NIR Characteristics of Porphyry Copper Deposits, Resources For Future

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NIR Characteristics of Porphyry Copper Deposits, Resources for Future

Generations 2018
Presentation · June 2018

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32631.11685
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Nicholas Jansen Mclean Trott

QPX Chile Queen's University Kingston
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NIR CHARACTERISTICS OF
PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSITS
Dr. Nicholas Jansen and McLean Trott
Resources for Future Generations Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 16-21, 2018
Jansen, N.H., Trott, M., 2018, NIR characteristics of porphyry copper deposits, Resources for Future Generations, July 16-21, 2018, Vancouver, Canada
A UNIQUE COLLABORATION, THANK-YOU TO
► Mike Christie, Markku Lappalainen, and Tim Ireland at First Quantum Minerals Ltd., for
allowing aspects of their deposits to be studied and brought into the public domain.
► Federico Cernuschi for the valued input for Haquira from his doctoral thesis
► Sebastian Benavides for his input from his Master’s thesis at Taca Taca
► All the hard-working geologists and technicians from Haquira and Taca Taca who built
these datasets and ensured their high quality
► Yair Frastai and Andrew Ryan for permission to use exploration data from northern Chile
and the opportunity to present a RFG 2018
► Members of the exploration team Viviana Olivares, Peter Frikken, Daniel Mueller, Hessel
Bierma, Andres Martinez and Tivadar Kun
► The remainder of the QPX Chile team
Jansen, N.H., Trott, M., 2018, NIR characteristics of porphyry copper deposits, Resources for Future Generations, July 16-21, 2018, Vancouver, Canada 2
OUTLINE
► NIR spectroscopy and current understanding with respect to porphyry
deposits
► NIR spectral response from
 Haquira East Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au, Peru (First Quantum)

 Taca Taca Bajo porphyry Cu-Au-Mo, Argentina (First Quantum)
 Paleocene porphyry prospect in northern Chile (QPX)
► Summary of implications the results give to the NIR response for porphyry
exploration
NIR SPECTROSCOPY
► Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is the manifestation of energy absorption from the
vibrating bonds within the mineral crystal lattice
► Numerous platforms from satellite, field portable to drill core scanners
 This study reports results from field portable TerraSpec 4 and Halo instruments
Pima0 kaolinite Cornwall England CI=1.14
Spectrum of kaolinite Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄

Spectrum from USGS spectral library)
PORPHYRY NIR MINERALS
*Sulfides, quartz, feldspars, anhydrite among other

minerals can not be detected
Image modified from Sillitoe, 2010
PORPHYRY NIR SPECTRAL VECTORS
 Spectral features of some minerals change according to their composition or crystallinity
pH Temperature Temperature
White mica composition (nm) White mica crystallinity Alunite composition (nm)
<1485
> 2205
<1 1485-1490
< 2200
>4 1490-1495
2200-2205
Jansen et al., 2017; Chang et al., 2011

HAQUIRA EAST PORPHYRY CU-MO-AU DEPOSIT
• 688 Mt ore at 0.59 wt. % Cu, containing 4.7 Mt Cu, 37,000 t Mo and 0.9 M oz Au
• Eocene quartz-monzodiorites to granodiorites intrude folded metasedimentary rocks
• Potassic: quartz, K-feldspar, early dark mica (EDM veins), quartz-bornite-chalcopyrite, banded molydenite quartz veins
• Sericitic: quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration/veins
• Intermediate argillic: illite-smectite-chlorite-kaolinite-pyrite
• Tilted ≤ 20º to the northeast after formation
Images modified from

Cernuschi Rodilosso, 2016
HAQUIRA ALTERATION MINERALOGY
Observed Alteration NIR Response
SW
SW
*weak smectite-chlorite
observed
NE NE
Kaolinite
Muscovite Muscovite
Kaolinite
Smectite-
chlorite
overprinting
Haquira muscovite
Stock/
D-veins
Haquira
Limit of stock
Quartz
biotite
K-feldspar 150 m
Images modified from Cernuschi Rodilosso, 2016
MUSCOVITE COMPOSITION AND CRYSTALLINITY
Is not the true signal of muscovite, represents the mixing of smectite with muscovite
causing higher Al-OH positions and lower cyrstallnities
250 m
IMPLICATIONS FROM HAQUIRA EAST
► NIR mineralogy dominated by the final stages of the porphyry system
 Phyllic with intermediate argillic overprint (thermal collapse)

 Weak signal from the potassic alteration
► Porphyry exploration vectoring
 Erroneous crystallinity vectors affected by low temperature smectite

overprint
 Smectite is highlighting the potassic alteration
TACA TACA BAJO PORPHYRY CU-AU-MO
• 2165 Mt Indicated ore at 0.44 wt. % Cu, containing 9.5 Mt Cu, Ordovician
Granite
5.6 Moz Au, and 280,000 t Mo
Cover
• Eocene porphyry dykes and a small stock intrude an Ordovician
granitoid wallrock
>0.3 %
• Potassic: widespread (mostly barren) ‘A’ veins, secondary
CuEq
biotite, rare secondary k-feldspar.
• Sericitic 1st Stage: grey-green sericite and quartz ‘D’ veins

with chalcopyrite and minor bornite Siltstone
Sandstone
• Sericitic 2nd Stage: white sericite Barren.
• Late supergene leached cap: 150-300 metre zone with Cu-

oxides and chalcocite enrichment blanket. N Surface projection
of Oligocene
rhyodacite stock
500 m
TACA TACA ALTERATION MINERALOGY
NIR Response
Observed Alteration
500 m
Modified from Wood et al., 2015 *Only 12 out of 5900 analysis contained biotite
TACA TACA MUSCOVITE CRYSTALLINITY
Early, widespread and high temperature

muscovite alteration overprinted by low
temperature muscovite to illite alteration
S2
S2
S1 S1
Stage 1 Stage 2
Early higher-temperature Lower temperature
TACA TACA WHITE MICA COMPOSITION
• White mica composition is related to pre-existing alteration
• Higher peak positions (phengitic) related to early biotite alteration
• Green sericite described replacing pre-existing secondary biotite
and orthoclase (Benavides Kolind-Hansen, 2017) 2205 nm
• Lower muscovitic peak positions related to host granitic rock
Green-grey phengitic sericite White muscovitic sericite

High peak positions Low peak positions
S2
Potassic
Outline
2199 nm
Photos from Benavides Kolind-Hansen, 2017
IMPLICATIONS FROM TACA TACA
► NIR mineralogy dominated by the final stages of the porphyry system
 High to low temperature collapse of the porphyry system

 Weak signal from potassic alteration
► Porphyry exploration vectoring
 Produces erroneous white mica crystallinity vector from what we

expect
 Higher Al-OH peak positions highlighting potassic core
PORPHYRY PROSPECT
PALEOCENE BELT OF NORTHERN CHILE
• Predominant lithologies are

quartz monzonite local andesite
volcanics
• Base of lithocap alteration
• Phyllic alteration (Quartz-
muscovite-pyrite)
• Advanced argillc alteration
(pyrophyllite ± dickite ±
alunite)
• Leached cap comprising hematite
- goethite - jarosite - kaolinite -
alunite
250 m
ALUNITE SPECTRAL RESPONSE
• Two populations of alunite
• Flat lying supergene and K-rich alunite at
surface
• Deeper hypogene K-Na alunite
• The alunite spectral response is recording two
events, hypogene and supergene
ALUNITE IMPLICATIONS
► Late supergene alunite is K-rich with low peak positions
► Overprinting supergene alunite will cause erroneous spectral vectors used in
lithocap environment
View publication stats
SUMMARY OF STUDY
► The NIR response of prophyry deposits is dominated by low temperature
assemblages
► Spectral vectors must be used with caution,
 Protolith control
 Consider possibility late stage thermal collapse or supergene
overprint
► Understanding of paragenesis and overprinting relationships is important
 Alteration characterisation is a multi-tool effort which shouldn´t soley
rely on NIR spectroscopy

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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

Presentation · June 2018

Nicholas Jansen Mclean Trott

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Mineral spectroscopy View project

Porphyry-epithermal View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

► The remainder of the QPX Chile team

► NIR spectral response from

 Haquira East Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au, Peru (First Quantum)

► Numerous platforms from satellite, field portable to drill core scanners

Pima0 kaolinite Cornwall England CI=1.14

Spectrum of kaolinite Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄

*Sulfides, quartz, feldspars, anhydrite among other

Jansen et al., 2017; Chang et al., 2011

• Eocene quartz-monzodiorites to granodiorites intrude folded metasedimentary rocks

Images modified from

 Phyllic with intermediate argillic overprint (thermal collapse)

 Erroneous crystallinity vectors affected by low temperature smectite

 Smectite is highlighting the potassic alteration

• Sericitic 1st Stage: grey-green sericite and quartz ‘D’ veins

• Late supergene leached cap: 150-300 metre zone with Cu-

Early, widespread and high temperature

Green-grey phengitic sericite White muscovitic sericite

Photos from Benavides Kolind-Hansen, 2017

 High to low temperature collapse of the porphyry system

 Produces erroneous white mica crystallinity vector from what we

 Higher Al-OH peak positions highlighting potassic core

• Predominant lithologies are

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