PIERINA AU-AG DEPOSIT, CORDILLERA NEGRA, NORTH-CENTRAL PERU

PIERINA AU-AG DEPOSIT, CORDILLERA NEGRA,

NORTH-CENTRAL PERU
David F. Volkert and Craig J.A. McEwan
MINERA ABX EXPLORACIONES S.A.

Enrique Garay M.
MINERA BARRICK MISQUICHILCA S.A.

INTRODUCTION

REGIONAL GEOLOGIC SETTING

The Pierina Au-Ag deposit (Fig.1) is in the Cordillera Negra of

north-central Per at latitude 926.5S, longitude 7735W. Pierina
is a high-sulfidation (acid-sulfate) epithermal deposit hosted by
pyroclastic volcanics of the Tertiary Calipuy Group. In December 1996,
proven and probable reserves at Pierina were 67.7 Mt grading 2.98
g/t Au and 22 g/t Ag, giving a total of 201,900 kg Au and 1,490
tonnes Ag (6.49 and 47.9 million oz, respectively).

The Cordillera Negra consists of a thick sequence of Jurassic to

Cretaceous marls, shales, limestones, and continental clastic rocks
unconformably overlain by andesites, dacites, and rhyodacites of
the late Eocene to lower Miocene Calipuy Group (52.5 14.6 Ma;
Wilson et al.1995). The Cordillera Blanca is the late Tertiary (16.0
2.7 Ma) granodiorite batholith that intruded late Cretaceous sediments
and is flanked by Miocene ignimbrites.

FIGURE 1
SIMPLIFIED REGIONAL GEOLOGY AROUND THE PIERINA AU-AG
DEPOSIT ((A
AFTER WILSON ET AL. 1995).

The main structural episodes in the region have been Early to

Mid-Tertiary compression, folding, and overthrusting of the Mesozoic
strata, followed by an extensional period associated with the extrusion
of the Calipuy volcanics, emplacement of the Cordillera Blanca batholit,
and formation of the Callejon de Huaylas graben (Rio Santa valley).
The Pliocene-Pleistocene orogenic uplift of the Andean zone was
the last structural episode. Main structural trends are NW (Rio Santa graben
and general accretionary structures associated with subduction processes),
and NE and EW secondary crossfaults.
The Cordillera Negra hosts structurally controlled, Pb, Zn, Cu,
Ag, and Au mineralization, mainly in the Calipuy volcanics. The principal producers in the Cordillera Negra were the Alianza (Pb-Zn-Ag)
and Santo Toribio (Pb-Zn-Ag) mines. A 70- km-long belt of
hydrothermal alteration is associated with the deposits and directly
correlates with the NW-trending Rio Santa graben and associated
bounding faults. Intersecting NE-and EW-trending structures, along
with circular features possibily related to eruptive centers, localize
mineralization in vein and replacement deposits.
Along the western flank of the Cordillera Blanca, Pb-Zn-Ag is
predominant and is largely controlled by the deepseated, NW-trending
contact between the granodiorite batholith and sedimentary rocks. The
contact is at least in part a mountain-front fault. Current Au production
from de Cordillera Blanca is related to the aforementioned high-angle
structural contact at the Nueva California mine. The Pierina Au deposit
is anomalous in the area in that it has a typical high-sulfidation
epithermal character, a deposit type wich was previously unrecognized
in the region.

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David F. Volkert - Craig J.A. McEwan - Enrique Garay M.

GEOLOGY OF THE PIERINA DEPOSIT

The Pierina deposit is in rhyodacitic pumice and lithic tuffs that are
underlain by andesitic lavas. Smaller and more restricted bodies of
crystal tuff occur locally at the base of the pumice tuff, and a quartzfeldspar porphyry intrusion occurs on the south flank of the deposit.
The chaotic nature of the rocks on the south flank of the ore deposit
suggests the presence of a dome complex or vent area. All rocks types
within the ore deposit, except the basal andesite, are present in this
southern dome/vent area. The quartz-feldspar porphyry is tought to be
either contemporaneus with the later stages of mineralization or postmineral.
The pumice and lithic tuff units were deposited in a NNW-oriented,
restricted graben or structural trough that was formed within the older,
basal andesite. At the time of deposition of the pyroclastic rocks, the
andesite formed high walls on the north, west, and east sides of the
trough. The southern part of the trough contained the dome or vent
from wich the pyroclastics were erupted.
Dominant structures in the deposit trend NNW, WNW, and NE. Crosssections of the ore deposit (Fig. 2) suggest that pre-mineral faults displaced
and tilted the basal andesite. Post-mineral faults apparently down-dropped
the ore deposit to the east into the Rio Santa graben. The drop occurred
along NNW and NE trending structures, some of wich may be reactivated
pre-mineral faults.

ALTERA
TI
ON AND MINERALIZA
TI
ON
TERATI
TION
INERALIZATI
TION
Alteration and mineralization at the Pierina deposit are typical
of volcanic-hosted high-sulfidation systems. There is a strong

FIGURE 2
CROSS-SECTION OF PIERINA GEOLOGY.

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lithologic control on the development of the alteration and

mineralization. Residual vuggy silica containing alunite is the host
for most of the ore. Surrounding the vuggy silica alteration is a
zone of alunite with minor pyrophyllite and dickite. This alteration
also host ore, but generally of lower grade than in the vuggy silica.
The alunite zone is succeeded outward by clay alteration (kaolinitc
to illitic).
The vuggy silica and strong alunite alteration are best developed in
the pumice tuff unit. Pervasive quartz-alunite alteration occurs in the
overlying lithic tuff unit, wich is also cut by vuggy-silica-altered structures.
The basal andesite is characterized by pervasive clay-pyrite alteration,
with Au mineralization confined to veinlets. Propylitic alteration is almost
absent, and introduced silica in the form of pervasive silification is rare.
Steam-heated alteration occurs in the upper parts of the system, but
no Au accompanies this stage.
Gold mineralization at Pierina is disseminated in the vuggy-silicaaltered rhyodacitic pumice tuff. More than 95% of the mineralization
defined at Pierina is oxidized. The Au is present as micrometer grains
of native gold associated with Fe oxides, quartz, and pyrite. In parts of
the orebody, kernels of pyrite-enargite-covellite-native sulfur are
present. These sulfide-rich kernels are remnants of the earliest stage
of mineralization in the deposit. Grades of Au and Ag at Pierina are
zoned, with the highest grades (> 8 g/t Au and up to 300 g/t Ag)
localized on the north end of the deposit.
A sulfide feeder zone has been intersected in core holes in the
south-central area of the deposit. Within the feeder zone, mineralization
is mainly associated with veins and fractures. Gold occurs with pyrite,
enargite, and sphalerite. The lithology in the deepest explored part

PIERINA AU-AG DEPOSIT, CORDILLERA NEGRA, NORTH-CENTRAL PERU

FIGURE 3
CROSS-SECTION OF THE PIERINA DEPOSIT, SHOWING
ALTERATION AND MINERALIZATION.

of the system is pumice tuff, suggesting that the feeder zone to

the mineralization may also have been a source of pyroclastic volcanics,
and that the andesite basament was down-faulted prior to mineralization.
Outcropping ore on the north end the deposit covers an area of
200 x 300 m. The total, vertically-projected area of currently defined
mineralization is 300 x 900 m, oriented NNW. Mineralization is
interpreted to have formed in the following sequence: (1) Formation
of pervasive quartz-alunite alteration in the pumice, lithic and local
crystal tuffs, with subsequent, probably penecontamporaneous, acidleaching of the pumice tuff to form the characteristic vuggy silica
rock. No Au mineralization accompanied this stage. An age of 14.5
Ma has been obtained from hypogene alunite at Pierina. (2) Pervasive
pyrite-enargite-covellite-native sulfur, with minor Au mineralization

(0.5-1.0 g/t) in the leached, pumice tuff. (3) Formation of quartzpyrite-Au veinlets, with Au possibly grading 1-2 g/t. (4) Hypogene
oxidation that formed specular hematite after pyrite, and covellite
rims around relict localized zones of Stage 2 pervasive sulfide
mineralization. The bulk of the Au, with grades to 90.0 g/t Au, was
introduced in this stage. (5) Formation of barite-Au veinlets and
breccias, with Au grades of up to 1.5 g/t.

REFERENCE
WILSON, J.REYES, L & GARAYAR, J. (1995) Geologa de los Cuadrngulos
de Pallasca, Tayabamba, Corongo, Pomabamba, Carhuaz y Huari.
Instituto Geolgico Minero y Metalrgico (Lima, Per), Bull. 60,
64 p.

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David F. Volkert - Craig J.A. McEwan - Enrique Garay M.

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