Pueblo Viejo Mine

Past Producer in Potosi, Bolivia with commodities Tungsten, Gold, Tin, Bismuth, Copper, Zinc
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10006062
MRDS ID BL10355
Record type Site
Current site name Pueblo Viejo Mine
Alternate or previous names Santa Elisa
Related records 10097689

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -66.27584, -21.66699 (WGS84)
Elevation 4100
Relative position 6 KM N65W OF ESMORACA

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Potosi(province)

Bolivia(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Bolivia Potosi
Bolivia Potosi

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Tungsten Critical Primary
Gold Primary
Tin Critical Secondary
Bismuth Critical Secondary
Copper Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bismuthinite Ore
Bornite Ore
Cassiterite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Enargite Ore
Gold Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Wolframite Ore
Hematite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Tourmaline Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Propylitic, Sericitic

Analytical data

Result USGS (1990): UP TO 2.1 G/MT AU, 22 G/MT AG, 100 PPM PB, 23 PPM ZN, 1.2% CU, 120 PPM AS, 30 PPM SB, 100 PPM SN, 0.9% BI, 150 PPM W.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 77
USGS model code 20b
Deposit model name Sn-polymetallic vein

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Dacite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Dacite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -66.27584, -21.66699

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Name ORVANAS EXPLORATION AREA
    General form PINCH AND SWELL
    Dip }
    Thickness 500M
    Length 2000M
    Width 750M
    Depth to top 0M

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1885
Year of first production 1900

Mining district

District name Esmoraca

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner San Jose De Berque Ltda., Orvana Minerals (Plus Emusa, Bernstein, Echo Bay Mines Jv) ).
    First year 1994
  • Type Owner
    Owner Eva Thiel De Sara

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCING 30 TO 40 MT W CONCENTRATES/MONTH IN 1990 FROM 60 TO 70 MT/DAY ORE.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1970
    Total resources 107515000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Tungsten Wo3 1 wt-pct Tungsten Major 1970

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • POSITIVE AND PROBABLE ORE

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 1500M

Comments on the workings information

  • DEPOSIT IS EXPLOITED OVER A VERTICAL INTERVAL OF AT LEAST 100 M. SEVERAL LEVELS OF CROSSCUTS AND DRIFTS.

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: FLOATATION MILL

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    PINTO, J., 1989, VISITA PRELIMINAR A LOS YACIMIENTOS DE CHOROMA Y ESMORACA: LA PAZ, UNDP, 4P.

  • Deposit

    FIELD INVESTIGATIONS, 1990, USGS/GEOBOL

  • Deposit

    GUSTAVSON ASSOC., 1992, COMPENDIUM OF THE ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF BOLIVIA

  • Deposit

    GEOBOL, 1971, PROYECTO SUR LIPEZ-COMIBOL: GEOBOL REPORT TO COMIBOL

  • Deposit

    KILBURN, JOHN, 1994, DA CAPO TESTS BOLIVIAN PROJECT: THE NORTHERN MINER, V. 80, NO. 35, P. 1, 15.

  • Deposit

    VISIT NOV. 1990 USGS (S. LUDINGTON, E. DU BRAY) AND GEOBOL (E. SORIA

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit VEINS FILL SUB-PARALLEL E-W TENSION FRACTURES MORE THAN 100 M DEEP. ORE SHOOTS ARE UP TO 1.5 M WIDE. ORE BODY 1: THICKNESS IS SURFACE WIDTH, WIDTH IS VERTICAL EXTENT; UP TO 10 G/MT AU IN FOUR PRIMARY VEINS AND VALUES OF 0.5 TO 5 G/MT AU BETWEEN VEINS.
Deposit Discovery Year: 1880'S FOR BI

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1990 Long, Keith R. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-NOV-1993 Long, Keith R. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 02-MAR-1995 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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