Gold and Copper Dissemination

in the Igneous-Volcanic
Saldaa Formation, Colombia
and Extension of the Mineral Province
in the Andean Cordillera

Prepared by:
Alberto Lobo-Guerrero S.
Geologist, M.Sc., MinEx
Economic Geology Research Institute
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa, June, 2003

CONTENTS
Introduction
Saldaa Formation
Location
Description
Lithology
Petrography
Extension
Environment of Emplacement
Structural Geology

Mineralization
Types Known
Potential
Prospects
Extension of Province
In Colombian Andes
Perij Chain
In Andean Cordillera
Into Mexico

INTRODUCTION-1
Saldaa region constitutes
one of the best exploration targets
for large-tonnage Au + Cu disseminations
in Colombian Andes, South America

Saldaa Formation =
Jurassic hypabissal + volcanic rocks

INTRODUCTION-2
Aulacogen extends throughout the Andes
from Venezuela into Argentina
Mineralization known all along
conforms
continent-wide metallogenic province

SALDAA FORMATION-1
Natagaima region =
isolated stretch of Colombian Central Cordillera
complex vulcano-sedimentary
sequence of faulted blocks
INTRODUCTION

Saldaa Formation composed by:

tuffs, agglomerates, lava flows,
continental + shallow marine sedimentary rocks
+ small subvolcanic porphyritic bodies

GENERALIZED LITHOLOGIC UNITS, NATAGAIMA, COLOMBIA

UNIT NAME AGE
Volcaniclastic
deposits
Honda
Formation
Cretaceous to
Tertiary
sedimentary
sequence

Saldaa
Formation

Payand
Formation

Luisa
Formation
Tierradentro
Gneiss &
Granulites

K-T

LITHOLOGY/
ENVIRONMENT

Continental clastic and

Not exposed
volcanic deposits
Continental shales,
T porphyritic
siltstones, sandstones,
stocks
mudflows and volcanic ash
Marine to continental
siliciclastics:
conglomerates,
None known
sandstones, shales,
limestones
Continental volcanic rocks,
sediments, shallow marine
J stocks,
batholiths, dikes
deposits, lava flows
+ sills

Limestones, sandstones
J-TR and shales

TR

pE

RELATED
INTRUSIVES

Continental red beds:

conglomerates,
sandstones and shales,
(evaporites)
High grade metamorphic
rocks (granulites and
gneisses)

None known

Mafic small
bodies

Pz stocks

MINERALIZATION
Au placers, exotic Cu
Gypsum veinlets, exotic Cu

Au placers, Paleoplacers
(Gualanday Fm.)
Exotic Cu

Low+high sulf. Epithermal Au veins;

low sulfidation Au diss. in stkwks;
Au+Cu porph., Fe oxide-Cu-Au,
Sediment-hosted Au, gypsum
veins, Mo-Cu porph.
Sediment-hosted Au; Cu skarn
Au veins + skarn, Replacement
deposits
Sediment hosted Au, Manto type
Pb-Zn, evaporites, Sedimenthosted Cu, Sabkhas
Shear zones with Au,
Mesothermal Au

LOCATION

LOCATION
INTRODUCTION

Isolated
wedge of
Colombian
Central
Cordillera

SALDAA FORMATION-2
size of andesitic-dacitic
porphyritic bodies seldom >4km2
Most outcrops of intrusive rocks =
apophysis of larger bodies
too small to map at 1:100,000 scale
porphyritic bodies composed by
well-formed plagioclase phenocrystals
up to a few centimeters long
that occur in gray-green aphanitic matrix

SALDAA FORMATION-3
PETROGRAPHY
composition varies from tonalite to
granodiorite and quartzmonzonite
some rocks grade into diorite + basalt
few = syenitic
Numerous augite phenocrystals + abundant
amygdules filled by chalcedony, calcite,
chlorite, epidote, zeolites and native Cu are
evident in the matrix

Generalized
Geological
Map

Generalized
Geological
Map

SALDAA FORMATION-4
In t/ region of study, extends for 1200 km2
evidence of fertile intrusive rocks, hydrothermal
alteration and mineralization occur throughout
15,400 hectares within region have high potential
to host disseminated Au associated with the upper
portion of Cu-Au porphyry systems
study area = approx.1/3 of total known Saldaa
outcrops in Colombian Andes
= 1/10 of similar age/composition rocks in country

SALDAA FORMATION-5
ENVIRONMENT OF EMPLACEMENT
deposited in aborted rift basin
overlying Triassic continental red beds and
carbonate platform
Jurassic subduction
produced magmatism + vulcanism
Unconformably overlain by thick pile of Cretaceous
+ Tertiary sediments

INTRODUCTION

SALDAA FORMATION-6
Mineral deposits = result of Jurassic, porphyritic
forced intrusions emplaced along weak zones of
tuffs and other Saldaa units
Repetitive intrusion == overprinting of hydrothermal
alteration + mineralization
Extensional faults run parallel to main branches of
aulacogen = offered sites for fluid migration +
mineral deposition
circular structures are not uncommon

INTRODUCTION

MINERALIZATION-1
Several types of mineralization are known
in region
world-class Au placers
abundant sub-vertical high and low
sulphidation Au- & Cu-rich qtz veins
Ag, Cu, barite, fluorite, Sb, Fe +
gypsum deposits exploited at small
scale since pre-Columbian times

MINERALIZATION-2
Au + Cu diss. mineralization detected in:
-stockworks
-breccioid qtz veins
-individual porphyritic bodies
-hydrothermal bxs along contact
between intrusive + volcanic rocks

MINERALIZATION-3
Region has significant potential for
exploration of various mineral deposit types

-high and low sulfidation epithermal Au

-Au porphyry
-Cu porphyry
-sediment-hosted Au
(so-called Carlin type)
-Fe Oxide-Cu-Au-REE
-exotic Cu accumulations

MINERALIZATION-4
Primary Cu mineralization generally associated w/
local intense sericitization and silicification
large portion of Saldaa Formation = covered by
secondary Cu minerals + epidote
INTRODUCTION

Numerous gossans with high contents of free Au

have been mapped
>22 zones of interest with potential large-tonnage
Au + Cu mineralization identified to date

Zooming in on a
mineralized
stockwork

Intense argillization
overprints mineralized
stockwork

MINERALIZATION-5
Few prospects have been studied in detail,
mapped or explored under modern
techniques.
Old, small-scale Au miners only worked
rock deposits >6gAu/t
placers >5gAu/m3
No disseminated deposits were sampled
before 1990s

EXTENSION INTO
COLOMBIAN ANDES
Geological environment and associated Au
and Cu mineralization of Saldaa Formation
extends thoughout Colombian Andes
from Guajira to Putumayo

INTRODUCTION

EXTENSION INTO
ANDEAN CORDILLERA
Saldaa Formation equivalents
extend furthermore
along Andean Cordillera
from Venezuela to Argentina

Venezuela:
Perij and Mrida
Argentina: Patagonia

WORLD-CLASS DEPOSITS
occur in correlatives of Saldaa
Formation
and fall within similar age span
in continent-wide metallogenic province

WORLD-CLASS DEPOSITS
COLOMBIA
El Silencio, Antioquia ~1500 ton Au
Angostura, Santander >700 ton Au
Serrana de San Lucas, Bolvar
>>500 tonAu
ECUADOR
Nambija, Serrana del Cndor
>300 ton Au
San Carlos, Sna del Cndor >~5x10^6 ton Cu
ARGENTINA
Cerro Vanguardia, Patagonia

~500 ton Au

EXTENSION INTO
ANDEAN CORDILLERA
Serrana de Perij
(stretches between
Colombia + Venezuela)
contains numerous,
under-explored Au + Cu deposits
associated to Saldaa-type
Jurassic events

EXTENSION INTO
OTHER REGIONS
Part of this province
extends into Mexico
Guerrero and Oaxaca terranes

Gold and Copper Dissemination

in the Igneous-Volcanic
Saldaa Formation, Colombia
and Extension of the Mineral Province
in the Andean Cordillera

Prepared by:
Alberto Lobo-Guerrero S.
Geologist, M.Sc., MinEx
Economic Geology Research Institute
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa, June, 2003