1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Global assessment of undiscovred copper resources

Qinling-Dabie

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Cambro-Ordovician island arc, Devonian continental-margin arc related to northward Paleo-Tethyan ocean subduction under North China, Qaidam, and Tarim Cratons, and Permo-Triassic rocks formed by collision of North China and Tarim cratons with Eurasia
Tract ID 142pCu8701
Country Afghanistan-China-Kyrgyzstan-Pakistan-Tajikistan
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 Early Paleozoic through PermoTriassic
Generalized age Paleozoic
Oldest rocks age 542Ma
Youngest rocks age 199.6Ma
Age range 342.4Ma
Identified Cu resources 1,400,000metric tons
Known prospects 11
Mean Cu (t/sq km) 79t/sq km
Map scales used 1M

Results of the assessment

Assessment date 2012
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 50%
20 10%
30 5%
30 1%
Mean estimated deposits 7.95 ±9.38 (1.18%)
Probability of mean 0.32
Probability of no copper 0.16

Estimated deposit density

Known
deposits		 Total
deposits		 Area
(sq km)		 Deposit density
per 100,000 sq km
1 8.95 403,215 2

Mean estimated tonnage

Copper 32,000,000
Molybdenum 850,000
Gold 800
Silver 10,000
Ore 6,400

Undiscovered copper resource

Confidence level 50% 10% 5%
Tonnage 11,000,000 91,000,000 130,000,000

Economic analysis

Fraser country China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Krygystan
Fraser type 0%
Fraser high 0%
Typical cost 0%
High cost 1%
Infrastructure setting High cost
Comments on depth shallow
Expected depth distribution
0 - 250m 0.35
250m - 500m 0.25
500m - 1km 0.4
Economically recoverable resources
Copper 17,000,000t
Molybdenum 340,000t
Gold 300t
Silver 5,000t
Probability no econ recoverable 0.37
Econ NPV 2,900x $1M
Exp dollars 4.43x $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
Huangnan prospect Qinghai China Prospect Details
Kaerqueka prospect Qinghai China Prospect Details
Kalaguorumu prospect Xinjiang China Prospect Details
Langshuisimiaoping prospect Shaanxi China Prospect Details
Longweigou prospect Qinghai China Prospect Details
Saishitang deposit Qinghai China Producer Details
Shuangyangdabana prospect Xinjiang China Occurrence Details
Suolajier prospect Qinghai China Prospect Details
Tuoketuo prospect Qinghai China Prospect Details
Wulanwuzhuer prospect Qinghai China Prospect Details
Yingyugou prospect Qinghai China Prospect Details
Yaziguol prospect Qinghai China Prospect Details