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Cerro Colorado

Prospect in Chiriqui, Panama with commodities Copper, Molybdenum
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10097398
MRDS ID W001528
Record type Site
Current site name Cerro Colorado
Alternate or previous names Rio Del Medio

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -81.78764, 8.50144 (WGS84)
Elevation 1200
Relative position 185 MILES W OF PANAMA CITY, AND ABOUT 22 MILES NORTH OF SAN FELIX
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Geographic areas

Country State
Panama Chiriqui

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Molybdenum Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Covellite Ore
Cuprite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pyrite Gangue
Sphalerite Gangue
Hematite Unknown
Magnetite Unknown

Alteration

  • (Local) Concentric Hydrothermal Alteration Zoning--Not Well Developed. Sericite-Carbonate And Chlorite-Carbonate In Quartz Monzonite And Rhyolite, Silicification; Some Kaolin Developed In Porphyries; No Apparent Zoned Alteration Pattern. Original Core Alteration K-Feldspar, Quartz, Anhydrite, Several Phyllitic Overprints Of Fine-Grained Illite And Sericite; Latest Advanced Argillic Over Core Contains Pyrophyillite. Biotite Is Abundant Only Where Stock Cuts Andesitic Volcanic Rocks.

Analytical data

Result RB, 56.3 PPM
Result SR, 1010 PPM, 87 SR/86 SR M = 0.7032, 87SR/86SR INITIAL = 0.7032.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 53
USGS model code 17
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu
Mark3 model number 4

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyodacite
    Rock unit name Chichica Formation;Escopeta;;;
    Rock description Chichica Formation;Escopeta;;;
    Chronological age 5.2
    Uncertainty 0.4
    Dating method K-Ar
    Chronological age 4.21
    Uncertainty 0.8
    Dating method K-Ar
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Chronological age 7.2
    Dating method K-Ar
    Type of media Biotite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Tertiary
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Chronological age 7.2
    Dating method K-Ar
    Type of media Biotite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Tertiary
    Chronological age 29.9
    Uncertainty 2.2
    Dating method K-Ar
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Tertiary

Nearby scientific data

(1) -81.78764, 8.50144
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Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Intrusives

Ore body information

  • General form BLANKET
    Thickness 900M
    Depth to top 30.48M
    Width 2000M
    Length 3000M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Several Plutons Behaved As"Pushers"That Caused Mineralization Up To 1000 Feet Outward From Intrusives.

Comments on the geologic information

  • RHYOLITIC PORPHYRIES CONTAIN 46% QUARTZ, 28% KSPAR FORM A LOBATE ELLIPSODAL MASS ON SW PART OF ORE BODY.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1932
Discoverer Canadian Javelin Co., As Pavonia, S.A. In Panama; Metti, A.

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Canadian Javelin, As Pavonia, S. A. In Panama
    First year 1972
    Last year 1974
  • Type Joint Venture Owner
    Owner Empresa De Cobre Cerro Colorado, S. A.
    First year 1977
    Last year 1994
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Panama Government
    Interest 80
    First year 1977
    Last year 1994
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Texas Gulf
    Interest 20
    First year 1977
    Last year 1994
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Tiomin Resources
    First year 1994

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ITEM 1, POSSIBLE LONG TERM RESERVES, SUBJECT TO DRILLING BEING UNDERTAKEN. AVERAGES 0.02% MOLYBDENITE, CONTAINS IN 1975 PRICES $0.35 AU AND $0.56 AG.
  • ITEM 1, PROBABLE RESERVES. CUTOFF GRADES ASSOCIATED WITH ORE (1) THROUGH (8) ARE: (1) 0.001% CU, (2) 0.20% CU, (3) 0.25% CU, (4) 0.30% CU, (5) 0.35% CU, (6) 0.40% CU, (7) 0.50% CU, (8) 0.60% CU. ORE (9) CUT OFF GRADE OF 0.4% CU. ORE (10) IS SUPERGENE AND OXIDE ORE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Area 400HA

Comments on development

  • RESERVES AND AVERAGE GRADE OF ORE SHOULD BE ACCEPTED WITH RESERVATION PENDING COMPLETION OF DRILLING PROGRAM. TIOMIN HAS AN AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE DEPOSIT.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS W001528

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    LUTJEN, G.P., 1972, CANADIAN JAVELIN EYES PRODUCTION AT MAJOR COPPER FIND IN PANAMA: E/MJ, DEC.

  • Deposit

    KENTS, PAUL, 1975, GEOLOGY AND MINERALIZATION OF CERRO COLORADO COPPER-PORPHYRY, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA: SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS OF AIME, NEW YORK, FEB. 16-20, 1975, PREPRRINT, 14 P.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, 1977, A MAJOR MINE TAKES SHAPE AT CERRO COLORADO: ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, NOVEMBER, 1977, P. 192-196.

  • Deposit

    ISSIGNOMIS, M.J., 1973, THE GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE PORPHYRY TYPE COPPER AND MOLYBDENUM MINERALIZATION AT CERRO COLORADO, PANAMA [M.SC. THESIS]: ONTARIO, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, 207 P.

  • Deposit

    CLARK, A.H., AND FARRAR, E. AND KENTS, P. , 1977, POTASSIUM-ARGON AGE OF CERRO COLORADO PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSIT, PANANMA: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V. 72, NO. 6, P. 1154-1158.

  • Deposit

    KESLER, S.E., SUTTER, J.F., ISSIGONIS, M. J. , JONES, L.M., AND WALKER, R.L., 1977, EVOLUTION OF PORPHYRY COPPER MINERALIZATION IN OCEANIC ISLAND ARC: PANAMA: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V. 72, NO. 6, P. 1142-1153.

  • Deposit

    ANON., 1994, TIOMIN TO ACQUIRE CERRO COLORADO: THE NORTHERN MINER, SEPT. 12, 1994, V. 80, NO. 28, P. 1-2.

  • Deposit

    LUTJEN, G.P., 1972, CANADIAN JAVELIN WITH MAJOR COPPER FIND IN PANAMA: ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, V. 173, NO. 12, P. 60-63.

  • Deposit

    1970 DIREXPL CANADIAN JAVELIN

  • Deposit

    1972 DRILLING CANADIAN JAVELIN CO.

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Reserve-Resource

    E/MJ DEC. 1972

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit RECORD D000741 BY ROBERT U. KING HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THIS RECORD. MULTIPLE INTERMINERAL INTRUSIONS. BOTTOM OF DEPOSIT CONTAINS GYPSUM.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1972 Irving, Earl M. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-OCT-1974 King, Robert U. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUL-1991 Pierce, Herbert A. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-1994 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-DEC-1994 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey