Cobrizos Mine

Producer in Potosi, Bolivia with commodities Copper, Silver
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Ore body information
  11. Controls for ore emplacement
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10005927
MRDS ID BL10127
Record type Site
Current site name Cobrizos Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -67.20947, -20.99118 (WGS84)
Elevation 3740
Relative position 21 KM S20E OF RIO GRANDE, 125 KM BY ROAD FROM UYUNI

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Potosi(province)

Bolivia(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Federal lands

Federal(land status)

Geographic areas

Country State
Bolivia Potosi

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Silver Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Covellite Ore
Cuprite Ore
Malachite Ore
Silver Ore
Calcite Gangue
Gypsum Gangue
Travertine Gangue

Analytical data

Result ORE ANALYSES GEOBOL (1971): IN TRAVERTINE: 3.27% CU OVER 0.72 M
Result IN SANDSTONE: 0.94% CU OVER 0.49 M

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 197
USGS model code 30b
Deposit model name Sediment-hosted Cu
Mark3 model number 63

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Potoco;Minchin
    Rock description Potoco;Minchin

Nearby scientific data

(1) -67.20947, -20.99118

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form LENTICULAR, IRREGULAR
    Depth to top 0M
    Depth to bottom 60M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Fractures, Fault Zone, Stratification

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discoverer Spanish Colonists

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Corporacion Minera De Bolivia (Comibol)

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1957
    Total resources 400000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.6 wt-pct Copper Major 1957
  • Type Tailings
    Estimate year 1967
    Total resources 25000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 0.311 g/mt Silver Major 1967

Comments on development

  • INITIALLY WORKED BY COLONISTS FOR CU CARBONATES, THEN FOR NATIVE CU. WORKED BY EMPRESA ARANAL Y CIA. 1892 TO 1906, ABANDONED DUE TO BAD MINE GASES. ACQUIRED BY CIA. ARAMAYO IN 1930 BUT NOT WORKED.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SERVICIO GEOLOGICO DE BOLIVIA, 1971, MINA COBRIZAS: PROYECTO LIPEZ-COMIBOL-70 INFORME GE-35, 25P., MAPS 1:1,000; 1:200.

  • Deposit

    LYONS, W., 1957, GEOLOGIA Y RESULTADOS DE LAS PERFORACIONES EN COBRIZOS: DEPARTAMENTO NACIONAL DE GEOLOGIA, UNPUBLISHED REPORT

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS BY GEOBOL (1971)

  • Deposit

    REPORT TO COMIBOL BY KERSEN AND LYON IN 1957; 5 HOLES DRILLED

  • Deposit

    REPORT TO COMIBOL BY J. FUENTES IN 1967

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Reserve-Resource

    GEOBOL (1971)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MAIN ORE ZONE IS ALONG A FAULT ZONE WITH VEINLETS IN N7W TO N8E 61 TO 71E SANDSTONE. BEDDED AND VEINLET MINERALIZATION IN TRAVERTIVE. MINERALIZATION IN SANDSTONE CONSISTS OF VEINLETS OF CHALCOCITE, COVELLITE, CUPRITE, MALACHITE, AND AZURITE ALONG FRACTURES WHICH FOLLOW OR CUT STRATIFICATION, ACCOMPANIED BY VEINLETS OF GYPSUM AND TRAVERTINE. NATIVE CU AND AG ARE IRREGULARLY DISTRIBUTED ALONG FRACTURES OR FINELY LAMINATED ALONG BEDDING PLANES. IN PLACES THE SANDSTONE IS CEMENTED BY CALCITE-AZURITE OR FE OXIDES AND CUT BY CALCITE VEINLETS. CU CARBONATE MINERALIZATION IN MINCHIN LIMESTONE IS CONFINED TO BEDS OF TRAVERTINE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1990 Long, Keith R. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.