Tatasi-Portugalete Mine

Producer in Potosi, Bolivia with commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc, Gold, Cadmium, Bismuth, Tin, Copper, Antimony
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. Mining district
  14. Land status
  15. Ownership information
  16. Reserves and resources
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10068797
MRDS ID W002049
Record type Site
Current site name Tatasi-Portugalete Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -66.16612, -21.15589 (WGS84)
Elevation 4500
Relative position 10 KMS SW OF RR STATION, ESCORIANI, ON UYUNI-VILLAZON RR. 130 KM NORTH OF TUPIZA.

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

Comments on the location information

  • DISTRICT COVERS A SURFACE AREA OF 5 SQ KM. LAT LONG FOR VILOCO MINE.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Gold Secondary
Cadmium Tertiary
Bismuth Critical Tertiary
Tin Critical Tertiary
Copper Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Argentite Ore
Boulangerite Ore
Bournonite Ore
Cassiterite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Electrum Ore
Galena Ore
Jamesonite Ore
Polybasite Ore
Proustite Ore
Pyrargyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stannite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Pyrite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

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) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Dacite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -66.16612, -21.15589

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR
    Strike E-W
    Dip STEEPLY S
    Length 2500M
    Width 2M
    Depth to top 0M
    Depth to bottom 600M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • E-W Fissures At Depth That Splay Upward Into Innumerable Fractures.

Comments on the geologic information

  • SEDIMENTS METAMORPHOSED UP TO 600 M FROM CONTACT
  • DACITE PLUG CONTAINS, IS SOURCE OF, MINERALIZATION

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discoverer Spanish Colonists
Year of last production 1973

Mining district

District name Tatasi District

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

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

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Total resources 277179000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 519 g/mt Silver Major 1987
    Lead Pb 2.7 wt-pct Lead Major 1987
    Zinc Zn 1.6 wt-pct Zinc Major 1987

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • NO DATA, BUT APPEARS TO BE APPROACHING DEPLETION.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 600M

Comments on the workings information

  • VILOCO MINE WELL DEVELOPED WITH SHAFTS, CROSSCUTS, AND DRIFTS TO 625 M DEPTH. OTHER MINES ARE POORLY DEVELOPED.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 2963.607 KG ; ECON.YEAR: 1978 ; ECON.COM: EXPLOITED CONSTANTLY SINCE 1865, FIRST FOR SILVER (NOW LARGELY EXHAUSTED), AND NOW PRIMARILY FOR BASE METALS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    AHLFELD, F., AND SCHNEIDER-SCHERBINA, A., 1964, LOS YACIMIENTOS MINERALES Y DE CARBUROS: DEPTO. NAC. GEOL., BOL. 5 (ESPECIAL), P. 300.

  • Deposit

    MARSH, H., 1963, FINAL REPORT ON GEOLOGY OF TATASI-PORTUGALETE, QUECHISLA. INFORME # 2080-COMIBOL.

  • Deposit

    PINTO V., J, 1988, MODELO CONCEPTUAL Y EVALUACION DEL POTENCIAL MINERAL DEL YACIMIENTO DE METALES PRECIOSOS TATASI, POTOSI - BOLIVIA: PROGRAMA DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS PARA EL DESARROLLO, PROYECTOS BOL/87/012, UNPUBLISHED REPORT, 32 P., MAP 1:10,000.

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Production

    MINISTRY OF MINES AND METALLURGY, 1971

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit VEINS IN CONTACT ZONE, SOME TRENDING PERPENDICULAR TO THE CONTACT PASSING FROM THE CONTACT ZONE TO THE PLUTON ITSELF. W AND MO OCCUR IN INNER BELT CLOSEST TO GRANODIORITE, SN OCCURS IN OUTER ZONE SOME 500-2000 M FROM CONTACT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1973 Irving U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUN-1978 Earl M. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAY-1990 Urquidi-Barrau, Fernando (Long, Keith R.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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