Colquiri Mine

Producer in La Paz, Bolivia with commodities Tin, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper
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. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  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 10068802
MRDS ID W002056
Record type Site
Current site name Colquiri Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -67.12865, -17.381 (WGS84)
Elevation 4200
Relative position 81 KM NORTH OF ORURO

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

La Paz(province)

Bolivia(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Federal lands

Federal(land status)

Geographic areas

Country State
Bolivia La Paz

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Tin Critical Primary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Lead Secondary
Silver Secondary
Copper Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cassiterite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Silver Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stannite Ore
Chlorite Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Sericitization

Mineral occurrence model information

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

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Devonian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Catavi Sandstone, Sandy Shale (450 M) (450 M);Uncia Shales (1200 M)
    Rock description Catavi Sandstone, Sandy Shale (450 M) (450 M);Uncia Shales (1200 M)

Nearby scientific data

(1) -67.12865, -17.381

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description N 35 W Fold Axes
Type of structure Local
Structure description Main Fault Cutting Across Syncline Between Coquiri Anticline To North And Aquilarani Anticline To South

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR
    Strike N 33 E
    Dip 65 NW
    Plunge direction NE
    Thickness 35M
    Length 3000M
    Width 1.5M
    Depth to top 0M
    Depth to bottom 500M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Strong Fault, N 33 E, Dipping 63 Nw In Upper Levels And Flattening To 45-55 Nw In Lower Levels

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1492
Year of first production 1880

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Corporacion Minera De Bolivia

Comments on the production information

  • IRREGULARLY PRODUCES AG, ZN W, AND PB AS BYPRODUCTS IN SMALL AMOUNTS

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ADDITIONAL MAIN VEIN EXTENSIONS AND NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES SUCH AS UNIFICADA, COPACABANA, VICHINCALLANI
  • EQUIVALENT ROUGHLY TO THREE FULL YEARS OF PRODUCTION

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 4000M
    Overall depth 500M

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 3505.32 ; ECON.YEAR: 1971 ; ECON.COM: FOURTH LARGEST TIN MINE OF BOLIVIA. SEDIMENTARY COVER 3000-4500 M THICK

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CAMPBELL, D. F., 1947, THE GEOLOGY OF THE COLQUIRI TIN MINE, BOLIVIA: ECON. GEOL. V. 42, PP. 1-21

  • Deposit

    AHLFELD, A., AND SCHNEIDER-SCHERBINA, 1964, LOS YACIMIENTOS MINERALES Y DE HIDROCARBUROS DE BOLIVIA: DEPTO. NAC. GEOL., BOL. 5 (ESPECIAL), PP. 149-150.

  • Deposit

    ROCHA H., ROBERTO, 1974, APORTE AL CONOCIMIENTO GEOLOGICO DEL YACIMIENTO MINERO DE COLQUIRI: LA PAZ, UMSA, TESIS DE GRADO

  • Production

    EXTRAPOLATED FROM COMIBOL PRODUCTION DATA

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit VEIN SYSTEM: THREE SETS OF VEINS ARE RECOGNIZED. PRIMARY (CENTRAL), SECONDARY (OCAVI ZONE), TERTIARY (UNIFICADA ZONE).
Deposit First Production Year: TIN, 1880.
Deposit Discovery Year: PRE-COLOMBIAN AND DURING SPANISH PERIOD FOR SILVER; SINCE 1880 FOR TIN (HOCHSCHILD AND COMIBOL)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1973 Irving, Earl M. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUL-1978 Urquidi-Barrau, Fernando U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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