giant deposit from which already by

1978, 9.75 million tons of copper were produced. (21.5
billion pounds of copper).

In 1976 production figures were 1.3 billion tons of

porphyry ore with an average grade of 0.9% Cu to give
181, 436 t of copper for the year, together with by-
products including gold, silver, molybdenum, bismuth,
platinum, palladium, selenium and rhenium

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

Replacement and vein deposits in sedimentary and
igneous rocks peripheral to the porphyry center
yielded 2.9 million tons of lead-zinc with lesser
amounts of copper, gold, and silver from
approximately 47 million tones of ore

Landslide

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

 North-south cross section showing Geology

Latite porphyry dykes

Limestone

Quartz monzonite
porhyry
Quartzite
Monzonite and quartz
monzonite

E.C. John (1978)

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

North-south cross section showing Sulphide
mineralized Zones

E.C. John (1978)

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

Geometallurgical Domains
Australasian
porphyry copper
deposit

Domains
identifed by
drilling and core
sampling prior to
development

Coppe This allows

r mining and
recovery
processes to be
optimised
15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores
Cu

Au

As
15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores
 Processing Options- Porphyry
Ores
• Heap leaching used to recover Mo, Cu in
the Cu-rich part of the deposit
• Froth flotation is used for Cu-Pb-Zn ores
• Galena is first recovered, then Cu and
lastly Zn
• Clay minerals and carbonate minerals can
interfere with metals dissolution
• Cu is recovered by heap leaching, solvent
extraction and electrowinning

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

 Phosphate Copper Deposits
Mineralogy
– Chalcopyrite CuFeS2
– Pyrite FeS2
– Bornite Cu5FeS4
– Chalcocite Cu2S
– Fluorapatite Ca5(PO4)3F
– Calcite CaCO3
– Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2
– Baddeleyite ZrO2
– Vermiculite (Mg,Al)3(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2.4H2O

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

Palabora Complex

• Copper minerals are

associated with a
carbonatite rock, locally
called foskorite
• Phosphate is an
important and very large
economic resource,
occurring both in foskorite
and in pyroxenite
• Other economic minerals
are baddeleyite and
vermiculite, occurring
mainly in foskorite

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

 PMC mines
copper
minerals from
the
carbonatite
Foskor
produces
phosphate
fertiliser and
REE, U and Th
by-products

Vermiculite is
also quarried
(weathered
phlogopite
Cawthorn, mica)
15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores
1999
 Palabora Complex

Cawthorn, 1999 Macintosh, 1988

Bornite and
chalcopyrite
15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores
 Processing Options – Phosphate
Cu Ores
• Cu is recovered by flotation
• Apatite is recovered by flotation of the Cu
tailings to yield a high-grade concentrate
• Baddeleyite is recovered by gravity
separation
• Presence of poorly floating Cu minerals in
phosphate Cu ores- cubanite, valleriite
• Cu is produced by smelting and electro-
refining

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

 Volcanic-hosted Cu-Fe-Zn Ores

• Mineralogy
– Pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, barite
• Massive to disseminated stratiform ores
occurring in volcano-sedimentary rocks
• Occur in ophiolite complexes, felsic tuffs, lavas,
sea-floor intrusives, as well as mudstones and
shales
• Range from Cu-dominant, Zn dominant or Pb-Zn
dominant
• Examples: Kuruko, Japan; Timmins, Ontario

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

Submarine Volcanic Deposits

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores

Ore from Potter Mine, Timmins
Area

15. Magmatic and Volcanic Ores