Geology of Lo Aguirre copper deposit, Chile.

Abstract

Lo Aguirre is a medium-sized stratabound ore deposit, similar to El Soldado, Mantos Blancos and Michilla, that are still controversial in their origin, in spite of being important Chilean copper producers. The deposit is emplaced at the base of the Veta Negra Formation, in a marine-continental transitional environment related to the development of a Cretaceous extensional basin. The main host rocks are high-potassium dacite, andesite and dacitic breccia affected by weak to moderate alteration by quartz, albite and sericite. Intrusions, mainly dioritic, are scarce and do not seem to have a genetic relationship with the deposit although, in same cases, they provide favorable contacts for ore deposition. North, and northeast fault control the shape and extent of the mineralized bodies. Some of them, associated with the extensional process, were normal faults that underwent inversion after ore deposit formation. Ore emplacement is controlled by a redox front defined by the development of a hematite halo above the ore bodies that roughly follows the stratigraphy for 4 km. The hypogene ore comprises bornite, chalcocite and chalcopyrite with minor pyrite and hematite, and occurs as veinlets and fine dissemination. Zoning with more copper rich sulfides grading outwards and at depth to a pyritic halo, is characteristic. The ore underwent supergene oxidation in situ and no supergene enrichment developed. Lithology is the main ore depositional control, with dacitic breccias representing the most favorable horizon. A 102 - 5 Ma ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age is considered to represent the age of the deposit, very similar to the ages reported for the El Soldado deposit. Highly saline fluid inclusions of variable compositions are compatible with fluids of metamorphic origin whereas sulfur isotopes suggest a magmatic connection. The deposit is believed to be the product of a hydrothermal fluid that rose along listric normal faults and deposited copper and copper- iron sulfides at a redox front, mainly within permeable dacitic breccias.