- - Quiruvilca Mine (La Libertad Mine), Peru
Mineral: -
Locality: Quiruvilca Mine (La Libertad Mine), Quiruvilca District, Santiago de Chuco Province, La Libertad Department, Peru
Description: A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF MINERALIZED ZONING AT THE QUIRUVILCA MINE SIZE OF THE DEPOSIT Mine extends over an area that is four kilometres east/west by three kilometres north/south and from an elevation of 4,050 m at the top of the mountain down to the 400 level at an elevation of 3,468 m. Access to the mine is from four adits driven into the side of the mountain at elevations ranging from 3,648 m to 3,870 m. The mine is sub-divided into two areas - the North Zone and the South Zone. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DEPOSIT The Quiruvilca deposit is polymetallic comprising the following main minerals: • Copper minerals: Tetrahedrite and Chalcopyrite • Silver minerals: Argentiferous Tetrahedrite, Freibergite • Lead mineral: Galena • Zinc minerals: Sphalerite • Gangue minerals: Pyrite, Rhodocrosite, Quartz The Quiruvilca mine exhibits four distinct and broadly concentric zones of mineralization. 1. ENARGITE ZONE. A Mesothermal zone consisting of Enargite with Pyrite. Other minerals in the zone include Chalcopyrite, Tennantite, Tetrahedrite, Sphalerite, Galena and Hutchinsonite. The dominant gangue mineral is Baryte 2. TRANSITION ZONE. A Mesothermal to epithermal Ore Bearing zone up to 1400 m wide comprising Sphalerite, Pyrite, Tetrahedrite-Tennantite with subordinate Galena, Marcasite, Arsenopyrite, Covellite and Wurtzite. 3. LEAD-ZINC ZONE. An epithermal zone comprising Sphalerite and Galena with subordinate Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, Tetrahedrite-Tennantite, Marcasite, Arsenopyrite, Gratonite, and Wurtzite. 4. STIBNITE ZONE. An irregular shaped epithermal zone containing Stibnite and Arsenopyrite with subordinate Pyrite, Sphalerite, Galena and minor Native Arsenic. The dominant gangue minerals are Rhodochrosite and Quartz. All zones exhibit the same overall paragenesis in the formation of the minerals. Pyrite deposition followed by the deposition of base metal sulphides, followed by the deposition of sulphosalts and then the deposition of carbonates and/or silicates. MAIN VEIN STRUCTURE AND MINERALOGY Veins are typically coarse grained and massive, but in some cases, they are vuggy. When openings do occur in the veins they often host many beautiful collector quality mineral specimens. In many places, there is a well-developed banding in the vein caused by aggregates of sulphides and gangue. The width of the main mineralized veins vary from about 0.3 m to 2.5 m and have been given some very quaint names (vein width in parentheses) - Compania Centro (0.2-1.5m), Luz Angelica (0.6m), Eva (0.2-1.5m), Betsy (0.2-1.5m), Dina (0.2-1.5m), Elisa (0.2-1.5m), Claudia (0.7m) and Zoila Gata (0.8m). MINERALOGY OF THE MAIN VEINS SOUTHERN ZONE Compania Centro - Sphalerite (40%), Tetrahedrite (20%), Galena (20%), Pyrite (10%), Carbonates (10%). Eva - Sphalerite (25%), Tetrahedrite (15%), Galena (20%), Pyrite (30%), Carbonates and Quartz (10%). Betsy - Sphalerite (30%), Tetrahedrite (10%), Galena (10%), Enargite (10%), Pyrite (15%), Quartz (15%), Carbonates (10%). Luz Angelica - Sphalerite (25%), Tetrahedrite (10%), Galena (20%), Pyrite (20%), Calcium and Magnesium Carbonates (10%), and Quartz (15%). Zoila Gata - Sphalerite (40%), Tetrahedrite (10%), Galena (10%) Pyrite (20%) and Others (Quartz/Rhodocrosite/Calcite/Dolomite) (20%) NORTHERN ZONE Dina - Sphalerite (30%), Tetrahedrite (10%), Galena (10%) Pyrite (25%), Quartz (10%), Dolomite (10%) and Rhodocrosite (10%) Elisa - Tetrahedrite (15%), Chalcopyrite (10%), Enargite (10%) Pyrite (50%) and Quartz (15%). Claudia - Tetrahedrite (20%), Enargite (10%) Pyrite (65%) and Quartz (5%) Information based on past Shareholder and Technical Reports provided over the years by ARSACO and PAS.