Gold Systems in Argentina:

Diversity in Types, Times and Space

Ana Fogliata1
Steffen Hagemann2
1Lillo Research Institute and University of Tucumán

2Centrefor Exploration Targeting

University of Western Australia

Lillo/UT and CET

 Aims
1. Argentina-Tectonic setting
2. Overview Au deposit types/systems and
locations
3. Significant Gold District
• Veladero
• Farallon Negro Volcanic Complex
• Deseado Massif
4. Synthesis
5. Conclusions

Lillo/UT and CET

 Background Information
Geology of major gold camps and different gold systems is
largely based on literature work and www sites of mining and
exploration companies

Own experience based on research work at Farallón Negro

(epythermal low sulfidation Au) and more recently Culampajá
(intrusion-related Au?) and Incahuasi (orogenic Au)

Lack of geochronological and fluid chemistry data prohibits a

coherent classification of gold systems

Significant gold camps in Argentian are presently all of low-

sulfidation and porphyry types, BUT there are other gold
systems Lillo/UT and CET
 Argentina Tectonic
Evolution
Argentina consist of a
series of principal
Orogenic Systems

Andico
Patagónico
Gondwánico
Famatiniano
Pamperano
Grenvilliano
Tandiliano
(Modified from Ramos, 1999)
Lillo/UT and CET
 PAMPEANO CYCLE
(Neo-Proterozoic-Early Cambrian)

At the End of the Pampeano Cycle :

uplift of the Central Argentinian

Craton that now is called Sierras
Pampeanas and contains many of the
Argentina orogenic gold deposits

(Modified after Ramos, 1999) Lillo/UT and CET

 FAMATINIANO CYCLE
(Late Cambrian - Devonian)
This cycle includes two orogenies:
-Ocloyica orogeny:
mainly in North Argentina
development of significant
magmatism:
- Cambrian granitoids
- Ordovician-Devonian granitoids
- Carboniferous granitoids
Cycle finished at the end of Devonian
with Chánica orogeny
-Chanica orogeny:
Result of Chilenia terraine
collision with western border of
Gondwana
(Modified after Ramos, 1999)
Lillo/UT and CET
 GONDWÁNICO CYCLE
(Carboniferous-Triassic)
(Mpodozis y
Ramos, 1989)

- During the Carboniferous development of the subduction of unknown

terrane to the west of Argentina
- During the Late Permian-Triassic, after subduction, development of
a significant EXTENSIONAL EVENT
Lillo/UT and CET
 EXTENSIONAL EVENT
produced significant magmatism with
intercalation of granitoids and volcanic
rocks forming the regionally important
Choiyoi Group (Permian-Triassic)

The Choiyoi Grup hosts the epithermal

low sulfidation Au-Ag Casposo deposit
in the San Juan province

(Modified after Ramos, 1999)

Lillo/UT and CET
 PATAGONÍDICO CYCLE
(Jurassic-Cretaceous)

-In the west continued subduction caused

plateau type magmatism, for example:
Deseado Massif that contains significant
epithermal low sulfidation Au-Ag
mineralization, e.g., the Cerro
Vanguardia deposit

(Modified after Ramos, 1999)

Lillo/UT and CET
 ÁNDICO CYCLE
(Tertiary-Quaternary)

- Developed mainly in the Cordillera

de los Andes

- Magmatism is important in Early to

Medium Miocene, e.g., in the
Sierras Pampeanas
particulary in the Farallón
Negro Volcanic Complex

(Ramos et al., 1999)

 ÁNDICO CYCLE
(Tertiary-Quaternary)
-

Volcanism is related to the

subduction of the Nazca plate

(Jordan et al., 1983) Lillo/UT and CET

Gold Systems

Lillo/UT and CET

 Low and High Sulfidation
Au-Ag deposits

Low Sulfidation
1. Deseado Massif: 4 operating mines, >50
epithermal occurrences
2. Farallon Negro: 2 operating mines
High Sulfidation
3.Veladero-Pascua Lama: 1 operating mine, 1
under construction ( Pascua Lama 17.8 Mill oz Au)

Lillo/UT and CET

 Porphyry / Skarn
Cu-Au, Au-Cu deposits

1. Bajo de la Alumbrera (Catamarca):

402 Mt @ 0.54% Cu and 0.64 g/t Au
2. Agua Rica (Catamarca)
3. Lindero (Salta)
4. Taca Taca (Salta)
5. Josemaria (La Rioja)
6. Altar (Mendoza)
7. San Jorge (Mendoza)

Lillo/UT and CET

 Orogenic / Intrusion
related Au deposits

Ordovician turbidite vein lodes

1. Rinconada district (Jujuy province)
2. Incahuasi district (Catamarca
province)

Devonian shear zone hosted

mesozonal lodes
3. Cordoba district (Cordoba
province): hosted in schists,
granites, gneisses
4. Andacollo (Neuquen province): hosted
in tonalites and granodiorites
5. Culampaja (Catamarca province):
hosted in granitoids
Lillo/UT and CET
Significant Gold Districts in Argentina
1. Farallón Negro Volcanic
Complex in Sierras
Pampeanas (Epithermal low
sulfidation and Porphyry Cu-
Au - Catamarca Province)
2. El Indio-Pascua Belt in
Cordillera Frontal
(Veladero: Epithermal high
sulfidation- San Juan Province)
3. Deseado Massif (Epithermal
low sulfidation -Santa Cruz
Province) Lillo/UT and CET
Farallón Negro Volcanic Complex

1. Bajo de la Alumbrera
2. Farallon Negro
3. Alto de La Blenda

Lillo/UT and CET

 Farallón Negro Volcanic Complex – FNVC)
(Catamarca Province)

FNVC is located in the

northwest of the Sierras
Pampeanas, close to the
SW-NE trending
Tucumán fault zone
which marks the
boundary between Puna
and the
Sierras Pampeanas
Harris et al. (2004) Lillo/UT and CET
 Mineralization Styles in the FNVC

The FNVC contains two

Styles of Mineralization

1. Porphyry Cu-Au
(e.g., Bajo de la
Alumbrera)

2. Low-sulfidation
epithermal Au-Mn-Ag
(e.g., Alto de La Blenda,
Farallón Negro)
Modified after Harris et al. (2005) Lillo/UT and CET
 Geological Setting of Bajo de la Alumbrera
Volcanism began at about 12.5 Ma
regionally, in the Bajo de la
Alumbrera area at 8.5 Ma
(Harris et al., 2004)

This area is characterized by

high K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic
plagioclase-biotite (hornblende)-
phyric dacitic porphyries (Proffett,
1997) intruded into volcanic andesitic
complex, which developed in an
intermontane sedimentary basin
Ulrich et al. (2001) (Clark et al., 1976)

Lillo/UT and CET

Cross-section through the Bajo de la
Alumbrera Deposit

It contains 402 million metric

tons (Mt) at 0.54 percent copper
and 0.64 g/t gold (Proffett, 2003)
Cu ore grades (A) are located in
similar zones than the Au ore
grades (B)

Both Cu and Au correlate with

potassic alteration in P2 and Early
P3 porphyries

(Ulrich and Heinrich, 2001)

Lillo/UT and CET
Potassic Alteration Zone with Sulfide Veins

Lillo/UT and CET

Farallón Negro and Alto de la Blenda
Miocene low-sulfidation Au-Ag-Mn deposits
479.286 t (Alto de La
Blenda + Farallón Negro);
6.1 g/t Au, 112 g/t Ag
(SEGEMAR, 1999)

Case Study: Farallon Negro

Rama Norte Vein
3.5 to 4 g/t Au and 100 to 150 g/t Ag

Modified by Sister et al. 1965 and YMAD 2008 Lillo/UT and CET
 Host rock:
magnetite-rich monzonite

Hydrothermal Alteration:
main: argillic surrounding all veins

minor: (1) irregular distribution of

sericite, carbonate near
veins
(2) irregular distribution of
chlorite, epidote and
carbonate (prophylitic)
distal to veins

Martínez (2009) Lillo/UT and CET

 Ore minerals:
pyrolusite, psilomelane, hematite,
pyrite, chalcopyrite, Ag-sulfosalt,
and gold

Martínez (2009) Lillo/UT and CET

El Indio – Pascua Belt

1. Veladero (9.4 Moz Au)

2. Pascua Lama (26 Moz Au)

Lillo/UT and CET

 Cordillera Frontal
Basement (Precambrian):
- Gneisses
Marine Sediments (Carboniferous):
-Volcanic rocks of the Choiyoi Group
(Permian-Triassic): basalts,
andesites, dacites and rhyolites
Intrusive rocks (Neopaleozoic):
-gabbros, granodiorites and tonalites
Postectonic granitoides (Upper
Permian to Triassic)
Volcanic and sedimentary rocks
(Cenozoico)
Lillo/UT and CET
 Cenozoic Magmatic Arc
Location of the El Indio-
Pascua belt and major
Tertiary mineral districts in
the southern South America
Andes

Age of mineralization is shown in

million years in brackets

Heavy dashed lines: limit Cenozoic magmatic arcs

Stippled pattern: Sierras Pampeanas,
Diagonal pattern: location Puna in N-Argentina
Depth contour lines (25-km interval) to the
Wadati-Benioff zone
(Charchaflie et al. 2007) Lillo/UT and CET
 El Indio-Pascua belt
in Cordillera
Frontal
(30 Mill oz Au)
Miocene magmatic
rocks confined between
two reverse faults with
opposite dips, the Baños
del Toro fault in the
west and the Colangüil
fault in the east
Late Paleozoic granite
to Miocene rocks form
Charchaflie et al., 2007 the basement to the
gold deposits
Lillo/UT and CET
Veladero-Pascua Lama
Style of Mineralization:
high sulfidation gold –silver
epithermal

Veladero:
9.4 Moz
Pascua-Lama (Chile):
26 Moz

Veladero and Pascua-Lama. Landscape shot of the

Pascua-Lama district, taken from near Veladero

Lillo/UT and CET

 Veladero
deposit
Host rocks: Late Oligocene
and Middle Miocene
volcanic and volcaniclastic
rocks
Minor: Permian rhyolitic
pyroclastic rocks

Structure: Normal faults

underly the tabular Veladero
orebody, therefore
these faults control gold
hydrotermal fluids

(Charchaflie et al., 2007) Lillo/UT and CET

 Veladero deposit
Gold mineralization is centered on a highly siliceous (alunite) zone and
contains hematite, goethite, jarosite, Fe-sulphates, and very fine-grained,
disseminated pyrite ; alunite-pyrite-enargite ore formed from acidic,
H2S dominant magmatic fluid, and precipitated from about 200 to 350 C
Silica rich zone: 9km2 of the surrounding Tertiary diatreme, (30-75 vol.
% silica); Argillic zone: illite rich (30 -60 vol% 30-70 vol. silica)
Prophyllitic zone: chlorite, calcite, epidote and illite (2-20% vol. silica)

East-west cross section of the Veladero area, showing the distribution of

normal faults and paleogeomorphic surfaces. Lillo/UT and CET
 Deseado Massif

1. Cerro Vanguardia (6 Mill oz Au)

2. San Jose (152,00 oz Au, 1.9 Moz Ag)
3. Manantial Espejo (7,341,000 at 2.19 g/t
Au and 153 g/t Ag)
4. Martha (6,097 Moz Ag (reserve), 100,000
oz Au (resource)
Cerro Negro 2.5 Moz Au reserve, Cerro Moro
612,000 oz Au reserve)
Lillo/UT and CET
 Deseado Massif (Santa Cruz Province)
- Plateau Type Magmatism during extension
- Middle Jurassic (Fm Bajo Pobre): mainly andesites and basalts.
- Late Jurassic (Grupo Bahía Laura): mainly rhyolites Chon Aike Fm

Regional magmatic-tectonic model for the Deseado Massif during Jurassic.

The back arc setting was subjected to extensional tectonics (modified after
Etcheverría et al., 2005).
Lillo/UT and CET
 Timing and Structure
Time of mineralization:
Late Jurassic but post
volcanism

Host rocks unconformably

overlie Lower Cambrian
and Upper Silurian
metamorphic rocks, Early
Echahvarría et al. (2005)
Permian-Late Triassic
sedimentary sequence, and
Triassic-Lower Jurassic
Structure: host-and-graben setting in the granitoids
Paleozoic basin; Jurassic extension was
simultaneous with volcanism which was
centred on the down-dropped blocks
Lillo/UT and CET
Deseado
Massif

Lillo/UT and CET

 Deseado Massif
Style of
Mineralization:
Low sulfidation
epithermal
gold –silver

(a) Au-Ag and

Ag>Au
(b) polymetalic with
Ag-Au or only Ag
(c) Complex
polymetallic with
Ag-Au and
indium
Schalamuk et al. (1997) Lillo/UT and CET
 Mineralization
Mineralization: dominantly composed of multistage fracture filling,
locally stockworks and disseminated.
Veins consist of quartz and chalcedony, minor barite, calcite
Textures, crustiform-colloform and recrystallized

Ore minerals: native gold, electrum, native silver, argentite, minor

tetrahedrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, silver sulfosalts and gold
tellurides

Hydrothermal alteration: El Dorado-Monserrat area displays quartz-

adularia, sericitic and other propylitic alteration

Lillo/UT and CET

 Echahvarría et al. (2005)

Fluids: ore mineral precipitation

140 to 320 C from low salinity
aqueous fluids due to boiling

Schalamuk et al. (1997) Lillo/UT and CET

 Other Gold Systems

• Orogenic gold: Rinconada (Juyuy), Incahuasi (Catamarca)

• Intrusion-related gold: Culampajá (?) (Catamarca)

• Carlin-like: Gualcamayo (San Juan)

• Polymetallic gold: Los Menucos, Manantiales (Río Negro)

Lillo/UT and CET

 Orogenic / Intrusion
related Au deposits

Ordovician turbidite vein lodes

1. Rinconada district (Jujuy province)
2. Incahuasi district (Catamarca
province)

Devonian shear zone hosted

mesozonal lodes
3. Cordoba district (Cordoba province):
hosted in schists, granites, gneisses
4. Andacollo (Neuquen province): hosted
in tonalites and granodiorites
5. Culampaja (Catamarca province):
hosted in granitoids
Lillo/UT and CET
 Orogenic Gold
• Mesothermal gold
mineralization
• Devon 382-393; 351-378 Ma
• 20-30 Ma post emplacement of
high-level peraluminous to
metaluminous granites
• Host rocks: gneiss, granites,
Skirrow et al., 2000 mylonites, migmatites
• Gold located in transcurrent
and reverse faults and
higher order shear zones
• Locally vein/reef hosted
• Gold-pyrite
• Chl-ser carb py alteration
• 250 to 380 C, H2O-CO2, 9-13 eq
wt % NaCl
Lillo/UT and CET
 Orogenic Gold
Santa Victoria Sediments
Ordovician- Victorian Gold belt
analogue

Lillo/UT and CET

 Regional
geological map of
the Sierra
Rinconada area
Minas Azules anticline
with vein system

Rodriguez and Bierlein, 2002

Rodriguez and
Bierlein, 2002 Lillo/UT and CET
Carlin-like Au

1. Gualcamayo

Lillo/UT and CET

 Gualcamayo
Styles of Mineralization:
1. Sediment-hosted, distal disseminated gold (QDD)
2. Sulfide bearing skarn (Cu, Zn, Mo)
with late Au-As mineralization (AIM)
3. Porphyry (Mo)

QDD related to hydrothermal event that overprints skarn within fault-

dyke system (structural controlled)
Located in limestone and breccias of Ordovician and Cambrian
carbonate sequence
Structurally emplaced via fractures and matrix fillings
Gold (micro to invisible), arsenopyrite, realgar, orpiment, pyrite,
calcite
Lillo/UT and CET
 Carbonate
Sequence

Gualcamayo
Limestone
Realgar

Breccia

Lillo/UT and CET

 Synthesis -1
Low-sulfidation Au-Ag:
MIOCENE
1a. Miocene intrusions – Farallón Negro
1b. Transverse transfer faults - Flat-slap subduction zone
1c. Oxidized volatiles

JURRASSIC
2. Jurassic volcanism, basin architecture (Deseado Massif)

High sulfidation Au and Porphyry Au-Cu:

MIOCENE
1. Transverse transfer faults - Flat-slap subduction zone
2. Local oxidized magmas/fluids
Lillo/UT and CET
 Synthesis-2
Orogenic- Sedimentary hosted vein system:

1. Ordovician turbidite (basin framework-constructional

phase)

2. Devonian time period (compression phase-late orogeny,

distinct magmatism (South American orogenic gold
belt)

Carlin-like disseminated gold in carbonaceous rocks,

polymetalic gold associated with low sulfidation epithermal
mineralization
Lillo/UT and CET
 Conclusions-1
Important gold system: low sulfidation epithermal in the Miocene
are most abundant, BUT occur also in the Jurassic (Deseado Massif)

Two models for Miocene gold systems: Flat slab

subduction and oxidized fluid models

Jurrassic low sulfidation epithermal: Au is slightly post extensional

event and volcanism

High sulfiation deposits rare BUT Valadero one example and large!

Porphyry Au-Cu deposits rare BUT Baja de la Alumbrera

significant

Lillo/UT and CET

 Conclusions-2
Orogenic gold – Yilgarn-Abitibi belt style hosted in a 2000 km “gold
belt” at the eastern side of the Andes – not well known!!!
Two subtypes: Victorian-style sediment hosted and Yilgarn-
style structural controlled during the “Golden Devonian
Window”

Lillo/UT and CET