Geochemistry of Hydrothermal

Alteration Associations in Porphyry

Copper Deposits: Applications to
Geo Mineral-Metallurgical Modeling

Brian Townley1,2,3*, RodrigoLuca3, Luis Lpez3, Marcia Muoz2 & Pamela

Castillo1

1 Departamento de Geologa, Universidad de Chile, Plaza Ercilla 803, Santiago, Chile

2Advanced Mining Technology Center (AMTC), Universidad de Chile, Av. Tupper

2007, Edificio AMTC, Santiago, Chile

3GeoAnalytical Vision S.A., Av. Ricardo Lyon No. 3547, uoa, Santiago
Why do we need high
resolution quantitative mineral
characterization?
Geological/Geometallurgical
Models & the Mining
Business
 Mine Design, Mine Planning, Mineral Processing
& Environmental Control

Skip
Open
Pit
Levels
 Mineral

Characterization
Drill core logging
Rock and ore petrography
XRD
SEM & QEMSCAN
CoreScan
Hi-Logger
Geochemistry
Lithogeochemistry
Qualitative, semi-quantitative &
quantitative characterization
 Hydrothermal Alteration

How do we use hydrothermal alteration in ore

deposit modeling?
require mineral characterization data

What characteristics about hydrothermal alteration

can we collect in the field ?
location, style, intensity, structure, timing

Is this data reliable (accurate), reproducible

(precise; i.e., quantitative), and thus useful ?
Quantifying Alteration Failures
Adjectives Seen in DDH Logs to Quantify
Alteration
completely partly entirely
mostly relatively wholly
partially kind of extreme
none sort of severe
intense reminiscent of feeble
strong somewhat patchy
moderate persistent speckled
weak utterly mottled
pervasive totally dappled
incipient fully flooded
absent absolutely salt & peppered
spotted unaltered fresh
Quantifying Alteration Failures
Kaolinite Modes from a High Sulphidation
Epithermal Au Deposit
50
Objective Estimation (XRD + Reitveld

45
Y = 1.05 X + 0.91
40
R2 = 0.27
Structural Refinement)

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Visual Estimation (%)
 Quantifying Alteration Failures
VHMS camp, volcaniclastic rocks; 6 experienced exploration geologists (A-F),
1 graduate student (M), 1 professor (S)

4
Sericitization Intensity (0 - 5)

A
B
3 C
D
E
2 F
M
S

0
2 1 1 5 OQ 1 O 2 1 2 3 3 5 5 3 3 2 5 1 1 5 1 OQOO 1 OS S 2 Q 1 O 5 1

Lithology
 Quantifying Alteration Failures
Precision of Visual Estimates of Mineral Modes
self-reproducibility of most geologists is probably no
better than 20 %
inter-geologist reproducibility is far worse!

thus it is not worthwhile recording mineral mode

estimates with reporting intervals < 20 %
(i.e. - categories of 0,1,2,3,4,5)

How can we improve hydrothermal alteration

identification, type and intensity?
 Concepts in Mineralogy and
Geochemistry
A rock represents a mineral aggregate, these of
primary origin (lithology), primary endogenous
(hydrothermal) and/or secondary supergene,
among others.
Minerals are constituted by chemical elements,
mineral associations, be them lithologic,
hydrothermal alteration and mineralization and/or
of supergene origin will be represented by specific
geochemical compositions and chemical element
combinations.
Multielement geochemical data base processing
and interpretation may allow characterization and
determination of lithology, hydrothermal
alteration and mineralization, and supergene
alteration.
The previous procedures allow characterization of
all above mentioned parameters in a quantitative
manner at a resolution scale equal to that of
Procedures
Rock geochemistry
Incorporates lithologic,
alteration and
mineralization (1ry &
2ry) composition Multielement
geochemical data
base processing and
Calibration of
interpretation
geochemical
compositions and
element combinations
Quantitative mineral
to types of lithology,
characterization and
hydrothermal alteration
assistance to high
types/intensity and
resolution geologic ore
mineralization
deposit models and/or
exploration models

Applications to
Mineral Exploration Applications to Geo-
models Mineral Metallurgic
models
 Element distributions and
hydrothermal alteration

Examples.
Elements that
discriminate
different
types of
hydrothermal
alteration are
sought
 Element distributions and
hydrothermal alteration

Examples.
Elements that
discriminate
different
types of
hydrothermal
alteration are
sought
 Distribution of synthetic variables
Synthetic variables used for hydrothermal alteration
determinations.
Phyllic Alteration: (KxNa)/Al; Na/Al; (Al+K)/(Na+Ca+Mg);
(Al+K+Na)/(Ca+Mg)
Propylitic Alteration: (Ca+Na)/(K+Al)
Argillic Alteration: Al/(Na+Ca+K); Al/Mg; Al/(K+Na)
Advanced Argillic Alteration and/or blue veins (enargite/famatinite):
(K+Al+S)/(Fe+S); (CuxAsxSbxS)/Fe; [(CuxAsxSbxS)/Fe]x[Al+K+S]
Potassic Alteration: KxAl; K/(Ca+Na); K/Mg

These variables derive from: (1) mineral composition considerations as

well as cation exchanges proper of metasomatic water/rock interaction
processes (hydrothermal alteration), and (2) results of statistical data
base analysis.
Distribution of variables studied by box & whisker diagrams.
 Distribution of synthetic variables

Validation of synthetic variables by means of box

& whisker diagrams.

Example
Potassic Alteration: KxAl;
1. Discrimination of potassic
alteration (only Bt)
 Geochemical classification of
alteration types / intensity
Examples

ite
lor Binary diagrams
Ch-
ite
t
Bio

e
r it
py
co
al
Ch
e-
rit
Py
 Geochemical classification of
alteration types / intensity
Example classification on ternary diagrams
Mg-Fe-S
Recognition of at least three
sample clusters:
Potassic Alterations (browns)
Chlorite-sericite Alteration
(greens)
Phyllic Alteration (orange)
Phyllic-Argillic Alteration (yellow)

Ferro-magnesian mineral control

(Chlorite-Biotite?)

Sulphide control (Py-Cpy)

Sulphur enriched samples

(towards S) represent anhydrite in
potassic and chlorite-sericite
 Geochemical classification of
alteration types / intensity
Example of hydrothermal type
and intensity determination in
large number of samples (sample
density by type)
Sericite-quartz +- clays

Variable VxSc plotted against

synthetic variable (Al+K)/
Chlorite-Sericite
Potassic
(Na+Ca+Mg)
Potassic only
biotite
Three types of hydrothermal
a n d/or
alteration are recognized Anh um
s
gyp
Sample classification and spatial
distribution correlates well with
deposit geological models
 Hydrothermal alteration
classifications based on
Mg-Al-Fe geochemistry
Two well defined sample groups are
discriminated
One group is Mg depleted
Discrimination set at line calculated
as Al
80%
(Mg + Al)

Zone 1

Zone 2
 Hydrothermal alteration
classifications based on
Ca-Fe-S geochemistry
Two well discriminated groups occur

One group having low Ca, the other

high Ca

Classification is discriminated by the

following line intersections

Ca
10%
(Ca Fe S)
Fe
50%
Ca Fe S
 Geochemical
interpretation of

Mineralization
Aqua regia digestion is near total for sulfides,
thus allowing calculation of molar concentrations
and determination of molar ratios.

Stanley, C. (2012)
Geochemical classification of
alteration types / intensity
Application to Models
Once samples are classified by type of
hydrothermal alteration and mineralization,
these may be studied for spatial distribution
Characterization of lithology, type and intensity
of alteration and mineralization will be plotted
on a resolution equivalent to sample support
Results may be applied to 2 and 3D ore deposit
models for exploration and/or geo-mineral
metallurgy
Models may be based of thousands to tens of
thousands of samples with multielement whole
rock geochemical analysis (e.g. analytic FRX)
Application to Models
Classification by means of immobile elements allows
determination of lithologies, independent of alteration
Mobile to immobile element ratios allows
discrimination of alteration types and intensities
Geo-mineral metallurgical Models (qualitative to
quantitative, geostatistical - simulations)
Hardness Models
Grindability Models
Flotation Cu recovery Models
Leach pad Cu recovery Models
Mine processing tests
Representativity
Interpolations & extrapolations

PREDICTABILITY!!!
Bottom line
Thank you