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Tanama Deposit

Occurrence in Puerto Rico, United States with commodities Copper, Gold
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10085423
MRDS ID W701014
Record type Site
Current site name Tanama Deposit
Related records 10157591

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -66.79086, 18.25899 (WGS84)
Relative position ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIO TANAMA NEAR THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE BAYANEY QUADRANGLE, IN THE MUNICIPIO DE UTUADO, 3.2 KM SOUTH OF THE TOWN OF ANGELES.
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Puerto Rico

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Pyrite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Three Alteration Zones Are Present:(1)An Inner, Amphibole-Dominated Assemblage Containing Abundant Magnetite And Of Low Copper Grade;(2)An Outer, Chlorite-Dominated Assemblage, Locally Containing Traces Of Hydrothermal Biotite And Potassium Feldspar And Abundant Chalcopyrite Replacing Magnetite; And (3)An Upper, Sericite-Clay-Calcite-Pyrite Zone

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 78
USGS model code 20c
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu-Au
Mark3 model number 34

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Tonalite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Permian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Permian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Tonalite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -66.79086, 18.25899
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Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description The Mineralized Pluton Is In An Elongate Cluster Of Stocks Aligned Perpendicular To The Regional Grain Of The Island.

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Chalcopyrite Is More Commonly Disseminated Than Veinlet Controlled

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE STOCK INTRUDES BASALTIC ROCKS OF CRETACEOUS AGE AND FELSIC VOLCANIC ROCKS OF EARLY EOCENE AGE.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1958
Discoverer Kennecott Copper Corp.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1970
    Total resources 126,000,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.64 wt-pct Copper Major 1970
    Gold Au 0.4 g/mt Gold Major 1970

Comments on development

  • FIRST DRILLED IN LATE 1960. BY 1965, 155 HOLES, AGGREGATING 44,000 M, HAD BEEN DRILLED, AND THE TONNAGE HAD BEEN DETERMINED.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS W701014

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    COX, DENNIS P., AND BRIGGS, REGINALD P., 1973, METALLOGENIC MAP OF PUERTO RICO: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, MISCELLANEOUS GEOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS MAP I-721, ACCOMPANIED BY EXPLANATORY PAMPHLET, 6 P.

  • Deposit

    NELSON, A. E., AND TOBISCH, O. T., 1968, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE BAYANEY QUADRANGLE, PUERTO RICO: U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MISC. GEOL. INV. MAP I-525.

  • Deposit

    COX, DENNIS P., 1985, GEOLOGY OF THE TANAMA AND HELECHO PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSITS AND VICINITY, PUERTO RICO: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER 1327, 59 P.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE DEPOSIT CONSISTS OF TWO ORE BODIES, SEPARATED BY ABOUT 100 M OF WEAKLY MINERALIZED ROCKS. THE DEPOSIT CONTAINS ABUNDANT QUARTZ VEINS AND DISSEMINATED CHALCOPYRITE AND HAS A SECONDARY-ENRICHMENT BLANKET CONTAINING VARIOUS COPPER SULFIDE MINERALS.
Deposit [PREVIOUS UPDATERS: BAWIEC, WALTER J., 90 08, USGS; SCHELLEKENS, J.H., 91 07, UPR.]

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1990 Paidakovich, Matthew E. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-AUG-1991 Paidakovich, Matthew E. U.S. Geological Survey