SEARCH GO BACK SUMMARY REFERENCES

Minas Conga - Perol, Chailhuagon, Amaro

Peru
Main commodities: Au Cu Ag
New & Recent International
Study Tours:
TheMinas Congaclusterofporphyrygold-copperdeposits,includingChailhuagn, PerolandAmaro, Clickonimagefordetails.
arelocated~15kmNEoftheYanacochagolddepositcluster,intheCajamarcaMineralBelt,~35km
NEofthecityofCajamarcay,and625kmnorthofLima,innorthernPeru.ChailhuagnandAmaroare
4kmSSWand5kmNNWofPerolrespectively(#Location:Chailhuagon-656'32"S,7822'1"W;
Perol-654'43"S,7821'38"W,Amaro-651'43"S;7822'53"W).

The Chailhuagn and Perol deposits were discovered in 1991 by CEDIMIN, a joint-venture between
the French government-owned BRGM and Compaia de Minera Buenaventura (CMB), during an
exploration project targeting gold deposits as an extension of the Yanacocha complex to the NE.
Between1994and2000,CEDIMINcontinuedexplorationonbothdeposits.Amarowasfirstrecognised
asasub-economicoccurrencein1998-99,butwasnotshowntobeviableuntilaninfilldrillingprogram
in 2005-06. In 2001, CMB acquired BGRM's share of CEDIMIN, and the Conga Project was
amalgamatedintotheMineraYanacochajointventurebetweenNewmontMiningCorporationandCMB.
FurtherevaluationoftheChailhuagnandPeroldepositsin2004ledtoadecisiontodeveloptheConga
Project.Environmentalbaselinestudieswereinitiatedfrom2005andprojectengineeringdevelopment
commencedon2008,whiledrillingcontinuedinto2009.Socialandpoliticaloppositiontotheprojecthas
delayeditsdevelopmentsincethen.

Regional Setting

TheMinasCongaProjectdepositsliewithinthecentralAndeanorogenicbelt,whichconsistsoffolded
and thrusted Ordovician to Cretaceous sedimentary basement rocks, overlain by early Tertiary to
Holocene volcanic sequences and early to late Tertiary intermediate to felsic intrusive rocks. These
TertiaryrocksincludethenorthernPeruvianvolcanicbelt,acontinuous,NWtoNNWtrendingOligocene
to Eocene and Miocene to Pliocene suites of andesite to rhyolite volcanic rocks that extend into
southernEcuador.ThisvolcanicbeltisparalleltoandfollowsamarkedNNWtoNWtrendingstructural
beltofelongatefoldaxes,faultsandmainlyeastvergentthrusts.
The Minas Conga deposits are located towards the SE end of the Cajamarca mineral belt in the
WesternCordilleraofthenorthernPeruvianAndes,agenerallynorth-southtoNW-SEtrendingbeltof
OligocenetoMioceneporphyrycopperdepositsthatextendsfor350kmfromCajamarcainthesouthto
theEcuadorianborderandincludestwogeochemicallydistinctgroupsofdeposits,namely:i). porphyry
Cu-Mo deposits which include La Granja, Michiquillay, El Galeno, Caariaco and Rio Blanco; and
ii). porphyry Cu-Au depositswhichincludeCerro Corona, Minas CongaandLa Carpa.
AnumberofstructuraltrendsareevidentintheMinasCongadistrict.Oneofthemostimportantisthe
generally NNW-SSE trend at ~330, strongly reflected by faults, east vergent thrusts and fold axes.
ThesestructuresareintersectedbyaWSW-ENEtrend,whichcorrespondstotheprojectedextensionof
theNEtoENEtrendofthemineralisedcorridordefinedbythetheYanacochaepithermalgolddeposit
cluster, ~15 km to the SW. The Minas Conga deposits lie within the intersection of these two broad
structural zones. In addition, there is a near north-south trend at ~10, evident as faults and the
elongationofsomemineralisedzones,andtheyoungest,aneast-westtrendreflectedinkeyfaults.
Fordetailoftheregionalsetting,seetheseparatePeruvian Andesrecord.

Local Geology

The stratigraphic sequence in the Minas Conga project area is as follows, from the base of the Cretaceous (after Knight Pisold
Consultores,2010;Mendoza,2010):
Lower Cretaceous
Goyllarisquisga Group-abasalsedimentaryquartzosewedgeofAptiantoLowerAlbianage,composedofthefollowingunits:
Farrat sandstone,~400mofwhite,mediumtocoarsegrained,quartziteandsandstonewithcrossbedding;
Santa-Carhuaz Formation,consistsofgreyshaleswithinterbeddeddarkgreymarlylimestonesandsandstones;
Middle Cretaceous
Inca Formation,~150mofLowerAlbianferruginousmudstone,sandstoneandimpurelimestone;
Chulec Formation,~270mofthinlybeddedshale,calcareoussiltstone,marl,andnodularandsandylimestones,weatheringtoadistinctive
creamoryellow-browncolour;
Pariatambo Formation,100-300mofwavylimestone,variabledark-greytoblackmudstone,shaleandtuff,restrictedtothePerolareaat
MinasConga;
Pulluicana Group-whichisofUpperAlbiantoSantonianage,andcomposedofthefollowing,
Yumagual Formation,an~880mthick,extensivelydevelopedsequence,whichhasapara-conformablelowercontactwiththePariatambo
Formation,andiscomposedof,
-abasalunitofthintomediumbeddedlimestones;
-cleartobrownishgrey,massivetomediumbeddedlimestonesandlesserblackmudstonestoshales,withfossiliferousmarltowardsthe
middleofthesequence;
Mujarrn Formation,an~480mthicksequencecomposedof,
-darkgreymedium-beddedandnodularlimestoneandmarl;
-fossiliferous,nodular,yellowishmarlandgreyshales;
-marls,nodularlimestones,shalesandmediumcalcareoussiltstonesbands.
Quillquin Group-comprising:
Cajamarca Formation, 100 to 400 m of grey to clear, fossiliferous limestone, nodular limestones and calcareous shales. This formation
havebeenencounteredoverrestrictedareastothenorthandsouthoftheMinasCongadistrict.
Upper Cretaceous
Celendin Formation,thinshaleinterbeddedwithlimestone;
Chota Formation,conglomerades,tuffsandsandstones.
Tertiary
TheprincipalyoungervolcanicunitatMinasCongaistheFraylonesFormation,whichoverliesanoldervolcanicsuite,that(e.g.,Mendoza,
2010).Previously(e.g.,Bellet al.,2004),thesetwovolcanicsequenceswerecorrelatedwiththeEocenePorcullaandoverlyingHuambos
Volcanicsfoundelsewhereinthedistrict.ThesetwounitsatMinasCongacomprise:
Alowersuite,whichmaybeeithertheEocene Porculla VolcanicsoftheLowerCalipuyGroup,theearlyMiocene19.5to15.15MaUpper
Calipuy Group or the Lower Sequence of the 14.5 and 8.4 Ma Yanacocha Volcanic Complex. This lower volcanic suite is described as
mostly volcanic andesitic tuffs, including lahars, but also contains whitish grey, massive rhyolitic volcanics, with interbedded andesitic
pyroclastic and lavas of the same composition. Mendoza (2010) notes similar syn-eruptive andesitic 'lahar' at the Condorcana volcanic
centre located to the ESE has been dated at ~12.9 Ma. However, this is younger than the 15.7 Ma 'main productive granodiorite' that
intrudesthe'lahar'atAmaro(seebelow).Hence,islikelyamemberoftheCalipuyGroup.SeetheRegional Settingsectionoftheseparate
Yanacocharecordfordetailoftheseunits.
Frailones Formation, (also known as the Pea de Leon pyroclastics?) which averages 100 to 400 m in thickness and is principally
composed of acid volcanic tuffs and breccias, with quartz crystals up to 3 mm in diameter and biotite crystals in a feldspathic matrix
approachingadacitictuff.Theyalsooccurasdaciticbrecciascomposedoflargeblocksoftufa,wrappedinatuffaceousmatrix.Bothtuffs
andbrecciascontainfragmentswithawhitefibrouspumicetexture.Althoughmostofthegroupconsistsoflightcolouredacidpyroclastics,
therearealsolayersofandesitictuffswhicharegenerallydistinguishedbytheirreddishorpurplecolour.Theunitismostlywellstratified
withmediumtothicklayers,partiallycompacted,withlowlevelsofignimbriticweldedtuff.Dacitictuffswhichmaycorrelatetothisunithave
beendatedat11.58Ma(Thompson,2002,reportedinMendoza,2010).ThisformationmostlikelycorrelateswiththeCoriwachay Dacite-
Rhyolite Magmatism,thefinalphaseofthe'UpperAndesiteSequence'oftheYanacochaVolcanicComplex,thatisassociatedwiththebulk
ofthegoldmineralisationatYanacocha.
Intrusive rocks
Multipleintrusionshavebeenrecognisedatthethreeporphyrysystems(afterKnightPisoldConsultores,2010;Mendoza,2010):
Perol
Picota Diorite-anEocenepre-mineralintrusionthatisexposedasa1200x250m,crescentshapedbody,immediatelytotheeastofthe
Peroldeposit,datedat43.6Ma(Laughlinet al.,1968)and42.030.46Ma(Thompson,2002,reportedinLongoet al.,2010).
Main quartz-feldspar porphyry-whichshowsacloserelationshiptothealterationandmineralisationandisthefirstpulseofamultiphase
intrusivewithatleastthreestages,eachofwhichhasasimilarcompositionsandstructure.Theothertwostagesarethe'intramineral'and
'late' phases listed below. These porphyries contain 20 to 30% plagioclase (from 2 to 8 mm), 2 to 8% quartz (from 2 to 6 mm) and 10%
biotiteandhornblende(from2to10mm)inanaphaniticmatrixofquartzandplagioclase(KnightPisoldConsultores,2010).Thisstagehas
beendatedat15.800.09Ma(Fluor,2005).
Intramineral quartz-feldspar porphyry-similartothe'mainporphyry',butlessalteredandmineralised.
Young quartz-feldspar porphyry-similartothe'mainporphyry',butless-tounalteredandunmineralised.
Chailhuagn
Main microgranodiorite - which accompanies the main mineralisation and alteration pulse, and has a generally porphyritic texture,
containingdisseminatedpyrite.Themainintrusionhasalengthof~2kmfromnorthtosouthandis~0.4kmwide.Itconsistsofplagioclase,
hornblende, biotite and quartz phenocrysts set in a microcrystalline matrix of plagioclase and quartz. As at Perol, there are three phases
each of which has a similar appearance (Knight Pisold Consultores, 2010). The early 'main microgranodiorite' has been dated at
15.580.12Ma(Fluor,2005).
Intramineral microgranodiorite-similartothe'mainmicrogranodiorite',butlessalteredandmineralised.
Young microgranodiorite-similartothe'mainmicrogranodiorite',butless-tounalteredandunmineralised.
Amaro
Early porphyritic hornblende-diorite-characterisedbyavariabletexture,rangingfromauniform,finegrained(with'sugarsized'crystals)
intrusivetoseriatetexturedporphyry,withpartiallyflowbandedoralignedhornblendecrystals.Itcontainsphenocrystsofzonedplagioclase,
hornblende,andbiotite,aswellas>1%quartz,setinagroundmassofmicrocrystallinefeldspar,quartzandbiotite.Crystalstypicallyrange
from1to5mminlength,withplagioclaseoccasionally>5mm.Itiselongatedeast-west,andisinterpretedtobepre-mineral,withalteration
andmineralisationincreasingtowardthe'mainproductivegranodiorite'intrusion(Mendoza,2010).A40Ar/39Arageonhornblendeof17.30Ma
isreportedforthisunit(Thompson,2002,reportedinMendoza,2010).
Amaro Mirador intrusion-thisdioriticstockcontainsplagioclase,hornblendeandbiotitewithtraceto1%quartzeyes,andischaracterised
byaseriateporphyritictexture.ItissituatedNNEoftheAmaroprospectandhasaneast-west,fault-controlledcontactwiththeYumagual
Limestonecountryrock.Itismostlyfreshtoweaklychloritisedbutcontainssilica-alunite'ribs'(Mendoza,2010).
Main productive granodiorite,composedofphenocrystsofplagioclase(3to5mm),biotite(upto8mm),hornblendeand3to5%quartz
eyes(3to5mm)setinamicrocrystallinegroundmass.Specimensofthisintrusionaredifficulttodistinguishfromtheintramineralvarietyon
thebasisofcompositionandtexture,althoughatcontact,therelativeintensityofpotassicalterationandabundanceofquartzveinsisreadily
recognisable.Thisphasedoesnotapparentlyoutcrop,butpersistsatdepth,asanoverallcolumnarstock.AU-Pbdatingyieldedanageof
15.70.5Ma(Mendoza,2010).
Intramineral granodiorite porphyry, has phenocrysts of plagioclase (3 to 5 mm), biotite (up to 8 mm), hornblende, and 3 to 5% rounded
quartzeyephenocrysts(3to5mm),setinamicrocrystallinegroundmassofquartzandKfeldspar.Ittruncatesquartzveinsatcontactswith
the 'main productive porphyry' unit, generally with chilled contacts, and sharp decreases in grade and intensity of alteration. A U-Pb date
yieldedanageof15.50.3Ma(Mendoza,2010).
Hornblende needle dykes-adistinctivesetofNNWstrikingporphyriticdykeswithneedle-likecrystalsofhornblende(upto5mm)thatare
sometimestwinned(C.Schnell,2005,reportedinMendoza,2010),andcontaineuhedralplagioclasephenocrysts(1to3mm).Towardthe
centreofthedeposit,thisunithasundergonemoderatepotassicalterationcomprisingsecondarybiotiteandmagnetite,~1vol.%magnetite-
quartz veinlets, and trace sulphides, suggesting the dykes, are pre-mineral or intramineral. They cut a distinctive stratabound fragmental
andesite interpreted to be a brecciated lava flow or a volcanic debris flow generated by lahar processes (Fisher and Schmincke, 1984;
McPhieet al.,1993;Vallance,2000)dated12.90.7Ma.
Heterolithic breccia - a heterolithic fragmental rock that commonly contains clasts of the 'main productive granodiorite' cut by quartz-
magnetiteveins,pinkKfeldsparfragments,andlargeunmineralizedclastsofgranodioriteporphyry,allsetinarockflourmatrix.Ittruncates
veins in the 'main productive granodiorite', but in turn, may be cut locally by the latest intrusions. It appears to have an upward-flaring
geometry,andcontainsfrom0.1to0.2ppmAu.However,thedensityofveiningandgoldgradeincreasetoasmuchas0.4to0.6ppmnear
the margins of the 'main productive granodiorite', partially or entirely due to the physical incorporation of numerous mineralised clasts. Its
characteristics suggest a phreatic breccia origin (e.g., Sillitoe, 1985), possibly triggered by emplacement of one of the late intrusions
(Mendoza,2010).

Detailsoftheindividualdepositsareasfollows:

Perol

The Perol deposit occurs as two separate mineralised zones, Perol West (~700 x 300 m, elongated NE-SW) and Perol East (300 m in
diameter)thatis~400mtotheSE,eachcentredonaseparatesteepstockofthe'mainquartz-feldsparporphyry'.Thesetwostocksintrude
theEocenePicotaDioriteintheeast,daciticvolcanicsoftheYanacochaVolcanicComplextothenorth,andmarl,limestoneandshaleofthe
middle Cretaceous Mujarrn and Cajamarca Formations, east of the contact with the underlying Yumagual Formation. Separate, mostly
concealedstocksof'intramineralquartz-feldsparporphyry'occurimmediatelytothewest,withonlyasmalloutcroparea,whilelargerYoung
quartz-feldsparporphyrystocksarefound300to500mtothesouthandwestofthemainorerelatedintrusions.Aseriesoflensshaped
dykesofthelatteralsocuttheYumagualFormationtotheSW.
Alteration-zoningiscentredonthe'mainquartz-feldsparporphyry'stocks,asfollows(detailsofthemineralassemblageofeachalteration
typewillbegivenintheAmarodescriptionsbelow):
Endoskarn-developedwithintheEocenePicotaDiorite,priortothemineralisedintrusions.
Exoskarn, marble and hornfels - developed within the Picota Diorite, and the carbonate and siliciclastic members of the Mujarrn and
Cajamarca Formations. Multiple skarn alteration may have accompanied both intrusion of the Picota Diorite, the 'main quartz-feldspar
porphyry',andpossiblythe'intramineralquartz-feldsparporphyry'.
Potassic - prograde alteration that is mostly not exposed at surface, being overprinted by retrograde phyllic, intermediate and advanced
argillic assemblages in the upper 200 to 250 m of the preserved system. Potassic alteration is centred on the both the 'main' and
'intramineralquartz-feldsparporphyry'stocks,butextendsintothewallrocks,particularlythePicotaDiorite.
Propylitic - which is outboard of the potassic zone, again overprinted by the retrograde assemblages closer to the surface, but being
exposeddistallytomineralisation,ontheoutermarginsoftheretrogradezonesat~400to600mfromthe'mainquartz-feldsparporphyry'.
TheexceptionsareforintrusionsoftheYoungquartz-feldsparporphyrywhichareeverywherehaveonlysufferedpropyliticalteration,even
whereintrudingpotassicandphyllicaltered'mainquartz-feldsparporphyry'.
Phyllic-thefirstoftheretrogradealterationtypes,centredonthe'mainquartz-feldsparporphyry'stockstodepthsof~250mbelowthe
currentsurface,formingverticalcylindricalvolumes.
Intermediate argyllic-largelyoccurringmarginaltothe'mainquartz-feldsparporphyry'plugsandthephylliczones,butbetterdevelopedto
theNEwithinthePicotaDioriteoverwidthsof>500mandverticalintervalsofupto200m,thinningawayfromthestock.
Argyllic-occursasamoreorlesshorizontalcaptotheintermediateargyllicalterationzone,principallytotheNE.
Advanced argyllic-theuppermostzone,developedovertheargillicalteration,principallytothenorthandNE,includingwithinthedacitesof
theYanacochaVolcanicComplex.
Mineralisationisconcentratedonthetwo'mainquartz-feldsparporphyry'stocks,withcoherentcylindricalshellsof>0.3g/tAu,enclosing
significant cores of >1 g/t Au. Unlike at Chailhuagn, where higher grade ore is associated with the potassic alteration, mineralisation at
Perolislargelyconcentratedonthephylliczone,locallyextendingdownintothepotassiczoneatdepth,whichpredominantlyonlyhostslow
gradesof>0.05to<0.3g/tAu.Significant,steepblocksofsimilargrademineralisationarefoundwithintheendoskarnonthenorthwestern
marginofthePerolWestdeposit,immediatelyoutboardofthe'mainquartz-feldsparporphyry'contact.
Goldoccursasmicroscopicinclusionsinchalcopyrite,borniteandpyriteinadensestockworkofquartz-sulphideveins,withAu(ppm):Cu%
ratiosof~3:1.Pyrite:chalcopyriteratiosvaryfrom5:1to10:1,and2:1to1:1intheinthephyllicandpotassiczonesrespectively.Anouter
annulusofMoisevident,withgradesof>30ppm,enclosingsmallcoreof>150ppmMo.

Chailhuagn

Atsurface,theChailhuagndepositoccursoveranorth-southelongatedareaof~1500x750m,centredonanirregular~1500x500m
outcropofthe'intramineralmicrogranodiorite'withnumerousapophysesarounditsmargins,andislandsofcountryrockwithin,enclosinga
number of cores of the 'main microgranodiorite'. The latter appear contract downward into dyke like roots, while the 'intramineral
microgranodiorite'continuestodownwithoutsignificantlydiminishinginwidth.Wallrocktothisintrusivecomplexisthelimestonesequence
oftheYumagualFormation,whichhasbeenconvertedtomarbleinthecontactzone,butwithonlyminorskarnalteration.An~700x300m
massofYoungmicrogranodioriteintrudestheYumagualFormationtotheeast,locallyincontactwiththe'intramineralmicrogranodiorite',but
mostlyseparatedby100to200m.Theyoungmicrogranodioritealsointrudesthecoreofthe'main-Intermineralmicrogranodiorite'complex.
Thedepositiscutbythreemaindirectionsoffaulting,i).anorogenparallelNW-SEset,ii).anothergroupthattrendsNNE-SSWtonorth-
southandparallelsthelongationofintrusion,andiii).aNE-SWsetthatparallelstheregionalcrossorogentrendthatcontrolstheYanacocha
mineralisedcorridor.
Alteration-IncontrasttoPerol,Chailhuagnlackssignificantretrogradephyllicorargillicalteration,withtheAuandCumineralisationbeing
directlyrelatedtopotassicalteration.Assuch,itappearstorepresentadeeperlevelwithintheporphyrysystem.Thprincipalalterationstyles
andtheirdistributionareasfollows:
Endoskarn-isextensivelydevelopedwithintheIntermineralmicrogranodiorite.
Exoskarn, marble and hornfels-developedwithintheenclosingYumagualFormationlimestones.Exoskarnisrare,beingrestrictedtothin
lenses along the Intermineral microgranodiorite intrusive contact, while much of the surrounding limestone has been converted to marble,
andsiliciclasticinterbedsarehornfelsed.AsatPerol,thisalterationmayhavetakenplaceasmultipleevents,relatedtomorethanoneofthe
intrusions.
Potassic alteration affects most of both the 'main' and 'intermineral microgranodiorites', with the assemblage in former characterised by
Kfeldsparandthelatterbybiotite-magnetite.
Propylitic alteration forms an outer rim to the potassic core, up to 250 m thick within the Intermineral microgranodiorite, apparently
overprintingtheendoskarn,butnotsignificantlypenetratingthemarbleoutsideoftheintrusion.
Chloritic alteration is largely found throughout the Young microgranodiorite, including the intrusions within the core of the main, strongly
potassicalteredintrusivecomplex,butnotintheotherlithologies.
Mineralisation-Thehighergrade>0.75g/tAumineralisationisconcentratedintheKfeldsparaltered'mainmicrogranodiorite',with>0.3g/t
gradespersistingtothemarginoftheIntermineralmicrogranodiorite.NomineralisationisevidentintheYoungmicrogranodiorite.Thehigher
gradecoreisrestrictedtothenorthernhalfoftheintrusivecomplex,wherethe'mainmicrogranodiorite'isbestdeveloped.Acentral~500x
200mzonehasalowgradetobarrencore,surroundedbyanannulusthatcontains0.75to>1.5g/tAuand~0.2to>1%Cu.
Mineralisationoccursassheetedtostockworkquartzveinsanddisseminatedsulphides,wheregoldisfoundasmicrons-sizedinclusionsin
chalcopyriteandbornite.Withinthepotassicalteredzones,thepyrite:chalcopyriteratiovariesfrom2:1to1:1,andtheAu(ppm):Cu%ratiois
3:1.

Amaro

MineralisationatAmaroiscloselyassociatedwiththe'mainproductivegranodiorite',whichislargelyconcealedbytheenclosingcountry
rock. That intrusion occurs as a steeply plunging, broadly cylindrical stock with a diameter of ~200 to 250 m. It is flanked by 'intramineral
granodioriteporphyry'thatincreasesinwidthwithdepth,butisalsolargelyconcealed.Dykesandsillsofthelatterintrudethecoreofthe
'mainproductivegranodiorite'andsurroundingcountryrock,whileanupwardlyflaringconeofbrecciacutsthe'mainproductivegranodiorite',
butappearstoaccompany'intramineralgranodiorite'dykes.
TheseintrusionsarelocatedwithintheSWmarginofanirregular~600mdiameterintrusionoftheMiocene,~17.30Ma,'earlyporphyritic
hornblende-diorite',whichhasarmsthatextendfor~500to1000mineast-west,NNW-SSEandENE-WSW(toNE-SW)directions,following
thethreekeystructuraltrendsinthedistrict.ImmediatelytoitsNEextremity,this'earlyporphyritichornblende-diorite'isapparentlyintruded
bythe750x800m,wedgeshapedAmaroMiradorintrusion.Smallintrusionsofthe'hornblendeneedledykes'aredistributedoutboardof
the'mainproductivegranodiorite'and'intramineralgranodioriteporphyry'.
All of these intrusions cut NW-SE striking limestones of the middle Cretaceous Yumagual Formation, and the overlying flat to shallowly
dippingTertiaryandesitelahars.
Alteration-AsattheChailhuagndeposit,mineralisationiscloselyassociatedwithpotassicalteration.Nosubstantialphyllicassemblageis
recognised, whilst intermediate argyllic alteration accompanies the late breccia, and a thin 2 to 5 m cap of supergene argillic alteration is
foundatthesurface(Mendoza,2010).Thekeyalterationsstylesareasfollows(afterMendoza,2010):
Exoskarn, calc-silicate hornfels and endoskarn-skarnsareonlyexposedinoneareaatsurface,whereanendoskarnoccursintheeastern
section of the 'early porphyritic hornblende-diorite'. Subsurface endoskarn has been intersected along the margins of the 'early porphyritic
hornblende-diorite',theAmaroMiradorintrusion(atdepth),andthe'intramineralgranodioriteporphyry'.Exoskarnislimitedandoccurswithin
remnantfingersoflimestoneenclosedwithinintrusives.
Theprincipalskarnassemblagesinexoskarnarediopside-epidote,chlorite,and/orgarnet.Pyrite,tracesofchalcopyrite,andoccasionally
borniteareobservedinthisalteration,withsomehigh-gradeintersectionsof>1ppmAuinalteredincarbonatewallrocks.Ferromagnesian
minerals in the endoskarn are replaced by diopside and grossular garnet. Limestone has been recrystallised to marble where calcareous
sedimentaryrocksarepresentnearintrusiverocks,oftenenclosingsmalllocalveinsofcalc-silicateminerals.Thisalterationmayberelated
to more than one of the intrusions, including an initial phase related to the 'early porphyritic hornblende-diorite', and later generations
accompanyingintroductionofthegranodiorites.
Potassic alteration is exposed over an area with a diameter of ~600 m in the centre of the deposit, and occurs in the most eroded and
topographically lowest part of the deposit area. It is typified by early disseminated and later veinlet-controlled magnetite and sulphides, in
additiontobiotiteasdisseminationsoffinetocoarselycrystallinebiotiteassociatedwithquartzveinlets.
Threeintensitiesofpotassicalterationhavebeendistinguished:
i). Biotitised potassic, where secondary biotite completely replaces all primary mafic phenocrysts, centred on and dominating the 'main
productive granodiorite' and extending for 200 m outwards into the surrounding 'early porphyritic hornblende-diorite' and andesitic lahars.
The density of quartz veinlets ranges up to 70 vol.% within the intense potassic alteration in the core of the system, with the intensity of
alterationandAu-Cugradesdiminishingoutward.
ii). K feldspar potassic,whereKfeldsparoccursinveinselvagesandpatchyareasofthematrix,onlyexposedinsmallandisolatedareas
withinthethe'earlyporphyritichornblende-diorite'atsurface,butincreaseswithdepth;
iii). Partial potassic,wherehornblendebiotitephenocrystsarepartiallyreplacedbysecondarybiotite,predominantlyontheperipheriesof
the system in the 'early porphyritic hornblende-diorite' and andesitic lahars, whilst alteration in the 'intra-mineral granodiorite porphyry' is
mainlyofmagnetitewithpartialsecondarybiotite.
Magnetitecontentsarecloselyrelatedtothedegreeofpotassicalteration.Rockscontaining>3vol.%magnetitearemostlywithinthe'main
productivegranodiorite'.Theheterolithicbrecciahasanestimated~2vol.%magnetite,occurringasmineralisedclastsofpreviouslyaltered
rock.Sulphidessuchaschalcopyrite-pyriteareassociatedwithveinlet-controlledmagnetiteatthesurface.
Propyliticalterationisperipheraltothepotassiczone,largelyaffectingtheandesiticlahars,'earlyporphyritichornblende-diorite'andAmaro
Mirador intrusion. It is characterised by an assemblage of chlorite, epidote and illite(?), with weak associated pyrite, chalcopyrite and
magnetite.Itformstopographicallyresistantridges,andispoorlymineralisedtobarren,surroundingthemainorezone.
Intermediate argillicalterationoverlies,oroccurswithinpotassicdomains.Itcomprisesapatchytopervasivereplacementofplagioclase
andbiotitebymediumyellow-greentodarkishbrownsheetsilicateminerals(illiteorsmectite),silica,clay,chlorite,pyriteandmagnetite,
and sometimes calcite, hematite and anhydrite. When overprinting endoskarns, anhydrite-calcite veins are surrounded by wide complex
envelopesofbrownsericitewithoccasionalchalcopyriteveinlets.Thisalterationalsoaccompaniestheheterolithicbrecciaaspervasivedark
brownsericite.
Mineralisation-Anexposedareaof~400x500mabovetheconcealed'mainproductivegranodiorite',containsubiquitousquartzveinlets.
Thisveiningishostedwithinpotassicalteredrocks,primarilythe'earlyhornblendediorite'andrestrictedareasoffragmentalandesiteand
theheterolithicbrecciabody.Areaswithmoreabundantoutcroppingquartzveins(1to15%)areassociatedwithmoreintenseandcoarsely
crystallinesecondarybiotite.Thiszonecorrespondstoaslightlymoreextensivezoneofmagnetiteveining.Evenrelativelyyoungunits,e.g.,
the'needlehornblendeunit',containoccasionalthinmagnetiteveinletswithsparsesulphides(Mendoza,2010).
Theoutcroppingveiningistheupperpartofa<50to200mwidehaloof1to10%veiningthatsurroundsthe'mainproductivegranodiorite',
whichatdepth,containsa50to100mwide,steeplyplungingcoreof>30%quartzveins,locallyashighas70%.Quartzveiningpersistfor
>500mbelowthesurface,withveindensitiesprogressivelydecreasingoutward.Thereisapositivecorrelationbetweenabundantmagnetite
(3%asdisseminationsandveinlets)withthezonesof>10%quartzveinlets(Mendoza,2010).
Most of the quartz veins are 'A' type (e.g., Gustafson and Hunt, 1975; Proffett, 2003), although there is wide textural variety, including
coarse quartz-magnetite, multiply-banded quartz-magnetite (some as much as 1 m or more thick) and magnetite-walled veins. In most,
chalcopyriteoccursasfillinginlatermicrofractures,ratherthanasprimarydisseminations,suggestingthesulphidestagefollowsthequartz-
magnetitestage(Moore,2004,reportedinMendoza,2010).
Secondarybiotiteandmagnetitealterationofthematrixofthe'mainproductivegranodiorite'isprogressivelycutbyi).'A'veinlets(quartz-
magnetite-chalcopyrite bornite) with trace Kfeldspar selvages; ii).magnetite-quartz veins Kfeldspar selvages; iii).'B' veinlets (quartz-
biotite-magnetite-chalcopyritebornite),whichtruncatealloftheveintypesabove;iv).chalcopyrite-pyriteveinlets,whicharetheyoungest
type(Mendoza,2010).
Veining within the 'early hornblende diorite' and 'intramineral granodiorite porphyry', are predominantly i).'B' veinlets (quartz-magnetite
chalcopyrite), occasionally with Kfeldspar selvages: ii).magnetite-quartz actinolite; iii).quartz-chalcopyrite pyrite centre-lines with
smectiteselvages(Mendoza,2010).
Flakes of molybdenite are locally associated with 'B' veinlets in the upper part of the system, whereas in the core of system, some
molybdeniteislocallyassociatedwith'A'veinlets(quartz-chalcopyritemolybdenite)withKfeldsparselvages.
TheMinasCongadepositsareoveralllowsulphidesystems,withfourmainspeciesindecreasingorderofabundance:chalcopyrite>pyrite
> minor bornite > sparse molybdenite. These occur in four main associations: i).predominantly pyrite, linked to the heterolithic breccia,
although pyrite also increases peripheral to Au-Cu deposit and at higher levels of the system. An isolated volume with >1.5% sulphide,
dominantly pyrite, occurs within the fragmental andesite; ii).chalcopyritebornite (pyrite), mainly within the 'main productive
microgranodiorite'andpartiallywithintheimmediatelysurroundingwallrocksand'intra-mineralmicrogranodiorite'.Therearerestrictedand
isolatedareaswithinthisassociationthatcontainsignificantbornite.Thehighestsulphidecontentof1.5to5%,withlocalzonesofupto
20%, forms the core of the mineralised system, accounting for much of the 'main productive granodiorite', decreasing outward;
iii).chalcopyrite>pyrite(bornite),whichsurroundsthepreviousassemblage;iv).pyrite>chalcopyrite(bornite),whichinturn,enclosesthe
volumeofrockcontainingthepreviousassociation.
Chalcopyriteandborniteaccountforthebulkofthecopperandgoldinthedeposit,occurringasdisseminationsinthematrixofthehost
volcanicrocks,aswellasinveinlets.Goldgradesincreasewiththeabundanceofbornite,althoughitonlyaccountsforasmallpercentageof
thesulphidepresent,withthemoreabundantchalcopyritecontrollingthegrade,aswellasthenativegoldcontent.
Thedistributionofmetalsisasfollows(afterMendoza,2010):
i). Gold - The >0.3 g/t Au isopleth defines an ~250 m diameter vertical cylinder centred on the 'main productive microgranodiorite',
persistingmarginallyintothesurroundingcountryrocks.Above~200mdepth,gradesaremostlybetween0.3and1.0g/t,althoughbelow
that level, gold levels in this cylinder are predominantly >1 g/t Au, which is almost entirely within the 'main productive microgranodiorite',
enclosingsignificantcoresof>1.5g/tAu.Withintheheterolithicbreccia,anomalousgoldgradesofupto0.5ppmareevident.
ii). Copper - The >0.1% Cu isopleth defines an irregular ~500 x 350 m vertical ovoid cylinder, also centred on the 'main productive
microgranodiorite',containingacoreof>0.2%Cubelow200mdepththatcloselycorrelateswiththemarginofthesameintrusionandinturn
enclosessmallercoresof>0.4%Cu.Insectionsofthedeposit,0.2%Cudefinesthesamepatternasthethan1g/tAu.
iii). Molybdenummineralisationformsashelllikecapimmediatelyoverthe'mainproductivemicrogranodiorite'.Withinthewellmineralised
Au and Cu zones, Mo levels are dominantly <5 ppm, grading up to 5 to 10 ppm Mo in the upper extremities of the 'main productive
microgranodiorite'.ThemainMorichcaphasbeenpartiallyerodedimmediatelyabovethatintrusionwhereithasapreservedthicknessof
only ~75 m, thickening to >375 m and ~125 m to the north and south respectively as it dips gently in those directions into the 'early
porphyritichornblende-diorite'andandesiticlahars.Thiscapcontainslevelsofgenerally10to25ppmMo,withcoresof>25to50ppm,and
lowergrademarginsbothaboveandbelow.
iv). SilverbroadlycorrelateswithAuandCudistribution,withthe0.55g/tAgisoplethcoincidingwithhighergradesofAuandCu,although
theAgblockexpandswithdepthtoagreaterdegree,beyondthe'mainproductivegranodioriteunit'.IncontrasttoCuandAu,theupper200
moftheAgzoneisnotsubstantiallyweakerthanthedeepermineralisation.
v). Zinc, Lead and Barium-AnomalousZnvaluesof100ppmlieoutsideofthe'mainproductivegranodiorite'beyondtheouterfringesof
thesignificantAuandCumineralisation.OccasionalstronglyanomalousZn(0.25%)assaysarelocalisedatdepthontheeasternsideof
the deposit, apparently related to exoskarn and/or endoskarn. Skarns and Zn-Pb mineralisation appear to have been created at different
times, including an early phase related to the intrusion of the 'early hornblende diorite', and a leter phase related to the 'main productive
microgranodiorite'.Pbispracticallyabsentinthesystem.AnomalousBa(250ppm)ismostprevalentintheheterolithicbrecciabodiesand
isdistaltotheupperpartoftheporphyrysystem.

Reserves and Resources

Resource estimates at December 31, 2015 are as follows for [Newmont's 51.35% share] and total tonnages (Newmont Reserves and
ResourcesReport,February17,2016):
Ore reserves
Notonnageincludedinreserves;
Mineral resources
Indicatedresource-[356.20]693.67Mt@0.65g/tAu,0.26%Cu,for450tAu;
Inferredresource-[118.40]230.57Mt@0.39g/tAu,0.19%Cu,for90tAu;
TOTALindicated+inferredresource-[474.60]924.25Mt@0.58g/tAu,0.24%Cu,for540tAu.

This summary is largely drawn from: "Mendoza, N., 2010 - Geology, grade distribution, and metal ratios at the Amaro gold-copper porphyry
deposit, Minas Conga district, Cajamarca province, Peru; A thesis submitted as partial fulfillment for the Degree of Professional Science
 Masters in Economic Geology, the University of Arizona, 149p"; and
"Knight Pisold Consultores, 2010 - Minera Yanacocha S.R.L. Proyecto Conga Estudio de Impacto Ambiental, Informe Final; a report
prepared by Knight Pisold Consultores S.A., for Minera Yanacocha S.R.L.,1731p."

The most recent source geological information used to prepare this summary was dated: 2011.
This description is a summary from published sources, the chief of which are listed below.
Copyright Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd. Unauthorised copying, reproduction, storage or dissemination prohibited.

References&AdditionalInformation
References to this deposit in the PGC Literature Collection:
Mendoza, N.,2010 - Geology, grade distribution, and metal ratios at the Amaro gold-copper porphyry deposit, Minas Conga district,
Cajamarca province, Peru: inA thesis submitted as partial fulfillment for the Degree of Professional Science Masters in Economic
Geology,the University of Arizona,149p.

Top | Search Again | PGC Home | Terms & Conditions

Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd PGC Publishing

InternationalStudyTours Ourbooks&bookshop Contact

Tourphotoalbums Ironoxidecopper-goldseries
What'snew
Oredepositdatabase Super-porphyryseries
Sitemap
Conferences Porhyry&HydrothermalCu-Au

Experience Oredepositliterature