Huanuni Mine

Producer in Oruro, Bolivia with commodities Tin, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Antimony
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. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10068803
MRDS ID W002058
Record type Site
Current site name Huanuni Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -66.82725, -18.26708 (WGS84)
Elevation 4515
Relative position AT HUANUNI, 45 KMS SE OF ORURO

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Oruro(province)

Bolivia(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Federal lands

Federal(land status)

Geographic areas

Country State
Bolivia Oruro

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Tin Critical Primary
Silver Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Antimony Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cassiterite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stannite Ore
Apatite Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Marcasite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue
Siderite Gangue
Tourmaline Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Silicification

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 > Rhyolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Devonian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock
    Rock unit name Pampa;Llallagua;Cancaniri Graywacke (7300 M.Y.);Huanuni Schist
    Rock description Pampa;Llallagua;Cancaniri Graywacke (7300 M.Y.);Huanuni Schist

Nearby scientific data

(1) -66.82725, -18.26708

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description N-S Anticline In L. Paleozoic Sediments
Type of structure Local
Structure description Tentional Fracture And Shear Pattern

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR
    Strike NE
    Dip 40 TO 80 SE
    Thickness 3M
    Length 700M
    Width 30M
    Depth to top 0M
    Depth to bottom 700M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Fractures And Breccia Zones Crossing Structure Of Host Sediments

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1880
Discoverer Natives, Then British Firm; Later Operated By Patino
Year of first production 1880

Mining district

District name Huanuni District

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Comibol Since 1952

Comments on the production information

  • SECOND LARGEST TIN MINE IN BOLIVIA, AFTER LLALLAGUA

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • EQUIVALENT TO 4 YEARS OF PRODUCTION
  • POTENTIAL RESERVES ESTIMATED AT 100% OF PROVED RESERVES

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 1200M
    Overall depth 700M

Comments on the workings information

  • AVERAGE WIDTH RANGES AS FOLLOWS: CUADRO CRUZ MINE, 1.2M AT 3.68% SN; PROMETADORA MINE, 1.0M AT 1.35 SU; AND MARIA FRANCISCA MINE, 0.60 AT 2.7% SN.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 4196365 KG ; ECON.YEAR: 1975

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CHACE, F. M., 1948, TIN-SILVER VEINS OF ORURO, BOLIVIA: ECON. GEOL., V. 43, PP. 333-383 AND 435-470

  • Deposit

    TURNEAURE, F. S., COMPARITIVE STUDY OF MAJOR ORE DEPOSITS OF CENTRAL BOLIVIA, ECON. GEOL., V. 55, PP. 217-254, 574-606

  • Deposit

    AHLFELD, F., AND SCHNEIDER-SCHERBINA, 1964, LOS YACIMIENTOS MINERALES Y DE HIDROCARBUROS, DEPTO. NAC. GEOL., BOL. 5 (ESPECIAL), 388 P.

  • Deposit

    THORMANN, W., LJUNDGREN, P., VIRVEIRA, M., 1966, INVESTIGACIONES PRELIMINARES SOBRE LA GEOTECTONICA Y METALOGENEGIS DE LA ZONA CHALLAPATA-CAXATA, BOLIVIA: SERV. GEOL. BOL., BOL. 7, 118 P.

  • Deposit

    SILLITOE, H.R., HALL, C., AND GRANT, N.J., 1975, PORPHYRY TIN DEPOSITS IN BOLIVIA, ECON. GEOL., V. 70, P. 913-927.

  • Deposit

    PROSPECTION-4, 1966, HUANUNI, INFORME # 1962, COMIBOL.

  • Production

    AHLFELD AND SCHNEIDER-SCHERBINA, 1964

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE TIN-BEARING ZONE OF HUANUCI COVERS AN AREA 1500M BY 1200M. MOST ORE IS ACCOUNTED FOR BY NARROW VEINS, STRINGER LODES, AND ELONGATED BODIES OF BRECCIA. DIVISION NAMES ARE CATARICAGUA, HARRISON, DUNCAN, LUCIANITA, AND SANTA ELENA. SEQUENCE OF MINERAL DEPOSITION: (1) QUARTZ, TOURMALINE, CASSITERITE, (2) TEALLITE, PYRRHOTITE, ARSENOPYRITE, (3) SPHALERITE, STANNITE, (4) PYRITE, MARCASITE, SIDERITE, (5) LATE COATINGS OF SIDERITE.
Deposit Discovery Year: 1880 TO PRESENT

Reporter information

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

Beyond USGS

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