Comprehensive mineralogical characterisation at the

Cerro Corona Cu-Au porphyry mine The

fundamental key for geometallurgical applications.

R. BAUMGARTNER, P. GOMEZ, G. ESCOBAR

For today

Why a mineralogical characterisation?

Geology of Cerro Corona
Alteration types
Quantitative mineralogy and its application for geometallurgy
Information from textures, grain size and liberation
Predictions of copper recovery using mineralogy
Identification of copper and gold losses in plant tails from head samples
Conclusions

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Mineralogical characterization
Daily problems in the processing plant
Why: Demonstrate that mineralogy can be used for operational geometallurgy and provide
important information for orebody knowledge and ore behaviour prediction.
Understand the mineralogical differences between the different alteration types (in particular in
argillic alteration)
Relate mineralogical textures with mineralisation occurrences.
Identify potential copper and gold losses.
Predict copper recoveries using mineralogical information

How: Group the geology, mining, geometallurgy, and metallurgy teams for the programme planning
so that everybody feels involved (and will use the information). Well thought multi-purpose
sampling campaign. Make sure that the right methods are used.

What: Detailed quantitative mineralogical study with multiple methods to make sure that the results
are valid and robust. Comprehensive interpretation of data.

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Regional Geology

Cerro Corona quartz

diorite stock emplaced in
a sequence of carbonate
rocks and at a loci of fault
intersections.

Miocene porphyritic quartz diorite stock

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Geology at Cerro Corona
Intrusion phases
The porphyry mineralisation is composed of several magmatic pulses. Four out of six are
mineralised.
Typical Cu-Au porphyry mineralisation overprinted by a late Au-(Cu) epithermal mineralisation.

Structures
Faults
Veinlets
Veins

Intrusion phases

Uzategui et al, 2016

Several magmatic pulses overprinting of alterations

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Geology at Cerro Corona
Alteration types
Argillic alterations
subdivided according to
Alterations
the types and amount of
clays

Silicification consists of
stockwork with different
vein types.

Uzategui et al, 2016

Sub-facies of argillic alteration different processing responses

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Geology at Cerro Corona
Alteration
Alteration type Key minerals Principal sulphide assemblages Occurrence

Argillic 1 Quartz, kaolinite, Fe sulphides-chalcopyrite (

Shallow and deeper parts
(ARG1) muscovite (illite), smectite chalcocite+covellite)

Quartz, feldspars,
Argillic 2
montmorillonite, kaolinite,
(ARG2)
illite, carbonates
Overprinting locally K, SIL,
Chalcopyrite-(Fe-sulphides)
and ARG 3 alteration

Upper parts of the deposit,

Argillic 3 Quartz, montmorillonite Chalcopyrite-(Fe-sulphides), generally the product of
(ARG3) muscovite (illite), chlorite secondary copper minerals weathering & supergene
alteration

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Geology at Cerro Corona
Alteration
Alteration type Key minerals Principal sulphide assemblages Occurrence

Silicification As intense stockwork

Quartz, Fe oxides Fe sulphides-chalcopyrite -(bornite)
(SIL) around barren cores.

Abundant in deep parts, and

Quartz, K-feldspar, biotite,
Potassic (K)
Fe Oxides (magnetite)
Chalcopyrite-(bornite, Fe-sulphides) core of the quartz-diorite
stocks
2 cm

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Detailed Mineralogical Study
Sample types
Drill hole samples (DDH,
6m adjacent intervals)
Pit wall samples (10kg
channel sample)
Production polygons
(split of blast holes
composite)
Total
Alteration Polygons Pit wall DDH
samples
SIL 9 11 6 26
ARG1 3 14 6 23
ARG3 11 6 5 22
K 4 0 11 15
ARG2 2 1 5 8
SSH 4 0 0 4
(Supergene)
Total 33 32 33 98

Spatial distribution
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Methods and testing completed
Analyses and testing
Quantitative mineralogical analysis (Qemscan)
Modal mineralogy
Grain size for Cu and Au minerals
Liberation and associations for Cu and Au minerals
Semi-quantitative XRD
Clay types
Rougher laboratory flotation tests
Rougher recovery for Cu and Au
Standard lab conditions than other flotation tests conducted at the mine for comparison.

10
Mineralogical results
Fe sulphides
Two types of pyrite present at Cerro Corona, along with
marcasite
The amorphous-type pyrite is a recrystallised pyrite and in
general related to the late Au-(Cu) epithermal event.
It contains Au and As in relatively high contents (up to 46 ppm
Au and up to 6% As).
Can be distinguished during Qemscan measurements using the
Fe and S contents.
Different behaviour during flotation. Since the amorphous-type
pyrite contains Au, there is a loss of gold in the cleaner circuit,
resulting in the decrease in the overall gold recovery.

Two types of pyrite

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Mineralogical results
Micro-textures chalcopyrite occurrence
Micro-textures provide
information for
processing.
The spatial distribution of
these micro-textures is
key for mine planning and
processing.
Alteration type dependent.

Modified from Amstutz, 1961

Simple and complex intergrowths
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Mineralogical results
Micro-textures
For some of them, a
solution is possible to
increase recovery.
For others, it is likely that
the particles containing a
mineral of interest will be
lost in the tails.
The solution to increase
recovery is not always
economic.

Modified from Amstutz, 1961

Impact on processing
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Liberation and associations of chalcopyrite
By alteration type

Liberated Binary Ternary / complex

Liberation Associations

Variable between alteration types

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Prediction of copper recovery using mineralogy
Chalcopyrite recovery
Quantitative mineralogy can be used to
obtain theoretical grade-recovery curves.
Example from lab flotation tests
compared with prediction from
mineralogy

Predictive rather than reactive

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 Prediction of copper recovery using mineralogy
Cu recovery prediction
In the future, it can be applied to monitor
the plant effectiveness using daily
Cu grade in final concentrate (%)

mineralogical data.

Predicted recovery trend of daily material

Plant performance

This will aid monitoring the plant if any

recovery problem is due to operational
reasons or the nature of the ore.
Recovery (%)

Predictive rather than reactive

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Identification of copper and gold losses
Head samples chalcopyrite

Background
Gold Phases
Chalcopyrite
Bornite
Pyrite
Fe-Sulfide Amorphous
Tennantite
Enargite
Goethite
Quartz
K-Feldspar
Plagioclase
Muscovite

Aid in justifying recovery issues

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Identification of copper and gold losses
Head samples gold
Associations of gold with
chalcopyrite will report to
the copper concentrate
Associations of gold with
amorphous-type pyrite or
pyrite will report to the
cleaner scavenger tails.
Used to justify low
recoveries or to predict low
recoveries and inform
management and plan
accordingly.

Prediction and justification

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Conclusions
Objective accomplished
The detailed mineralogical characterisation permit to demonstrate that the obtained
information can be used for:
Characterizing the deposit and distinguish differences within similar alterations
(variability).
Justify copper and gold losses
Prediction of copper and gold recoveries
Permit to understand better the variability within a same alteration type.
Refine the geological model (mainly alteration and mineralisation zone models).
Make people more happy because they received clear answers in bad days.

Thank you for your attention!

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