Database name: |
World Fe-oxide+/-Cu-Au-U (IOCG) deposits |
Compilers: |
Sunil S. Gandhi |
Release date: |
2015-03-03 |
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Deposit group name(s): |
Marcona |
Political location(s): |
Peru; Province or state: Ica; Nearest community: Lima (400 km SE) |
Deposit clan (type): |
Kiruna-type |
Deposit (sub) types: |
massive stratabound lense; lensoid ore bodies hosted by Lower Paleozoic Marcona Fm. and overlying Jurassic andesitic lavas of Río Grande Fm; related minor breccia-fillings and veins; late Jurassic mineralization.; Reference: Hawkes, N.; Clark, A.; Moody, T. C., 2002: Marcona and Pampa de Pongo: Giant Mesozoic Fe-(Cu, Au) Deposits in the Peruvian Coastal Belt; Section The Americas, in Hydrothermal Iron Oxide Copper-Gold and Related Deposits: A Global Perspective, Volume 2, Edited by Porter, T. M., Australian Mineral Foundation, Adelaide, Australia, PGC Publishing, Adelaide, 377 p, p. 115 - 130 |
Deposit group status: |
producer; Size category: 1440 Mt ; Status comments: discovered in 1915; mined since 1953; 8 major deposits (Mina 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 14, Mancha 13), and at least 47 minor deposits; average grade: 54.1 % Fe, 0.11 % Cu, with some Au, Ag, Co and Ni. |
Geologic province: |
Andean Orogen |
Geologic subprovince: |
Coastal Cordillera |
Geologic district: |
Cañete-Huarmey Marginal Basin |
Deposit object located: |
centre of main deposit |
Commodities: |
Fe; Cu; Ag; Au |
Geological ages: |
Middle Jurassic (mineralization) |
Tectonic setting: |
continental marginal rift-basin; convergent; Formal name: Cañete-Huarmey Marginal Basin (host rocks) |
Coincident features: |
stratification in host sequence (dolomitic marbles-pelitic schists, Marcona Fm. and siliciclastic sediments-carbonates-andesitic volcanics, Río Grande Fm.); Coincident feature name: Marcona and Río Grande Formations reverse faults parallel to strata (faults strike 045°, dip 65° to N; orebodies en echelon, subparallel to a few stratigraphic horizons); Coincident feature name: Repiticion Fault System unconformity (Rio Grande Formation lying unconformity over deformed Marcona Formation); Coincident feature name: Lower Paleozoic-Jurassic Unconformity fractures and breccia zones (Fe-rich veins and breccia zones subsidiary to the massive lensoid and tabular bodies); Coincident feature name: |
Regional tectonic structure: |
NNW-trending fault marking an abortive ensialic marginal basin (Cañete-Huarmey Marginal Basin with Jurassic volcanism related to the ore genesis) Tectonic structure name: Treinta Libras Fault |
Host rocks: |
(1) sedimentary; mudstone-carbonate (intruded by 390-425 Ma St. Nicolas granodiorite batholith); Depositional setting: continental; Metamorphic grade: greenschistHost rock stratigraphy: | Marcona Formation |
(2) volcanic; mafic-intermediate volcanic rocks (Jurassic formation unconformably overlies Marcona Fm.); Magma series/sedimentary package/metamorphic group: calc-alkaline; Depositional setting: continental; Metamorphic grade: burialHost rock stratigraphy: | Río Grande Formation |
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Host rock name(s): |
Marcona Formation; Río Grande Formation |
Related igneous rocks: |
(1) intrusive; granite suite (Late Cretaceous); Initials: Andean Coastal Batholith; Magma series: calc-alkaline; Depositional setting: continental |
Metallogenic signatures: |
Fe Cu Au Ag |
Alteration signatures: |
albitization: pervasive replacement of plagioclase by albite ; What was altered: andesites and related intrusives |
Mineralogy: |
(alteration): sericite, chlorite, serpentine, zeolite, talc, scapolite (gangue): Ca-amphibole, apatite, clinopyroxene, K-feldspar, albite, quartz, calcite, titanite, garnet, biotite, tourmaline (mineralization): magnetite, specularite, martite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, gold (electrum), galena, sphalerite, molybdenite, pentlandite, cubanite, mackinawite, valleriite, marcasite, ilmenite |
Radiometric ages: |
Object dated: Alteration Signature; Age - Ma: 160; +4; -4; Dating method: K-Ar; Concentrate: phlogopite; Source rock: hydrothermal phlogopite; Formal name: Tunga dyke swarm; Event dated: mineralization; Interpretive comment: coarse grained phlogopite from the strata-bound magnetite ore dates the Marcona mineralization; Reference: Injoque, J.; Atkin, B.; Harvey, P.; Snelling, N., 1988: Mineralogía y Geochronología del Skarn Geotermal de Hierro de Marcona; Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica del Perú, p. 65 - 80
Object dated: Alteration Signature; Age - Ma: 154; +4; -4; Dating method: K-Ar; Concentrate: sericite; Source rock: ore zone; Formal name: Tunga dyke swarm; Event dated: alteration; Interpretive comment: sericite gangue provides age of the magnetite ore, and supports the phlogopite date (160 Ma); Reference: Vidal, C. E.; Injoque, J.; Sidder, G., 1990: Amphibolitic Cu-Fe Skarn Deposits in the Central Coast of Peru; Economic Geology, Volume 85, p. 1447 - 1461
Object dated: Country Rocks; Age - Ma: 137; +3; -3; Dating method: K-Ar; Concentrate: whole rock; Source rock: latite dyke; Formal name: Tunga dyke swarm; Event dated: post-mineralization (intrusion); Interpretive comment: the data provide minimum age of hydrothermal mineralization that formed Marcona orebodies; Reference: Vidal, C. E.; Injoque, J.; Sidder, G., 1990: Amphibolitic Cu-Fe Skarn Deposits in the Central Coast of Peru; Economic Geology, Volume 85, p. 1447 - 1461
Object dated: Country Rocks; Age - Ma: 136; +3; -3; Dating method: K-Ar; Concentrate: whole rock; Source rock: shoshonite dyke; Formal name: Tunga dyke swarm; Event dated: post-mineralization; Interpretive comment: defines minimum age of mineralization for the Marcona deposits; Reference: Vidal, C. E.; Injoque, J.; Sidder, G., 1990: Amphibolitic Cu-Fe Skarn Deposits in the Central Coast of Peru; Economic Geology, Volume 85, p. 1447 - 1461
Object dated: Country Rocks; Age - Ma: 118; +3; -3; Dating method: K-Ar; Concentrate: whole rock; Source rock: aplosyenite dyke; Formal name: Tunga dyke swarm; Event dated: post-mineralization (intrusion); Interpretive comment: upper constraint on the age of mineralization at Marcona; Reference: Vidal, C. E.; Injoque, J.; Sidder, G., 1990: Amphibolitic Cu-Fe Skarn Deposits in the Central Coast of Peru; Economic Geology, Volume 85, p. 1447 - 1461 |
References: |
Atchley, F., 1956 |
Geology of the Marcona Iron Deposits, Peru |
Ph. D. Thesis, Stanford University, California, U.S.A. |
Atkin , B.; Injoque, J.; Harvey, P., 1985 |
Cu-Fe-amphibole Mineralization in the Arequipa segment |
in Magmatism at a Plate Edge: The Peruvian Andes, Edited by Pitcher, W. S.; Atherton, M. P.; Cobbing, E. J.; Beckinsale, R. D., Glasgow, Blackie and Son Ltd, p. 261 - 270 |
Hawkes, N.; Clark, A.; Moody, T. C., 2002 |
Marcona and Pampa de Pongo: Giant Mesozoic Fe-(Cu, Au) Deposits in the Peruvian Coastal Belt |
Section The Americas, in Hydrothermal Iron Oxide Copper-Gold and Related Deposits: A Global Perspective, Volume 2, Edited by Porter, T. M., Australian Mineral Foundation, Adelaide, Australia, PGC Publishing, Adelaide, 377 p, p. 115 - 130 |
Hudson, C., 1974 |
Metallogenesis as related to Crustal Evolution in S.W. Central Peru |
Ph. D. Thesis, University of Liverpool, U.K. |
Injoque, J.; Atkin, B.; Harvey, P.; Snelling, N., 1988 |
Mineralogía y Geochronología del Skarn Geotermal de Hierro de Marcona |
Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica del Perú, p. 65 - 80 |
Injoque, J.; Valera, J.; Miranda, C., 1995 |
Geología del Distrito Minero de Cata Cañete, Aspectos Petrológicos y Estructurales con Mención en la mineralización de Cobre |
Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica del Perú, Volume 84, p. 43 - 78 |
Injoque, J., 2002 |
Fe Oxide-Cu-Au Deposits in Peru: An Integrated View |
Section The Americas, in Hydrothermal Iron Oxide Copper-Gold and Related Deposits: A Global Perspective, Volume 2, Edited by Porter, T. M., Australian Mineral Foundation, Adelaide, Australia, PGC Publishing, Adelaide, 377 p, p. 97 - 114 |
Kontak, D.; Clark, A.; Farrar, E.; Strong, D., 1985 |
The Rift-associated Permo-Triassic Magmatism of the Eastern Cordillera: a Precursor to the Andean Orogeny |
in Magmatism at a Plate Edge: The Peruvian Andes, Edited by Pitcher, W. S.; Atherton, M. P.; Cobbing, E. J.; Beckinsale, R. D., Glasgow, Blackie and Son Ltd, p. 36 - 44 |
Petersen, U., 1965 |
Regional Geology and Major Ore Deposits of Central Peru |
Economic Geology, Volume 60, p. 407 - 476 |
Ripley, E. M.; Ohmoto, H., 1977 |
Mineralogic, Sulfur Isotope,and Fluid Inclusion Studies of the Strata-bound Copper Deposits at the Raúl Mine, Peru |
Economic Geology, Volume 72, p. 1017 - 1041 |
Ripley, E. M.; Ohmoto, H., 1979 |
Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotopic Studies of Ore Deposition and Metamorphism at the Raúl Mine, Peru |
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Volume 43, p. 1633 - 1643 |
Valera, J., 1982 |
Estudio geológico de la Veta Cobrepampa en el Distrito Minero de Acari-Ariquipa |
Tesis de Ingeníero Geológo, Universidad Nacional de Ingeniera, Lima, Perú |
Vidal, C. E.; Injoque, J.; Sidder, G., 1990 |
Amphibolitic Cu-Fe Skarn Deposits in the Central Coast of Peru |
Economic Geology, Volume 85, p. 1447 - 1461 |
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Production data: |
Report period: from 1953; Provisional entry?: yes; Yearly or summary?: SGrade-commodity information: | Fe: 60 percent | Weight-commodity information: | Fe million metric tons | Reference: Injoque, J., 2002: Fe Oxide-Cu-Au Deposits in Peru: An Integrated View; Section The Americas, in Hydrothermal Iron Oxide Copper-Gold and Related Deposits: A Global Perspective, Volume 2, Edited by Porter, T. M., Australian Mineral Foundation, Adelaide, Australia, PGC Publishing, Adelaide, 377 p, p. 97 - 114 Percent weights allocated to camp: 100.0% |
Associated deposit(s): |
E-Grid (745), Mina 5 (746), Mina 7 (747), Mina 14 (748), Mancha 13 (753) |