It also explores the mining of sulphide ores and the subsequent extraction of copper. Porphyry copper deposits of the american cordillera. Copper is the primary commodity of economic interest in most porphyry copper deposits, although some deposits with low to very low copper grades are mined principally for their gold e. The empirical characteristics of porphyry copper deposits summarised above were mostly wellestablished by the late 1970s, and only minor modifications have been made since that time. Goldoxysulphides in copper deposits of the greywacke zone, austria. Copper skarn deposits occur near many porphyry copper host intru sions that intruded carbonatebearing units einaudi and others, 1981, and skarn mineral zoning patterns may be useful in the targeting of a potentially associated porphyry copper deposit meinert and others, 2005.
Preliminary model of porphyry copper deposits usgs. Hydrothermal magnetite in potassic altered zone of an ore deposit. The ore deposits in the epithermal and porphyry environment are. Seal porphyry copper deposits result from the complex interactions and feedbacks of many. Porphyry deposits and iocgs are the worlds primary source of copper and they account for more than 60% of the copper production globally but in addition to copper they also supply 100% of the worlds molybdenum production, 10 to 15% of global uranium production and a significant proportion of the worlds gold production in short they make up a critical group of deposits. Critical metal particles in copper sulfides from the. Advances in geological models and exploration methods for. Deposit name the most recent deposit name, namedeposit, is used. The information on the porphyry copper deposits is contained in the files porcu2008. Most economic cu deposits are found in porphyry magmatic systems, kmscale magmatic bodies characterized by silicic compositions and a distinctive porphyritic. Porphyry ore typically forms in magmatic arcs above subduction zones. The porphyry copper deposits are probably just very deep and still need to be eroded.
The information on the porphyry copper deposits is contained in the files porcu. A mineral chemical and infrared fluid inclusion study. Locations of all porphyry copper deposits in the porcu. Copper porphyry is a form of copper deposit that is often characterized as lowgrade, typically with 0. A canadian perspective louise corriveau natural resources canada, geological survey. Tempo of magma degassing and the genesis of porphyry copper. Production figures summarized for 45 porphyry copper deposits in the united states by titley and beane 1981 are 15.
Fourteen deposits that reported molybde num had a weighted grade of 0. Keynote studies of porphyry deposits from south america e. Mining of copper and gold from pyriteenargite veins in plavica dates back. This publication contains a computer file of information on porphyry copper deposits from. Porphyry copper deposits result from the complex interactions and feedbacks of many processes. Png has a number of porphyry deposits whereas japan has none. Porphyry copper deposits pcds are classically regarded as large upper crustal volumes of hydrothermally altered, veined. Epithermal gold for explorationists paper 200201, april 2002 5 mineralogical differences used to categorise the styles of low sulphidation epithermal gold deposit styles corbett and leach, 1998. Porphyry ore deposits are the source of much of the copper, molybdenum, gold and silver used by humans. This publication contains a computer file of information on porphyry copper.
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