TOMO 2 - Geología Económica

VEIN CARBONATES IN THE LOW-SULPHIDATION EPITHERMAL

AU-AG DISTRICT OF EL PEÑÓN, II REGIÓN, CHILE

Thomas Bissig, Depto. Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Av. Angamos
0610, Antofagasta, Chile. tbissig@ucn.cl

Daisy Donoso-Hoffmann, Minera Meridian Limitada, El Peñon, Antofagasta, Chile,

daisy.donoso@meridiangold.com

INTRODUCTION

Carbonates are common gangue minerals in low-sulphidation epithermal deposits (e.g. Cooke
and Simmons 2000). They can occur in the wall rock as part of the alteration assemblage, or as vein
infill. Carbonates in veins may grow as tabular crystals, commonly replaced in part by quartz (lattice
texture), banded quartz-carbonate veins or, alternatively as late open space infill. The lattice texture
is widely interpreted as evidence for fluid boiling and is normally found close to the mineralized zone
(Cooke and Simmons, 2000). In turn, the late calcite filling open space, in some examples, has been
demonstrated to have been precipitated from steam-heated meteoric waters rich in CO2 (Simmons
et al., 2000). The latter are not directly related to precious metal mineralization. Due to the different
possible associations with ore, a characterization of carbonates present in low-sulphidation epithermal
prospects may therefore help focussing exploration efforts.
El Peñon is located near the eastern margin of the Central Depression of northern Chile,
some 165 km SE of Antofagasta. The volcanic rocks hosting the mineralized veins are not well
exposed due to a cover of caliche, an evaporitic crust typically found throughout northern Chile.
However, quartz-carbonate vein material is commonly found in the float and knowing the origin of
the calcite in such clasts will help establishing exploration guidelines for non-outcropping veins.
In this study we are presenting the preliminary results of carbonate characterization in the El
Peñon district. Along with macroscopic observations under natural and UV light, we applied XRD
techniques as well as oxygen and carbon stable isotope chemistry of calcites.

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OCCURRENCE OF CARBONATES AT EL PEÑON

Carbonate minerals identified by XRD are principally calcite, in some samples mixed with
ankerite dolomite, rhodochrosite and kutnohorite. They occur as gangue in the main mineralized
veins as well as fracture infill distal to the principal veins. Fine-grained calcite mixed with ankerite are
commonly found in banded to massive veins, overgrown or partially replaced by quartz (“early
calcite” hereafter). Calcite (together with lesser amounts of rhodochrosite and/or kutnohorite) also
occurs as late open space infill, overgrowing drusy quartz or as late stage veinlets cutting earlier
banded quartz or quartz-carbonate veins (“late calcite” hereafter; Fig. 1). Late carbonates are also
present as massive calcite ± quartz veins up to 50 cm wide, featuring individual calcite crystals of up
to 6 cm diameter (Warren et al., 2004). The carbonates found in the float are most commonly of the
latter type.

ULTRA VIOLET (UV) FLUORESCENCE OBSERVATIONS

Under short wave ultraviolet light (254 nm wavelength) calcite can present fluorescent colors
varying from blue over red and yellow to greenish. The carbonates of El Peñon can be assigned to
two principal groups, based on their fluorescence under UV light. Late stage calcite typically presents
moderate to intense red fluorescence, whereas early calcite is characterized by a complete lack or
very weak fluorescence in yellowish-greenish or reddish colors. (Fig.1). The use of UV light on
samples from El Peñon also led to the identification of scheelite, present as late stage mineral in the
Quebrada Orito vein.

STABLE OXYGEN AND CARBON ISOTOPES

Fourteen samples from diamond drill holes, complemented by one samples of late calcite
from the surface were analyzed for stable oxygen and carbon isotopes. Additionally two limestone
samples taken from the Jurassic El Profeta Formation, outcropping some 15 km to the NE of El
Peñon, were analyzed for comparison. The analyses were carried out at the Pacific Centre for
Isotope Geochemical Research (PCIGR) at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
The data are presented as δ18O ‰ relative to the V-SMOW standard whereas δ13C is presented
relative to the PDB standard.
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Fig. 1: Example of different calcite occurrences at El Peñon, sample QM054-175.

A) Natural light C1: White to creamy early calcite vein, cut by banded quartz veins (Q). C2: thin late calcite
vein cutting the previous quartz and carbonate veins. Dot and arrow indicate sampling location for
isotopic analyses (δ13C = -4.36 ‰, δ18O = +14.89 ‰).
B) UV light. Note that early calcite vein does not fluoresce, whereas the late veinlet exhibits a bright
fluorescence (original color: red).

The limestones of the El Profeta Formation present isotopic values typical for marine
carbonates (δ18O = +22.9 y +26‰, δ13C = -0.8 y +0.5‰). The values of δ18O of the majority of the
early as well as late calcites from El Peñon are isotopically somewhat lighter (between +14.1 and
+21.1 ‰) compared to the marine carbonates. However, the sample from the surface (DDH002)
and one sample of late calcite from the Veta Dorada vein (PX384-405) have a clearly distinct
isotopic composition of +2.96‰ and +4.97‰, respectively.
The δ13C compositions vary between -8.9 and +1.53‰, with the lowermost values associated
with early calcite (-8.9 to -3.1; n=3) or with those that also have low δ18O values (-3.1‰ for DDH-
002, and -4.3‰ for PX384-405). Some samples of early calcite have positive values of δ13C up to
1.53 ‰. There is no apparent correlation of isotopic compositions with distance from mineralized
veins or depth below surface.

INTERPRETATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

The fluorescence color of calcite is a function of trace elements in the crystalline structure.
Red and orange colors are probably related to high Mn contents (1-15 mole %; Chang et al., 1996;
Bissig et al., 2005), whereas the absence or weak fluorescence of some calcites at El Peñon may

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indicate high Fe contents or more than 15 mole % Mn. In conclusion: the late calcites have significant
Mn contents whereas the early calcite appears to be enriched in Fe (indicated by the presence of
Ankerite in some samples) as well as Mn. UV fluorescence at El Peñon may be used as a tool for
rapid calcite classification.
The isotopic data provide constraints on the syn- and post mineralization fluids. The lowest
δ18O values are associated with two samples of late calcite and are interpreted as evidence for
meteoric water dominated fluid from which these calcites precipitated. The fluid was probably of
steam-heated origin. The same samples are characterized by low δ13C values, which are consistent
with values expected for meteoric water, possibly with a component of organic carbon. The majority
of the calcites, however, have oxygen isotopic compositions which indicate that they precipitated
from a fluid isotopically heavier than meteoric water (see Simmons et al., 2000). This is interpreted
as evidence for extensive interaction of the mineralizing fluids with the wall rock. Limestones of the El
Profeta Formation may be present below the deposit and extensive interaction of the fluid with such
wall rocks could explain the observed isotopic compositions. The relatively low δ13C values in the
early calcites may also indicate incorporation of minor organic carbon into the fluid through wall rock
interaction.
Acknowledgements: Christian Cubelli (Meridiangold Ltda.) and Stabro Kasaneva are thanked for
the support and permission to access the El Peñon property and drill-cores. Greg Dipple y Janet
Gabites (PCIGR, Vancouver) are thanked for isotopic analyses. This study has been financed by the
Dirección General de Investigaciones y Postgrado (DGIP), Universidad Católica del Norte,
Antofagasta and is part of D. Donoso’s Memoria de Titulo.

REFERENCES
Bissig, T., Escalante, A., Dipple, G., Ebert, S., Jurado, J., Tosdal, R.M., 2005, Sources and exhausts in polymetallic
carbonate rock hosted ore deposits: Miocene magmatism and alteration in Central Perú: Unpublished
project report, Mineral Deposit Research Unit, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada, CD-
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Chang, L.L.Y., Howie, R.A., and Zussman, J., 1996, Rock-Forming minerals, Volume 5B: Nonsilicates: Sulfates,
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Cooke, D.R., Simmons, S.F., 2000, Characteristics and genesis of epithermal gold deposits: Reviews in Economic
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Simmons, S.F., Arehart, G., Simpson, M.P., Mauk, J.L., 2000, Origin of massive calcite veins in the golden cross
low-sulfidation Epithermal Au-Ag deposit, New Zealand: Economic Geology, v. 95, p. 99-112.
Warren, I., Zuluaga, J.I., Robbins, C.H., Wulftange, W.H., and Simmons, S.F., 2004, Geology and geochemistry of
epithermal Au-Ag mineralization in the El Peñón district, northern Chile, in Sillitoe, R.H., Perelló, J, Vidal,
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