Quebrada Blanca

Prospect in Chile with commodities Copper, Molybdenum
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. Geologic structures
  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 10057455
MRDS ID TC03003
Record type Site
Current site name Quebrada Blanca
Alternate or previous names Carmen, Abundancia

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -68.81952, -20.99924 (WGS84)
Elevation 4065
Relative position 11KM EAST OF COLLAHUASI, 160KM SOUTHEAST OF IQUIQUE

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Chile(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
Chile

Comments on the location information

  • FRUTOS, ET AL. (1984) LOCATION AT 20-58-36S AND 068-42-24; CARMEN LOCATED AT 20-59-25S AND 068-47-38W & ABUNDANCIA LOCATED AT 20-59-41S AND 068-48-00W.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Molybdenum Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Covellite Ore
Molybdenite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Potassic, Phyllic, Propylitic

Analytical data

Result A VEINS: 1) QUARTZ WITH CP-BN-MO = <0.68% CU 2) BIOTITE WITH CP-PY = 0.4-0.6% CU 3) SERICITE WITH PY-CP = 0.5% CU B VEINS: HIGH MOLYBDENUM = 0.015%

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 53
USGS model code 17
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu
Mark3 model number 4

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Monzonite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Eocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock unit name Collahuasi Porphyry
    Rock description Collahuasi Porphyry
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -68.81952, -20.99924

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Upthrown Block Of Permo-Triassic Rocks In Fault Contact On The West (West Fissure Fault, Nw-Trending) With Jurassic Marine Sediments And On The East In Fault Contact With Tertiary Volcanics (Loa Fault, Nw-Trending), Hydrothermal Systems In District Are Aligned E-W.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No

Mining district

District name Collahuasi, Quebrada Blanca

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Superior Oil Co. 1980'S); Cominco (85%), Enami (10%), Sociedad Mineria Pudahuel (5%)
    First year 1976

Comments on the production information

  • ON TARGET TO PRODUCE 75000 MT OF HIGH GRADE CATHODE COPPER USING BACTERIAL HEAP LEACHING AND SOLVENT EXTRACTION-ELECTROWINNING. FIRST CATHODE PRODUCED AUG. 1994. IN 3RD QUARTER OF 1994 PRODUCED 1121 MT OF CATHODE COPPER.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Total resources 1090000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.62 wt-pct Copper Major 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1994
    Total resources 89000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.3 wt-pct Copper Major 1994
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Total resources 9000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.4 wt-pct Copper Major 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • TO PRODUCE 44,100T/YR OF COPPER CATHODES. 1989 EST IS SECONDARY SULFIDE ZONE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Unknown
    Overall length 1463.04M

Comments on the workings information

  • ADIT

Comments on development

  • TOTAL$: 135

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit COVERS AREA OF 7 SQ KM; ELONGATE NORTHEAST; LEACHED TO 80M ; ENRICHED IN WEST, 1-100M THICK OVER 1KM X 2KM WITH CHALCOCITE AND COVELLITE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1990 Williams, William C. University of Arizona
Updater 01-NOV-1994 Page, Norman J. 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.