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Choquelimpie
Chile
Main commodities: Au Ag


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Choquelimpie is a small, epithermal gold-silver deposit located some 115 km due east of Arica in northern Chile near the Chile-Peru-Bolivia border junction.

The deposit is hosted in a late Miocene (6.60±0.20 Ma) subalkalic stratovolcano located at the intersection of a major 060° trending lineament with a 035° fault active from the late Miocene to the Recent.   The volcano consists of dacitic and andesitic volcanic flows and breccias and is intruded by dacite domes.   Erosion has exposed a hydrothermal alteration zone in the core of the volcano, centred on an andesitic feldspar porphyry.

Historic production has come from narrow argentiferous veins, while modern mining has exploitated hydrothermal breccia bodies emplaced in a 060° trending zone some 2 km in length.   The outer alteration halo is propylitic, grading inwards to sericite-pyrite, which in turn is overprinted by silicification with associated base metals, pyrite, kaolinite and barite as the breccia is approached.   The breccias and some adjacent rocks carry native gold, silver, electum and argentite, are cut by late stage base metals veins and have been upgraded by oxidation.

Historical production totalled 1.5 tonnes of gold and 200 tonnes of silver.
Reserves in 1990 were 6.7 Mt @ 2.23 g/t Au, 87 g/t Ag, with a mineral resource of 11 Mt at similar grades.

For detail see the reference(s) listed below.

The most recent source geological information used to prepare this decription was dated: 1990.    
This description is a summary from published sources, the chief of which are listed below.
© Copyright Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd.   Unauthorised copying, reproduction, storage or dissemination prohibited.


  References & Additional Information
   Selected References:
Gropper H, Calvo M, Crespo H, Bisso C R, Cuadra W A, Dunkerley P M, Aguirre E  1991 - The epithermal Gold-Silver deposit of Choquelimpie, northern Chile: in    Econ. Geol.   v86 pp 1206-1221
Sillitoe, R.H.,  1991 - Gold metallogeny of Chile - an introduction: in      Econ. Geol.   v.86, pp. 1187-1205.


Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd (PorterGeo) provides access to this database at no charge.   It is largely based on scientific papers and reports in the public domain, and was current when the sources consulted were published.   While PorterGeo endeavour to ensure the information was accurate at the time of compilation and subsequent updating, PorterGeo, its employees and servants:   i). do not warrant, or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, currency, or otherwise; and   ii). expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or conclusions contained herein.

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