Lo Aguirre Mine

Producer in Region Metropolitana, Chile with commodity Copper
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. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10084866
MRDS ID W700084
Record type Site
Current site name Lo Aguirre Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -70.93924, -33.44608 (WGS84)
Relative position 30 KM W OF DOWNTOWN SANTIAGO

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Region Metropolitana(province)

Chile(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Chile Region Metropolitana

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 87
USGS model code 23
Deposit model name Basaltic Cu (BC name is Volcanic redbed Cu)
Mark3 model number 118

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Dacite
    Rock unit name Purehue Member Veta Negra Formation
    Rock description Purehue Mbr. Veta Negra Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous

Nearby scientific data

(1) -70.93924, -33.44608

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form LENSE
    Strike NNW
    Dip 30-60NE
    Thickness 200M
    Length 600M
    Width 250M
    Depth to top 80M

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discoverer Native Americans
Production years 1980-

Mining district

District name Santiago Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Soc. Minera Pudahuel

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Total resources 8500000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.9 wt-pct Copper Major 1985

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Overall depth 250M
    Overall length 640.08M
    Overall width 250M

Comments on the workings information

  • ORIGINALLY AN UNDERGROUND MINE. DIMENSIONS ARE FOR ULTIMATE OPEN PIT WITH A 3.5:1 WASTE TO ORE STRIPPING RATIO.

Comments on development

  • EXPLOITED BY JESUITS. EXPLORED BY ANACONDA FROM 1914, DRILLING 6 KM IN 43 DDH AND DID 7 KM UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT WORK. ACQUIRED 1969 BY SMP WHO DRILLED AN ADDITIONAL 6.5 KM. ; DEV$: 72 ; MILL.CAP: 14,000 MT/Y ; ECON.COM: MILL: CATHODE CV. ORE PROCESSED BY MODIFIED THIN LAYER PAD LEACH, SLOVENT EXTRACTION AND ELECTROWINNING. ABOUT 90% OF OXIDE CU AND 45% OF SULFIDE CU RECOVERED.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    RUIZ, CARLOS, 1965, GEOLOGIA Y YACIMIENTOS METALIFEROS DE CHILE: SANTIAGO, INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES GEOLOGICAS, PARTE II, TABLE 1, NO. 183 AND QUADRO NO. 1.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ, JAN. 1985, P. 44-48.

  • Deposit

    RUIZ, C., AND PEEBLES, F., 1988, GEOLOGIA, DISTRIBUCION Y GENESIS DE LOS YACIMIENTOS METALIFEROS CHILENOS: SANTIAGO, FONDO NAC. DESAROLLO CIENT. Y TEC., P. 104-106.

  • Reserve-Resource

    E/MJ, JAN. 1985, P. 44.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE COPPER SULFIDES OCCUR IN AMYGDALOIDAL ANDESITE ASSOCIATED WITH SHALLOW WATER (LAGUNAL) SEDIMENTS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1988 Leonard, Kenneth R. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-1993 Long, Keith R. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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