Early Halo Type Porphyry and Breccia Cu-Mo Mineralization

at Copper Creek, Pinal County, Arizona

K. Brock Riedell1, R. Joe Sandberg2, James O. Guthrie2, Adam D. Gorecki2,3, M. Jerome Lambiotte2,
Stephen J. Reynolds3, John M. Proffett4, Samuel J. Ybarra2, and James E. Poulter2
1. 4732 Willow Creek Road, West Vancouver, B.C., Canada V7W 1C4
2. Redhawk Copper, Inc., 130 North Redington Road, San Manuel, Arizona 85631
3. Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Tempe, Arizona 85287
4. P.O. Box 772066, Eagle River, Alaska 99577

For follow up questions and/or comments please contact:

K. Brock Riedell – kbriedell@shaw.ca
R. Joe Sandberg – rjsgeo@gmail.com
 MINERAL-RELATED PORPHYRY PHASES
Geologic Overview
HOST ROCKS
1 cm

GRANODIORITE PORPHYRY 1
●55-65% plagioclase >> biotite,
hornblende phenocrysts

1 cm

GLORY HOLE VOLCANICS

● andesitic to dacitic flows,
agglomerates, tuffs
1 cm

PORPHYRITIC QUARTZ DIORITE

● 6-10% plagioclase > biotite
phenocrysts

1 cm

COPPER CREEK GRANODIORITE

● crowded seriate texture, biotite Outline of isometric diagram
aggregates +0.50% CuEq footprint (G-T >100 ft-%)
1 cm

+0.20% Cu footprint GRANODIORITE PORPHYRY 2

Faults
Generalized geology ●30-35% plagioclase > biotite,
Mine dumps and tailings hornblende phenocrysts; biotite-
Quaternary-Late Tertiary gravels
Mid-Tertiary Galiuro Volcanics
dusted groundmass
Laramide breccia
Laramide porphyry
1 cm
Laramide Copper Creek Granodiorite

MONZOGRANITE PORPHYRY Cretaceous Glory Hole volcanics

Paleozoic sedimentary rocks
● fine-grained quartz, K-feldspar Proterozoic diabase

groundmass Proterozoic sedimentary rocks

1 cm

GRANODIORITE PORPHYRY 3
● 8-20% plagioclase > slender
hornblende > biotite phenocrysts

Riedell at al. 2013 2

 Isometric Block Diagram, Looking NE

Resource footprints
(% Cu)
+0.2% footprint
+0.5% footprint
Sulphide zones
Top of Cp > Py
Top of Cp + Bn
Cu grade shells
(% Cu)
1.0
0.5
0.2
Surface drainages
Drillholes
Geology
breccia
granodiorite porphyry 3
granodiorite porphyry 2
porphyritic quartz diorite
granodiorite porphyry 1
copper giant porphyry
monzogranite porphyry
Copper Creek Granodiorite
Phantom gdp(?)
Glory Hole Volcanics
Proterozoic diabase
Mescal Limestone
undifferentiated Apache Group
Pinal Schist
fault
D-veins
A-veins
Early halo (EH) veins

Riedell at al. 2013 3

 Veining and Types of Mineralization
MAGMATIC-HYDROTHERMAL
BRECCIAS
● mostly monolithic, with angular to subrounded
wall-rock clasts in a matrix of quartz-sulfides ±
anhydrite ± tourmaline ± specularite

● proportions of clasts and matrix highly variable

● occur in near-vertical pipelike bodies with oval

to irregular cross sections

● postdate most EH veins; temporally linked with

D veins

D VEINS
● planar walled sulfide, quartz, carbonate ±
sulfate veins with sericitic halos

● variable sulfide assemblages; pyrite,

EARLY HALO (EH) VEINS chalcopyrite, bornite, molybdenite, tennantite,
galena and/or covellite
● centimeter-scale, commonly texture-destructive halos of gray sericite >
biotite ± K-feldspar with common to abundant chalcopyrite and/or pyrite
● important later introduction of Cu in system
● millimeter-scale quartz-sulfide central veinlets or fractures
A VEINLETS
● commonly zoned with sericite-rich inner halo, biotite-rich outer halo
● irregular to planar veinlets of granular quartz ±
anhydrite, with disseminated chalcopyrite and
● sheeted; steep ENE-striking and low-angle domal sets
commonly bornite
● commonly reopened as D-type veins
● commonly with K-feldspar halo
● dominant locus of early Cu mineralization
● concentrated deep in system; minor
contribution of Cu
Riedell at al. 2013
4
 Paragenetic Sequence & Geochronology

Paragenetic diagram illustrating the timing relations of vein types,

brecciation, alteration, and sulfides against the sequence of intrusive
rocks. Width of bars indicates the approximate intensity of events.

Riedell at al. 2013 5

 Vein Abundance and Distribution

0.2% Cu FOOTPRINT 0.2% Cu FOOTPRINT

0.5% CuEq FOOTPRINT (G-T >100ft-%) 0.5% CuEq FOOTPRINT (G-T >100ft-%)

Outline of isometric diagram Abundance of early halo veins Abundance of D veins

+0.50% CuEq footprint (G-T >100 ft-%) (vol.%) (vol.%)
+0.20% Cu footprint 0-1 0-1
1-3 1-3
3-5 3-5
5 - 10 5 - 7.5
10 - 15 7.5 - 10
15 - 25 10 - 15
>25 >15
Riedell at al. 2013 6
 Conclusions
• Copper Creek is an early halo type porphyry Cu-Mo system similar to Butte, Montana; Los Pelambres and
Chuquicamata, Chile; and Ann-Mason Pass, Nevada (cf. Proffett, 2009). This affinity reflects the control of higher
grade Cu by early veinlets and fractures with centimeter-scale halos of sericite > biotite ± K-feldspar and
abundant Cu sulfides (“EH veins”).

• Cu distribution broadly correlates with vein type and abundance. Grades exceed 0.5% Cu where a steep, ENE-
striking swarm of EH veins cuts a slightly older, domal EH vein set. Zones where EH veins were reopened or
overprinted by D veins and breccias commonly contain >0.7% Cu and locally exceed 1.0%. A-type veins formed
deep in the system but contain only 0.2-0.3% Cu.

• Crosscutting relationships document three cycles of mineralization/alteration, with a cycle following

emplacement of each granodiorite porphyry phase. The major introduction of Cu followed granodiorite
porphyry 2, in a cycle involving early A-type and intense EH veining, followed by development of most
magmatic-hydrothermal breccias in the district, D veining and sericitic alteration. Cycles following granodiorite
porphyries 1 and 3 are less completely developed and introduced less Cu.

• Recent 40Ar-39Ar and Re-Os determinations of host rocks, sericite and molybdenite cluster in the 61.8-59.7 Ma
range.

• The system appears structurally intact and nearly upright. Attitudes of breccia pipes, steep EH veins, and mid-
Tertiary volcanic rocks suggest ~10 degrees of post-mineral tilting to the NNE or NE.

• The most effective exploration technique in the district is surface and subsurface mapping of the abundance
(veins + halos) and orientation of EH and D veins. In the area of the known resources, the surface extent of >3
vol% EH veins closely predicts the extent of >0.2% Cu within 350-700 meters of the surface. The surface zones
of both >5% EH and >5% D veins approximately map the surface projection of >0.5% Cu equivalent.

Riedell at al. 2013 7