The vein of the Salamanqueja mine and the Chacota vein form the two central deposits of the project and are characterized by the presence of oxidized copper minerals throughout the upper part, that is to say the first 240 meters, between the 860 and 620 heights.

In its lower part, the presence of mixed minerals with interesting contents of sulfides appears, which is not contemplated to exploit for now. The Salamanqueja vein is a vein of approximately 4 kilometers in length and the production is focused on the central part that corresponds to 1 kilometer.

See Diagram
geologia04

Salamanqueja Vein Geology

The geology of the Salamanqueja mine consists of an andesitic to microdioritic dike up to 40 meters thick, which intrudes by a fault of north-east direction and a dip of 55° northwest, which in turn juxtaposes two structural panels: one volcanic to the east and another volcanoclastic to the west.

The mineralization is found on both edges of the dike, but especially towards the base. The first 200 meters correspond to green copper oxides and under this there are chalcocites with the presence of silver. The mine that has 35,000 meters of drill holes is built on this vein.

GEOTECHNICAL UNITS

UNIT “A”
Red tuffs are the hanging wall. Red sandstones, lapilli breccious tuffs, vesicular andesites. Tuff breccias of lapilli with fragmental volcanic material of andesitic composition of different sizes and types (polymictic). The matrix is constituted by sand and fine hematitized material. The tuff breccias present intercalations from 30 cm to 1 meter of volcanic sandstone (volcarenite) stained red by the limonitization of erromagnesian and metallic components. They are sedimentary rocks of epiclastic origin, of a clast-supported texture of medium grain size (0.2 to 0.5mm), composed mostly of sub-rounded detrital fragments of andesitic to andesitic-basaltic rocks and mono-mineral fragments, derived from the same components, which correspond to calcium plagioclase crystals of albitized appearance with chlorite and smectites alteration, pieces of pyroxenes with hydrobiotite-chlorite alteration and titanium oxides.
UNIT “B”
It corresponds to the dioritic intrusive dike, which is the main metal host unit. It has a thickness of up to 40 meters, and is quite competent when it is not cut by the veins. The dike has a thick intergranular porphyric texture, of andesitic to basaltic andesitic composition with ocoitical characteristics (porphyritic texture with very large phenocrysts, larger than 2 cm).
UNIT “C”
It corresponds to the footwall, intercalations of andesitic lavas and some levels of fine tuffs. A sequence of intercalations of fine tuffs and fine porphyry (sometimes amygdaloid) andesites, without filling or partial filling. They present weak to moderate fracture. Metric levels typically 1 to 5 meters are observed, and locally "sills" of andesitic to dioritic composition has been described, which have subvertical roots.
UNIT “D”
This unit may be competent, being cemented with mineralization, as in other cases it may be fractured. The fractures have been mapped in the tunnels of the mine showing a parallelism with the main fault Salamanqueja. This unit has between 1 meter and 10 meters. At the base of this unit, there is the Salamanqueja fault, which corresponds to the most important fault, and which is filled with hematite-clays. Mineralization corresponds to subparallel veins and dissemination within the andesitic dike. The best and most continuous of the veins is on the floor of the veined mineralized corridor.
diagrama1diagrama2

The vein of the Salamanqueja mine and the Chacota vein form the two central deposits of the project and are characterized by the presence of oxidized copper minerals throughout the upper part, that is to say the first 240 meters, between the 860 and 620 heights. In its lower part, the presence of mixed minerals with interesting contents of sulfides appears, which is not contemplated to exploit for now. The Salamanqueja vein is a vein of approximately 4 kilometers in length and the production is focused on the central part that corresponds to 1 kilometer.

Ver Diagrama
geologia04

Salamanqueja Vein Geology

The geology of the Salamanqueja mine consists of an andesitic to microdioritic dike up to 40 meters thick, which intrudes by a fault of north-east direction and a dip of 55° northwest, which in turn juxtaposes two structural panels: one volcanic to the east and another volcanoclastic to the west.

The mineralization is found on both edges of the dike, but especially towards the base. The first 200 meters correspond to green copper oxides and under this there are chalcocites with the presence of silver. The mine that has 35,000 meters of drill holes is built on this vein.

GEOTECHNICAL UNITS

UNIT “A”
Red tuffs are the hanging wall. Red sandstones, lapilli breccious tuffs, vesicular andesites. Tuff breccias of lapilli with fragmental volcanic material of andesitic composition of different sizes and types (polymictic). The matrix is constituted by sand and fine hematitized material. The tuff breccias present intercalations from 30 cm to 1 meter of volcanic sandstone (volcarenite) stained red by the limonitization offerromagnesian and metallic components. They are sedimentary rocks of epiclastic origin, of a clast-supported texture of medium grain size (0.2 to 0.5mm), composed mostly of sub-rounded detrital fragments of andesitic to andesitic-basaltic rocks and mono-mineral fragments, derived from the same components, which correspond to calcium plagioclase crystals of albitized appearance with chlorite and smectites alteration, pieces of pyroxenes with hydrobiotite-chlorite alteration and titanium oxides.
UNIT “B”
It corresponds to the dioritic intrusive dike, which is the main metal host unit. It has a thickness of up to 40 meters, and is quite competent when it is not cut by the veins. The dike has a thick intergranular porphyric texture, of andesitic to basaltic andesitic composition with ocoitical characteristics (porphyritic texture with very large phenocrysts, larger than 2 cm).
UNIT “C”
It corresponds to the footwall, intercalations of andesitic lavas and some levels of fine tuffs. A sequence of intercalations of fine tuffs and fine porphyry (sometimes amygdaloid) andesites, without filling or partial filling. They present weak to moderate fracture. Metric levels typically 1 to 5 meters are observed, and locally "sills" of andesitic to dioritic composition has been described, which have subvertical roots.
UNIT “D”
This unit may be competent, being cemented with mineralization, as in other cases it may be fractured. The fractures have been mapped in the tunnels of the mine showing a parallelism with the main fault Salamanqueja. This unit has between 1 meter and 10 meters. At the base of this unit, there is the Salamanqueja fault, which corresponds to the most important fault, and which is filled with hematite-clays. Mineralization corresponds to subparallel veins and dissemination within the andesitic dike. The best and most continuous of the veins is on the floor of the veined mineralized corridor.
diagrama1diagrama2
SIAM
SALAMANQUEJA MINE