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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 1992; v. 63; p. 277-288;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.1992.063.01.26
© 1992 Geological Society of London

Ore reserve estimation in Los Pelambres, A Chilean porphyry copper

A. Faunes1, J. Forkes2 & J. O’Leary3

Cia Minera Los Pelambres, Ltda, Avda. L. Bernardo O’Higgins, 1146-B 5, Pisa, Santiago, Chile
2 RTZ Consultants Ltd, PO Box 50, Castlemead, Lower Castle Street, Bristol BS99 7YR, UK
3 Montagu Mining Finance Ltd, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6AE, UK

Los Pelambres is a world-class Chilean porphyry copper orebody located in the Andes Range adjacent to the border with Argentina at an elevation of 3100 m. It is characterized by a stock-size Tertiary granodiorite complex intruding a lower Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary sequence. Several multi-episodic stages of hypogene alteration and mineralization related to late porphyries and hydrothermal breccias occur, as well as secondary enrichment, generating a well defined orebody with bornite-chalcopyrite-chalcocite as the main copper minerals with minor molybdenite. Additionally, some gold and silver values are present. Grade zoning and kriging methods have been used to evaluate the richest east portion of Los Pelambres.