Porphyry Copper Deposits

Porphyry copper deposits provide more than 50% of the worlds copper from over 100
producing mines. Their close relatives the porphyry moly deposits produce 70% of the
world's moly. Both deposit types will be discussed separately, but they share many
characteristics and are formed in somewhat similar manners.
Distribution

The Figure shows that most porphyry copper deposits are of Mesozoic to Cenozoic age
and occur in association with volcanic mountain chains at or near destructive plate
margins. The exceptions are a few Paleozoic deposits in the U.S.S.R and the United
States which may themselves be related to Paleozoic plate margins.
The largest concentration of porphyry copper deposits in the world is in the southwestern
U.S. To date 88 deposits have been identified with most having formed 58-72 MY ago.
Form
Typical porphyry copper deposits are cylindrical, stock-like composite masses having
elongate outcrops 1.5 x 2 km in diameter with an outer shell of medium to coarse grained
equigranular rock and a core of similar composition that is porphyritic.
Petrology of the Host Rocks

The most common ore hosts are felsic plutonic rocks ranging in composition from quartz
monzonite to granodiorite. However, a second clustering of deposits occurs in rocks of
dioritic to syenitic composition.
Hydrothermal Alteration
Lowell and Guilbert were the first to document alteration associated with porphyry
copper deposits. They suggested that four alteration halos were often present roughly
centered on the porphyry stock:

Potassic Zone - Always present. Characterized by secondary K-spar, biotite

and/or chlorite replacing primary K-spar, plagioclase and mafics. Minor sericite
may be present.
Phyllic Zone - Not always present. Characterized by vein quartz, sericite and
pyrite and minor chlorite, illite and rutile replacing K-spar and biotite.
Argillic Zone - Not always present. Characterized by the clay minerals kaolinite
and montmorillonite with minor disseminated pyrite. Plagioclase is strongly
altered, K-spar unaffected and biotite chloritized.
Propylitic Zone - Always present. Characterized by chlorite, calcite and minor
epidote. Mafic minerals highly altered and plagioclase less so.
At depth all zones thought to merge into a single quartz-K-spar-sericite-chlorite
assemblage.

Hypogene Mineralization
Ore is found in three settings:
1. totally within the host stock;
2. partially in the stock and partially within the country rocks;
3. within the country rocks only.
The ore body itself is a usually a steep walled cylinder, but tabular to flat conical deposits
are known. The ore occurs as disseminations or stockwork veins with typical grades of
0.4-1% Cu with lesser Mo and gold. Mineralization is strongly zoned. The zones have
been characterized as follows:

Inner Zone - Coincident with the potassic alteration zone. Generally, several
hundred meters in diameter. Relatively low sulfide content, but moly higher than

anywhere else in the deposit. Pyrite 2-5% and py/cp ratio about 3:1.
Mineralization is disseminated rather than stockwork.
Ore Zone - Lies roughly at the potassic-phyllic boundary. Pyrite 5-10% and py/cp
ratio about 2.5:1. Main ore mineral chalcopyrite occurring as stockwork veinlets.
Other ore minerals include bornite, enargite and chalcocite.
Pyrite Zone - Includes much of the phyllic and argillic (if present) zones. Pyrite
quite high (10-15%) and py/cp ratio about 15:1. Mineralization both as veins and
disseminations. Many additional exotic sulfide phases begin to show up.
Outer Zone - Coincides with the propylitic zone. Pyrite minor, and copper
mineralization rare. Sphalerite and galena common, but usually sub-ore grade.
Mineralization approaches true veins.

Breccia Zones - Often major ore carriers in the porphyry system. Have very high grades
(2-5% Cu) and can occur both in the porphyry or the country rock. May be formed by
hydrothermal activity, gravitational collapse or later explosive volcanism.

On a regional scale porphyry copper, moly and tin deposits are distinctly zoned (Figure).
The zoning appears to be related to existing or ancient subduction zones with copper
deposits nearest the trench while moly and tin deposits lie successively inboard of the
trench.

Vertical Extent of Porphyry Bodies

It has been suggested that porphyry deposits are associated with small, high level stocks
and subaerial calc-alkaline volcanism. Thus, the pluton itself is overlain by a
stratovolcano. Propylitic alteration extends upward into the volcano. Others alteration

zones close on themselves and die out in the subsurface. In general, this model attempts
to show that the porphyry copper deposit is part of a larger system that includes higher
level epithermal precious metal deposits.

Diorite Model
Recent studies have shown that there are two distinctly different types of
porphyry systems. On type termed the "Lowell and Guilbert type" is characteristic
of the American southwest where the deposits are hosted by quartz monzonites
to granodiorites. The second type is characteristic of the Andes and Pacific
Islands. The host in this case is usually diorite or more rarely syenite. The Table
summarizes the features of both types. In general, diorite systems have:
1. lower sulfur fugacities as evidenced by the presence of magnetite;
2. alteration is restricted to potassic and propylitic;
3. gold is an important constituent while moly is rare to absent.

Comparison of the Lowell-Guilbert and Diorite Types of Porphyry Copper Deposits

FEATURE
Host Pluton

LOWELL-GUILBERT

DIORITE

Quartz Monzonite to
Granodiorite (S)

Qtz. Diorite to Diorite (I)

Potassic
Phyllic
Argillic
Propylitic

Potassic
Propylitic

Quartz in fractures Common

Common

Erratic

Orthoclase in fractures

Common

Erratic

Magnetite

Minor

Common

Pyrite in fractures

Common

Less Common

Molybdenite

Common

Rare

Chalcopyrite/bornite

>3:1

<3:1

Gold

Rare

Important

Breccia

May Occur

Rare

Stockwork

Important

Important

Alteration

Mineralization

Structure

The significance of these differences have only recently been understood; the
explanation coming from Japanese petrologists working on island arc intrusives
and not porphyry copper deposits. They recognized two separate and
petrographically distinct types of granites. The Table characterizes "S" and "I"
type granites. The former is the product of crustal anatexis while the latter
represents the final stage differentiation product of a partial melt generated
during plate subduction.

Characteristics of S & I Type Granites

FEATURE

S TYPE

I TYPE

Gabbro:diorite: granite

2:18:80

15:50:35

Na2O (felsic)

<3.2%

>3.2%

>1:1

<1:1

ilmenite

magnetite

Sr/86Sr

>.706

.704-.706

Normative

corundum

diopside

Sn, W

Au

Crustal anatexis of sediments

Partial melt of mantle

Al2O3/Alkalis+CaO
Iron oxide
87

Assoc. metals
Genesis

A comparison of the features of S and I type granites with those of Lowell and
Guilbert and Diorite porphyry deposits reveals the similarities. Thus, it has been
concluded that diorite deposits form in settings where partial melts are generated
from subduction of oceanic lithosphere. In contrast, Lowell and Guilbert deposits
represent partial melts of continental crust often far back from the plate boundary.
Genesis

The most striking feature of a typical porphyry system is the size. The
hydrothermal solutions permeate not only the parent intrusive, but also the
country rock. It is thought that the host intrusives are emplaced at shallow depth
0.5-2 km). As crystallization of the intrusive begins the vapor pressure of the
magma chamber rises as does the streaming of incompatible elements into the
vapor phase. When the vapor pressure exceeds the confining pressure of the
overlying rocks retrograde boiling ensues (Figure). A rapidly boiling liquid
separates from the silicate melt eventually overcoming the tensile strength of the
rock. This causes the extensive stockwork brecciation. (Example: water at 2 Kb
pressure and 5000C would increase in volume by at least 10% due to boiling)
Further, boiling is an endothermic reaction requiring heat that is taken up from
the magma as the escaping vapor expands, thus rapidly lowering the
temperature of the magma chamber and producing the central porphyritic
textured intrusive body.

Additional evidence from Fluid Inclusions

Studies of oxygen isotopes indicate that biotites from the potassic zone have
values equivalent to those of magmatic waters. However, sericite of the phyllic
zone is depleted in 18O suggesting a meteoric water component. The same is
true for argillic alteration. A model has been proposed (Figure) that explains
these observations.

1. Intrusion rises in the crust and begins crystallizing.

2. Convecting magmatic hydrothermal solutions produce potassic alteration
within and immediately adjacent to the intrusive.
3. Meteoric waters circulate convectively in the surrounding country rock to
produce the propylitic alteration. The convection is driven by the heat from
the intrusive.
4. With cooling of the intrusive the meteoric system encroaches on the
magmatic system developing the phyllic-argillic alteration zones.

This leaves some interesting speculation. Why do the diorite deposits have only
potassic-propylitic alteration? The above model suggests that for some reason
the magmatic-meteoric water systems never encroached on one another. But
why?

Bingham Canyon, Utah

Location
Lies about 30 km southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah at an altitude of 2000 meters.
From a historic perspective one of the most famous mines in the United States.
Regional Geology
Bingham is situated in the Basin and Range tectonic province. The Oquirrah
Mountains form a horst block of folded Paleozoic rocks bounded by north
trending faults. The principal country rocks are Pennsylvanian quartzites and
limestones folded and intruded during the Mesozoic. The ore body itself occurs in
one of a series of smaller horsts bounded by the northwest trending Bear and
Occidental Faults which uplift the northeast trending Copperton Anticline.

Mineralization is in or adjacent to the Bingham stock, a porphyritic granodiorite.

The slightly younger (?) Last Chance stock to the south is barren. Both have
been age dated at Eocene.
There are three types of mineralization in the Oquirrah Mountains
1. alluvial gold
2. Ag-rich galena and sphalerite veins in limestones
3. porphyry copper mineralization
Geology of the Bingham Canyon Porphyry Copper Deposit
The deposit occurs in a triangular zone of disseminated and veinlet copper
sulfide mineralization 1.5 x 2.5 km in plan and at least 500 meters in thickness.
The majority of the ore is in the granodiorite, but substantial reserves are present
in the metamorphosed Paleozoics.
The original host intrusive was a granodiorite, but subsequent hydrothermal
alteration has resulted in a rock more closely approximating a granite. The stock
has a well defined potassic alteration zone characterized by secondary biotite,
poorly defined phyllic alteration and a spotty and irregular propylitic alteration
zone. Argillic alteration is absent. Extensive brecciation of both the intrusive and
country rock is common.
The primary mineralization averages 1-4% of the rock. The core of the intrusive
is moly rich with pyrite abundant only in the phyllic zone. Chalcopyrite and minor
bornite are the only primary copper sulfides recovered. Peripheral skarn deposits
consisting of enargite, galena, sphalerite and tetrahedrite are important in the
surrounding metasediments.
Typical of most American deposits, early mining was from a supergene
enrichment zone of chalcocite, malachite and native copper lying beneath a
barren limonite cap 10-100 meters thick. Much of this supergene ore has been
mined out.
Genesis
No specific genetic model has been proposed for the Bingham Canyon deposit.
Rather it's genesis is thought to be similar to that of all the southwestern porphyry
copper deposits.