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La Granja
Peru
Main commodities: Cu Mo
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TheLa GranjaporphyrycopperdepositislocatedwithintheWesternCordilleraofthePeruvianAndes Clickonimagefordetails.
inNorthwesternPeru,30kmsouth-eastoftheCaariacodeposit,~120kmNWofCajamarca,~700km
north-westofthecapital,Lima,andaround100kmtothenorth-eastofthePacificcoastportofChiclayo
(#Location:621'43"S,797'29"W).

TheLaGranjaporphyrycopperdepositislocatedtowardsthecentreoftheCajamarcaMineralBeltin
theWesternCordilleraofthenorthernPeruvianAndes,agenerallyNNW-SSEtoNW-SEtrendingbeltof
OligocenetoMioceneporphyrycopperdepositsthatextendsfor350kmfromCajamarcainthesouthto
the Ecuadorian border and includes two geochemically distinct groups of deposits along this trend
namely:i). porphyry Cu-Mo depositswhichincludeLa Granja, Michiquillay, El Galeno, Caariacoand
Rio Blanco; and ii). porphyry Cu-Au deposits which include Cerro Corona, Minas Conga and La
Carpa. These systems are mostly associated with dacite to monzonite to diorite intrusions, which
intrudebasementrocksofUpperJurassictoLowerCretaceousquartzites,limestonesandmudstonesof
theGoyllarisquizgaFormationandEarlyTertiarysequencesofandesitictodaciticlavasandtuffsofthe
LlamaandPorcullaFormationswhichtogethercomprisetheLowerCalipuyGroup.

FordetailofthebroadregionalsettingandgeologyofthePeruvianAndes,andthelocationofLaGranja
withinthisframework,seetheseparatePeruvian Andesrecord.

Basement in the region comprises Precambrian to Early Palaeozoic pelitic schists of the Olmos
Complex which includes Precambrian metamorphic rocks, overlain by Ordovician shales and
sandstones. These are unconformably overlain by Permian conglomerates, sandstones and volcanic
flows and tuffs, which are in turn overlain by Late Triassic to Early Jurassic marine sedimentary
intercalatedwithminorvolcanicunitsoftheLaLecheFormation.ThesearesucceededbytheEarlyto
Late Jurassic volcano-sedimentary sequence of the Oyotn Formation. The Mesozoic rocks were
depositedinensialic,extensional,marginalbasinsrelatedtoinferredeastwardsubduction,whichextend
the length of the Andes. During the Latest Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, the region was uplifted and
eroded by the mid-Cretaceous Mochica tectonic phase. By the late Early Cretaceous, subsidence
resulted in an eastern sub-basin bounded to the east by the basement Maraon Arch, and the
deposition of 2 to 3 km of Cretaceous strata. The oldest of these sedimentary sequences are thick
regionally extensive deltaic sandstones with shales and coal, and a thin marine limestone which
collectively form the up to 700 m thick, Early Cretaceous Goyllarisquisga Group that unconformably
overliestheolderrocks.FromthecloseoftheEarlyCretaceoustothemiddleoftheLateCretaceous,a
marinetransgressivesequenceofupto1500mofmarls,shalesandlimestoneweredepositedacross
the region, correlated with the Albian Inca-Chulec-Pariatambo Formation package. Sedimentation
ceased abruptly at the beginning of the Early Tertiary when the basin was deformed by the Late
PaleoceneIncaicI(59to55Ma)andMiddleEoceneIncaicIIphases(43to42Ma),whichresultedin
the formation of a foreland thrust and fold belt with SW-dipping, NE-verging thrust sheets, and the
development of open, upright folds. Some thrusts were reactivated and folded during the Quechua 1
orogenicpulse(17Ma).Theseperiodsofactivitywereaccompaniedbytheeruptionanddepositionof
andesiticandrhyoliticvolcanicunitsoftheEoceneandMioceneLlamaandPorcullaFormations,which
togethercomprisetheCalipuyGroup.Apartlyporphyriticdioriteprobablywasrelatedtothisvolcanism.
Thisepisodewasfollowedbyupliftanderosionandthenbyrenewedmagmatismandvolcanicactivitywiththeeruptionofthe12to10Ma
YanacochavolcaniccomplexandtheMiddletoLateMioceneHuambosFormationwhichcappedthestratigraphicsequenceintheregion.

La Granja is a porphyry copper deposit with associated mineralised breccias and skarns. The main intrusives are dacitic feldspar-quartz
porphyrystocks,whichaccordingtotheUSGSMRdatadatabase(viewed2016),wereemplacedbetween14and10Ma,andcomprisetwo
adjacentclustersofintrusions,theCPBandtheMiradorporphyry(RioTinto,2013).Thesestocks,withthebreccias,formirregulardiatremes
in the country rocks. The dacite emplacement metamorphosed limestones to skarns and formed the breccias, whilst the associated
hydrothermalfluidscreatedthehypogenemineralisationandalterationassemblages.

AccordingtoSchwartz(1982),thecompositestockcomplexhasanexposedareaof2x2.5kmandishighlyaltered.Whereleastaltered,
thehostdaciticfeldspar-quartzporphyryappearstobecomposedof5to15%quartzphenocrysts,accompaniedbyrelicttexturesof20to
30%feldsparphenocrystsina50to200mmatrixofphyllosilicatesandquartzinnearlyequalproportions.Inthenorthwesterntowestern
sectionofthestock,thisporphyrygradesintoamarginal,lessalteredbiotite-granodioriteporphyrywith1to10mmphenocrystsof15to30%
plagioclase,3to25%biotite,10to20%quartzand3to15%Kfeldsparinausually<100msiliceousmatrix.Towardsthesoutheasternand
southernsidesitmergesinsteadintoahornblende-granodioriteporphyrywhichhas1to6mmphenocrystsof15to30%plagioclase,15to
25%quartzand5to20%hornblendeina100to300mmatrixofquartzandpotashfeldsparwithsubordinateplagioclaseandhornblende.
The porphyry mass intrudes a 25 to 60 east dipping sequence composed of Cretaceous, rhyolite, andesite, sandstone/quartzite and
limestone(Schwartz,1982).

Almostallofthecompositefeldspar-quartzporphyrystockhasbeenintenselyalteredbyphyllic-argillicandadvancedargillicassemblages
over an area of around 7km2, affecting parts of the granodiorite porphyry, country rock andesites, rhyolites and sandstones. This area is
surroundedbyahaloofpropyliticalteration,silicifiedquartziteandskarn(Schwartz,1982).

The phyllic-argillic zone comprises pervasive replacement, disseminations and veinlets of quartz-sericite and clay minerals, and from 1 to
10% pyrite, with local chlorite and rare tourmaline, with the original silicates being almost entirely replaced and the original textures
obliterated(Schwartz,1982).

Theoverprintingadvanced-argillicalteration,whichislargelyrestrictedtothefeldspar-quartzporphyry,resultedfromthethoroughleaching
of alkali and alkaline-earth metals and has developed an assemblage of aluminium silicates, quartz and diaspore, with the complete
obliterationoftheoriginalrocktextures.Thefinalassemblageincludesandalusite-quartz,andalusite-pyrophyllite-quartz,andalusite-sericite-
quartz, diaspore-pyrophyllite-quartz and sericite-pyrophyllite-quartz. The development of these assemblages has released silica, with the
areas of high andalusite and diaspore having the most quartz. Theareasofthebestdevelopedadvanced-argillicalterationalsohavethe
 greatestpyrite,withfrom2to12%(Schwartz,1982).

Thepropyliticalterationhaloisbestdevelopedintheandesitic,granodioriticanddioriticcountryrocks.Itisweak,withanassemblagethat
includes chlorite, epidote, clinozoisite, calcite, anhydrite and clay minerals, and has not masked the original textures. The surrounding
countryrockshavebeenalteredtovaryingdegrees,withthepurequartziteshavingbeenmetasomatisedinplaceswiththeadditionofpyrite,
the silty sandstones have been modified by sericite-clay and the limestones converted to calc-silicate rocks with garnet, actinolite,
wollastonite,epidoteandclinozoisite(Schwartz,1982).

Hypogene mineralisation is dominated by chalcopyrite, with subordinate bornite, occurring mainly as disseminations, with lesser fracture
fillingsandveinlets.Theassociatedpyritevariesfrom1to12%asdisseminations,andinareasofhigherconcentrations,asfracturefilling
and veinlets. The chalcopyrite content varies inversely to pyrite. Molybdenite, which is commonly found as fracture coatings, is rarely in
contactwithothersulphides,andisindependentofpyrite.Ingeneral,hypogenegradesvaryfrom0.3to0.8%Cuinthesercite-clayzone,
althoughintheadvancedargilliczoneitmaybeaslowas0.05%Cu.Locally,veinsofmassiveenargiteandtennantitearefound.Rutileisa
commonmineral,whilemagnetiteoccursasdisseminationsandinveinsontheperipheryofthedeposit(Schwartz,1982).

Theentirecentralportionofthedepositispredominantlyoccupiedbyadvanced-argillicalteration,withlessersericite-clay,andcorresponds
toaleachedcapthatvariesinthicknessfromafewmetresinerodedvalleystoasmuchas200mbelowoldpreservederosionsurfaces.
Sulphides have been almost entirely oxidised to limonites, with only very rare copper oxides remaining. Copper has been depleted to
between 3 and 10% of the hypogene grade, and Mo to half. Iron has been enriched in some parts of the leached capping, whereas gold
remainedstable.ThecoincidenceoflowFe,highMoandhighAucontentswithahighCu/Feratiointhecappingindicatestheapproximate
centreoftheunderlyingorebody.Also,highK,Rb,MgandlowSrindicatehigh-gradecopperore.Despitetheintenseweatheringthathas
producedthethickleachedcapping,thedistributionofMg,Ca,Na,K,RbandSrcanstillbecorrelatedwithdifferentphasesofhydrothermal
alteration(Schwartz,1981).Leachingisonlyweaktoabsentinthepropyliticzone(Schwartz,1982).

The underlying 25 to 250 m thick supergene sulphide enrichment blanket is separated by a thin transition zone which is commonly <2 m
thick. The supergene enrichment corresponds to sericite-clay alteration, and is thickest between the base and crest of the main hill. The
supergenesulphideassemblageisdominatedbychalcociteandcovellitewhichreplacechalcopyriteandbornite.Thesupergeneorecarries
from0.5to2.0%Cuinthesericite-clayzone(Schwartz,1982).

InfoMine(2008)quotetheresourcesatLaGranjaat3.5Gt@0.55%Cu.

JORCcompliantorereservesandmineralresourcesatLaGranjaat31December,2015(RioTintoAnnualReport,2016)were:
Proven+probableorereserves-Nil.
Indicatedresource-130Mt@0.85%Cu.
Inferredmineralresource-4.19Gt@0.50%Cu.
TOTALmeasured+indicated+inferredmineralresources-4.32Gt@0.51%Cu.

The most recent source geological information used to prepare this summary was dated: 2008.
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&AdditionalInformation
References to this deposit in the PGC Literature Collection:
Schwartz M O,1982-TheporphyrycopperdepositatLaGranja,Peru:in Econ. Geol.v77pp482-488

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