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    This document discusses supergene enrichment and ore deposits. It summarizes that supergene metals mobility is influenced by numerous geochemical and physical factors related to the source region characteristics, permeability, and oxidation state over time. It provides examples from around the world of porphyry copper systems that have experienced variable enrichment and leaching due to aggressive erosion. The economically important supergene copper occurrences typically result from multiple periods of metals migration and accumulation.

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    Chavez 1

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    Sean Price
    435 views23 pages
    This document discusses supergene enrichment and ore deposits. It summarizes that supergene metals mobility is influenced by numerous geochemical and physical factors related to the source region characteristics, permeability, and oxidation state over time. It provides examples from around the world of porphyry copper systems that have experienced variable enrichment and leaching due to aggressive erosion. The economically important supergene copper occurrences typically result from multiple periods of metals migration and accumulation.

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    Oxidos de Cobre

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    This document discusses supergene enrichment and ore deposits. It summarizes that supergene metals mobility is influenced by numerous geochemical and physical factors related to the source region characteristics, permeability, and oxidation state over time. It provides examples from around the world of porphyry copper systems that have experienced variable enrichment and leaching due to aggressive erosion. The economically important supergene copper occurrences typically result from multiple periods of metals migration and accumulation.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    435 views23 pages

    Chavez 1

    Uploaded by

    Sean Price
    This document discusses supergene enrichment and ore deposits. It summarizes that supergene metals mobility is influenced by numerous geochemical and physical factors related to the source region characteristics, permeability, and oxidation state over time. It provides examples from around the world of porphyry copper systems that have experienced variable enrichment and leaching due to aggressive erosion. The economically important supergene copper occurrences typically result from multiple periods of metals migration and accumulation.

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    of 23

    Supergene Enrichment and Ore Deposits: Geochemical Mobility and Accumulation of Metals

    William X. Chvez, Jr. New Mxico School of Mines Socorro, New Mxico 87801
    Spence, Chile: porphyry system oxide profile

    <[email protected]>

    SUPERGENE METALS MOBILITY IS A FUNCTION OF NUMEROUS GEOCHEMICAL - AND PHYSICAL FACTORS:


    Source/Sink Region Characteristics High S:Me (usually = high pyrite content, sulfide abundance) Low reactivity alteration assemblages having stable silicates (through hydrolysis and cation leaching) High fracture permeability (allows fluid movement) Oxidizing/reducing environment over extended period of time structural, climatic implications

    Quebrada Blanca, Chile

    Exhumation of Miocene age porphyry systems in the Tethys Belt shows variable enrichment and present removal of leached cappings protolith via aggressive erosion:
    Ovajik region, eastern Turkye active ferrihydrite precipitation

    SarChesmeh and Meduk, I.R.I.


    various Himalaya examples

    WORLDWIDE SOURCES OF COPPER BY ORE DEPOSIT TYPE

    1% 7% 14% Porphyry VMS + Sedex Skarn Vein "IOCG"

    57% 21%

    Leached capping development in a high-pyrite environment

    Fortuna de Cobre, Chile

    Do all high-pyrite environments promote significant metals mobility?

    Atalaya Pit, Rio Tinto, Spain

    Most economically-important supergene copper occurrences are the result of: multiple periods of migration and accumulation of metals (e.g., see Adler, 1956) represent multiple ages for weathering and metals transport (not necessarily characteristic of other base metals)

    Chuquicamata, Chile

    enriched keel (phyllic to advanced argillic)


    Fortuna Igneous Complex

    Chuquicamata, Chile

    Cambrian Coronado Quartzite ~1000 meters higher than in the mine area

    Coronado (CuOx)

    Northwest Extension (mixed CuOx-sulfide)

    Sulfide accumulation as chalcocite >> covellite Morenci, Arizona

    Mid-Oligocene age rhyolitic ignimbrite

    Paleosurface with hematite goethite leached capping

    Santa Rita, New Mxico Photo: Dr. J. Richard Kyle

    descent of cappingenrichment contact

    cover sequence hematitic capping jar + gt capping

    enrichment zone (grey = reduced)

    Cuajone, Per

    volume of essentially complete Cu removal and replacement by red hematite residual chalcocite with variable replacement by red hematite

    LEACHED CAPPING with residual Cu as relic chalcocite and adsorbed Cu on hematite, goethite; Cu concentration varies significantly because of residual and diverse copper mineralogy, so up to 2000+ ppm Cu available.

    Porphyry systems characterized by well-preserved K-silicate constructive alteration usually display geochemically limited metals mobility because of hostrock reactivityso, age dating may rely on oxide-associated minerals, notably Mn oxides.

    Radomiro Tomic, Chile

    In-situ oxidation of sulfides: chalcocite atacamite + hematite

    Note red hematite halos adjacent to chalcocite from where comes the Fe+++?

    1 cm

    Spence, Chile

    Mobilization of metals:
    to what distances can one expect metals to be transported?

    MnOx in Recent alluvial sediments

    where this does not work.

    precipitation of malachite on boulders from pH = 6.1, low total sulfate stream waters

    source porphyry-skarn system with variable supergene enrichment

    Southwestern China

    El Salvador leached capping

    Cretaceous andesites with exotic chrysocolla

    Damiana, Chile

    Early, mb-only quartz veins

    Later highgrade cv + py + en veins

    Chuquicamata, Chile

    lavendulan

    chenevixite ceruleite

    El Guanaco, Chile

    ilsemannite as a product of molybdenite oxidation

    Precipitation of silica pH alkaline (why?)

    Eh

    Al+++(aq)

    Al2O3.H2O(s)

    AlO2(aq)

    Al

    pH Stability of aluminum in a supergene environment

    Conclusions
    Supergene metals mobility is a function of a series of geochemical and physical parameters each of which are significant in determining how, and how much, metals are transported during weathering. Structural considerations are notably important for controlling and preserving metals accumulation

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