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  3. Global assessment of undiscovred copper resources

Mongol-Altai

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A varied assemblage of Devonian through Early Permian igneous rocks primarily in Mongolia and Russian Federation that include primarily calc-alkaline continental-margin arc rocks.
Tract ID 142pCu8507
Country China-Kazakhstan-Mongolia-Russian Federation
Commodity Cu
Study area name Central Asia Orogenic Belt
Tectonic setting continental margin
Deposit type porphyry copper
Grade-tonnage model General porphyry copper model (Singer and others, 2008)
Geologic age
Geologic feature age Variscan (Devonian through Early Permian)
Generalized age Paleozoic
Oldest rocks age 416Ma
Youngest rocks age 270.6Ma
Age range 145.4Ma
Known prospects 58
Mean Cu (t/sq km) 67t/sq km
Map scales used 1M

Results of the assessment

Assessment date 2013
Estimators Alexeiev, D. (Russian Academy of Sciences); Bookstrom, Arthur A.(USGS); Frost, Thomas P. (USGS); Hammarstrom, Jane M. (USGS); Light, Thomas D. (USGS); Ludington, Steve (USGS); Mihalasky, Mark, J. (USGS); Panteleyev, Andre (XDM Geological Consultants)
Assessment depth 1km
Quantitative assessment Yes

Estimated number of deposits

Number of deposits Confidence level
3 90%
8 50%
36 10%
36 5%
36 1%
Mean estimated deposits 14.7 ±12.31 (0.84%)
Probability of mean 0.37
Probability of no copper 0.03

Estimated deposit density

Known
deposits		 Total
deposits		 Area
(sq km)		 Deposit density
per 100,000 sq km
14.7 785,571 2

Mean estimated tonnage

Copper 53,000,000
Molybdenum 1,500,000
Gold 1,300
Silver 18,000
Ore 11,000

Undiscovered copper resource

Confidence level 95% 90% 50% 10% 5%
Tonnage 860,000 3,100,000 29,000,000 140,000,000 180,000,000

Economic analysis

Fraser country Mongolia, Russian Federation, Kazhakstan, and China
Fraser type 0.08%
Fraser high 0.91%
Typical cost 0%
High cost 1%
Infrastructure setting High cost
Comments on depth default
Expected depth distribution
0 - 250m 0.25
250m - 500m 0.25
500m - 1km 0.5
Economically recoverable resources
Copper 26,000,000t
Molybdenum 580,000t
Gold 440t
Silver 8,500t
Probability no econ recoverable 0.15
Econ NPV 4,900x $1M
Exp dollars 5.42x $1M/100,000 sq km
Exp value class Low

Bibliographic references

General Mihalasky, Ludington, Hammarstrom, and others (2015)
Economic Robinson and Menzie (2012)
Mihalasky, M.J., Ludington, Steve, Hammarstrom, J.M., Alexeiev, D.V., Frost, T.P., Light, T.D., Robinson, G.R., Jr., Briggs, D.A., Wallis, J.C., and Miller, R.J., with contributions from Bookstrom, A.A., Panteleyev, Andre, Chitalin, Andre, Seltmann, Reimar, Guangsheng, Y., Changyun, L., Jingwen, M., Jinyi, L., Keyan, X., Ruizhao, Q., Jianbao, S., Gangyi, S., and Yuliang, D., 2015, Porphyry Copper Assessment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and eastern Tethysides—China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and India: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–X, 106 p. and spatial data, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20105090X.Robinson, G.R., Jr., and Menzie, W.D., 2012, Economic filters for evaluating porphyry copper deposit resource assessments using grade-tonnage deposit models, with examples from the U.S. Geological Survey global mineral resource assessment (ver 1.2, March 2014): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–H, 21 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5090/h/.

Deposits and prospects associated with this tract

Name Type State Country Development Details
Arbulag prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
Agulskoye prospect Irkutskaya oblast' Russian Federation Occurrence Details
Bayan-Uul prospect Töv Mongolia Prospect Details
Berkhiin Ovoo prospect Sühbaatar Mongolia Occurrence Details
Bukhtarma prospect Shyghys Qazaqstan oblysy Kazakhstan Occurrence Details
Bulag Shand prospect Dundgovi Mongolia Occurrence Details
Chuluut kholvoo prospect Sühbaatar Mongolia Occurrence Details
Erdeniin Shand prospect Sühbaatar Mongolia Occurrence Details
Gaikhamshigt prospect Sühbaatar Mongolia Occurrence Details
Gurvan ovoo prospect Töv Mongolia Occurrence Details
Khairkhan Tugrug prospect Dundgovi Mongolia Occurrence Details
Khetsiin Am prospect Töv Mongolia Occurrence Details
Khokh ovoo prospect Dundgovi Mongolia Occurrence Details
Khondlon ovoo prospect Dundgovi Mongolia Occurrence Details
Khushutiin prospect Dornogovi Mongolia Occurrence Details
Khust prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
Khuv Khashaatyn prospect Övörhangay Mongolia Occurrence Details
Kulbich prospect Respublika Altay Russian Federation Prospect Details
Kyzyk-Chadr prospect Respublika Tyva Russian Federation Occurrence Details
Maysky uchastok prospect Irkutskaya oblast' Russian Federation Occurrence Details
Mogoit prospect Övörhangay Mongolia Prospect Details
Nogoon Tolgoi prospect Dornogovi Mongolia Occurrence Details
unnamed prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
unnamed prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
unnamed prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
Okhashi prospect Hentiy Mongolia Occurrence Details
Omnod prospect Bayanhongor Mongolia Occurrence Details
Oyut Ovoo prospect Dundgovi Mongolia Prospect Details
Sant uul prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
Saran Uul prospect Bayanhongor Mongolia Prospect Details
Shiveen Gol prospect Uvs Mongolia Prospect Details
South Valley prospect Dornod Mongolia Prospect Details
Tariat Gol prospect Töv Mongolia Occurrence Details
Temeenchuluut prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
Unegtei ovoo-1 prospect Töv Mongolia Occurrence Details
Tsavyn Tsagaan prospect Bayanhongor Mongolia Prospect Details
Tsogt Chandmani prospect Dundgovi Mongolia Occurrence Details
Turmaline prospect Töv Mongolia Occurrence Details
Ulaan shand prospect Övörhangay Mongolia Occurrence Details
Ulandryk prospect Respublika Altay Russian Federation Occurrence Details
unnamed prospect Övörhangay Mongolia Occurrence Details
unnamed prospect Töv Mongolia Occurrence Details
unnamed prospect Töv Mongolia Occurrence Details
Xilketehalasu prospect Xinjiang China Prospect Details
Urtyn gol prospect Dornod Mongolia Prospect Details
Zesiin prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
Arvaikheer prospect Övörhangay Mongolia Occurrence Details
Budag tolgoi prospect Dundgovi Mongolia Occurrence Details
Dund Bayan prospect Dornogovi Mongolia Occurrence Details
Ikh gazar prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
Erdenetolgoi prospect Dornod Mongolia Occurrence Details
Oyut prospect Övörhangay Mongolia Occurrence Details
Takhtamygdinsky ore knot prospect Amurskaya oblast' Russian Federation Occurrence Details
Tsagaan Ovoo prospect Övörhangay Mongolia Prospect Details
Unegtei ovoo-2 prospect Töv Mongolia Occurrence Details
Yulekenhalasu prospect Xinjiang China Prospect Details