Portezuelo-Mondaca-Bezanilla

Past Producer in Chile with commodities Copper, Molybdenum, Uranium, Cobalt
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. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Ore body information
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Production statistics
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10058099
MRDS ID TC03876
Record type Site
Current site name Portezuelo-Mondaca-Bezanilla
Alternate or previous names Principal

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -70.89398, -28.07525 (WGS84)
Elevation 625

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Chile(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
Chile

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Molybdenum Secondary
Uranium Secondary
Cobalt Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Erythrite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Propylitic

Analytical data

Result PRIMARY ZONE = 2-3% CU

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Jurassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Jurassic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -70.89398, -28.07525

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form LENTICULAR
    Strike N60-70E
    Dip 45-80NW
    Length 2800M
    Width 5M

Comments on the geologic information

  • DIABASE DIKES CROSSCUT DIORITE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1850

Mining district

District name Carrizal Alto

Production statistics

  • Year 1875
    Period 1860-75
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^10-15% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Copper Copper 13wt-pct
  • Year 1988
    Period To 1988
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^5% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Copper Copper 5wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • DISTRICT PRODUCTION; IMPORTANT PRODUCER OF COPPER IN SECOND HALF OF 19TH CENTURY. ESTIMATED PRODUCTION INCLUDES TAILINGS, WHICH IN 1940 WERE ESTIMATED AT 110,000 (2.2% CU) AT MONDACA; 1978 PRODUCTION FROM MONDACA MINE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 500M

Comments on the workings information

  • 18 LEVELS AT PORTEZUELO, 16 LEVELS AT MONDACA (450M), 14 LEVELS AT BEZANILL (200M).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    RUIZ, C. Y PEEBLES, F., 1988, YACIMIENTOS METALIFEROS DE CHILE: SANTIAGO, 334 P.

  • Deposit

    RUIZ, C., 1952, INFORME SOBRE LOS YACIMIENTOS DE URANIO EN EL DISTRITO DE CARRIZAL ALTO: INEDITO (CORFO).

  • Deposit

    DIAZ, ET AL., 1980, MAPA METALOGENICO PRONOSTICO DE LA III REGION: CORPORACION DE FOMENTO DE LA PRODUCCION, SANTIAGO (5 VOLS.).

  • Deposit

    PEREZ, G., 1979, IIG (INEDITO).

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Production

    RUIZ Y PEEBLES, 1988.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit REFERRED TO AS PRINCIPAL VEIN WHICH WAS INTENSELY EXPLOITED BY THE PORTEZUELO, MONDACA, AND BEZANILLA MINES; MINERALIZATION IN LENSES UP TO 13M LONG AND 5M WIDE; SYSTEM IS RELATED TO DIKES. OXIDIZED ZONE IS 10-40M AND ENRICHED ZONE IS 20-60M DEEP; DECREASE IN CHALCOPYRITE WITH DEPTH. URANIUM MINERALIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH CHLORITE.
Deposit Discovery Year: 19TH C.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-1990 Williams, William C. University of Arizona

Beyond USGS

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