Aksug

Porphyry copper deposit in Respublika Tyva, Russian Federation

Names and other identifiers

GMRAP ID 443
Alternate names Ak-Sug, Askugskoe
Tract name Mongol-Sayan (142pCu8504)
Site status deposit

Geographic location

Country Russian Federation
State or province Respublika Tyva
Geographic location 96.5834, 53.436
Geologic map unit 96.5834, 53.436
Nearby data

Geologic information

Deposit type Porphyry copper
Age (Ma) 516Ma
Age determination method Re-Os
Age range 516 Ma
Age reference Berzina and Berzina (2008)
Minerals biotite, bornite, carbonate, chalcocite, chalcopyrite, chlorite, copper, enargite, galena, hematite, K-feldspar, magnetite, merenskyite [(Pd,Pt)Te2], molybdenite, pyrite, sericite, sphalerite, tennantite/tetrahedrite
Associated rocks granodiorite porphyry, quartz diorite porphyry
Tectonic setting continental margin
Stratigraphic age Cambrian

Commodity and development information

Development status Producer
Major commodities Cu, Mo, Au, Ag
Tonnage (Mt) 805Mt
Cu grade (%) 0.52%
Mo grade (%) 0.014%
Au grade (g/t) 0.156g/t
Ag grade (g/t) 0.99g/t
Contained copper 4,200,000t
Gold-Moly ratio 11

Reference information

Comments Reported: 5–96 ppb Pt, 16–924 ppb Pd; 14–50 ppb Re; average. Cu/Mo in ores: 40–70; contained total reserves and resources: 113,000 Mt Mo, 4,038,000 oz Au, and 25,551,000 oz Ag. Tonage, grades, and contained Cu are for total reserves and resources. Minerals dated: molybdenite, sericite. Singer and others (2008) report 515 Ma (518 ±2 to 511 ±2 Ma; Re-Os), and 368 ±1 to 362 ±8 Ma (Ar-Ar). Age is transitional between Silurian and Devonian (Caledonian and Variscan). Andrei F. Chitalin (written commun., 2009) indicates probable reserves of 4.2 Mt Cu (0.5%), 115 t Mo (0.15%); inferred reserves of 6.2 Mt Cu, 115 t Mo, 93 t Au (0.2%). Prefeasibility study considered by OOO Golevskaya GRK.
Study area name Central Asian Orogenic Belt
References Berzina and Berzina (2008); Berzina and Korobeinikov (2007); Berzina and others (2001); Berzina and others (2003); Berzina and others (2005); Berzina, Sotnikov and others (2007); Chetvertakov (1991); Chetvertakov and Yarovoi (1989); Khomichev (1986); Popov and others (1988); Sotnikov and others (2001); Sotnikov and others (2003); Nokleberg and others (1999); Nokleberg and others (2003); Nokleberg and others (2006); Singer and others (2008); Kirkham and Dunne (2000); Andrei F. Chitalin (written commun., 2009)
Site reference Mihalasky, Ludington, Hammarstrom, and others (2015)
Berzina, A.N., and Berzina, A.P., 2008, Geological and geochemical characteristics of the Aksug porphyry Cu-Mo system, Altay-Sayan region, Russia: Acta Petrologica Sinica, v. 24, no. 12, p. 2657–2658. [In Chinese, English abstract.] (Abstract also available at http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-YSXB200812002.htm.)Berzina, A.N., and Korobeinikov, A.F., 2007, Rhenium concentrations in the host rocks and ores at the Aksug and Sora porphyry Cu-Mo deposits (Russia), in Andrew, C.J., and Borg, G., eds., Mineral exploration and research—Digging deeper: Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) Biennial Meeting, 9th, Dublin, Ireland, August 20–23, 2007 [Proceedings], v. 1, p. 459–462. (Abstract also available at https://www.e-sga.org/index.php?id=231&tx_commerce_pi1%5BshowUid%5D=1032&tx_commerce_pi1%5BcatUid%5D=39&cHash=05cb5f12c2.)
Berzina, A.N., Sotnikov, V.I., Economou-Eliopoulos, M., and Eliopoulos, D.G., 2001, Precious metal contents of porphyry Cu-Mo deposits of Russia and Mongolia, in Piestrzynski, A., and 35 others, eds., Mineral deposits at the beginning of the 21st century: Lisse, The Netherlands, A.A. Balkema Publishers, Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) Biennial meeting, 6th, Krakow, Poland, August 26–29, 2001 [Proceedings], p. 699–702.
Berzina, A.N., Stein, H.J., Zimmerman, A., and Sotnikov, V.I., 2003, Re-Os ages for molybdenite from porphyry Cu-Mo and greizen Mo-W deposits of southern Siberia (Russia) preserve metallogenic record, in Eliopoulos, D.G., ed., Mineral exploration andsustainable development: Rotterdam, Millpress, Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) Biennial Meeting, 7th, Athens, August 24–28, 2003 [Proceedings], v. 1, p. 231–234.
Berzina, A.N., Sotnikov, V.I, Economou-Eliopoulos, Maria, and Economou-Eliopoulos, D.G., 2005, Distribution of rhenium in molybdenites from porphyry Cu-Mo deposits of Russia (Siberia) and Mongolia: Ore Geology Reviews, v. 26, p. 91–113. (Also available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2004.12.002.)Berzina, A.N., Sotnikov, V.I., Economou-Eliopoulos, M., and Eliopoulos, D.G., 2007, First finding of merenskyite (Pd,Pt)Te2 in porphyry Cu-Mo ores in Russia: Russian Geology and Geophysics, v. 48, p. 656–658. (Also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rgg.2007.07.001.)
Chetvertakov, I.V., 1991, Distribution of copper-molybdenum mineralization in the northeastern part of Tuva: Geology and Geophysics, no. 4, p. 36–39. [In Russian.]
Chetvertakov, I.V., and Yarovoi, S.A., 1989, Porphyry copper mineralization related to gabbro-plagiogranite intrusions of Mainsk complex at northeastern Tuva, in Sotnikov, V.I., and Obolenski, A.A., eds., Magmatism of copper molybdenum ore districts:Novosibirsk, USSR Academy of Sciences, Transactions of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, no. 747, p. 75–79. [In Russian.]
Khomichev, V.L., 1986, Copper porphyry mineralization in Tuva: Soviet Geology, no. 2, p. 50–54. [In Russian.]
Kirkham, R.V., and Dunne, K.P.E., comps., 2000, World distribution of porphyry, porphyry-associated skarn, and bulk-tonnage epithermal deposits and occurrences: Canada Geological Survey Open File 3792a, 26 p. and 1 diskette. (Also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.4095/211229.)Nokleberg, W.J., Naumova, V.V., Kuzmin, M.I., and Bounaeva, T.V., eds., 1999, Preliminary publications book 1 from project on mineral resources, metallogenesis, and tectonics of northeast Asia: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-165, 6 p. and digital data, CD-ROM. (Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-165/.)Nokleberg, W.J., Bounaeva, T.M., Miller, R.J., Seminskiy, Z.V., and Diggles, M.F. eds., 2003, Significant metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous lode deposits, and selected placer districts of northeast Asia: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-220, 422 p., CD-ROM. (Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-220/.)Nokleberg, W.J., Miller, R.J., and Diggles, M.F., eds., 2006, Geographic information systems (GIS) spatial data compilation of geodynamic, tectonic, metallogenic, mineral deposit, and geophysical maps and associated descriptive data for northeast Asia: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1150, 11 p. and digital data, CD-ROM. (Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1150/.)Popov, V.S., Kudryavtsev, Yu.K., Altukhov, Ye.N., Zabelin, V.I., and Dobryanskiy, G.I., 1988, The geological setting of the porphyry-copper and porphyry-molybdenum mineralization of the Altaysayan fold region: International Geology Review, v. 30, p.453–458. (Also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00206818809466026.)Singer, D.A., Berger, V.I., and Moring, B.C., 2008, Porphyry copper deposits of the world—Database and grade and tonnage models, 2008: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1155, [45] p. and digital data, accessed December 31, 2013, at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1155/.Sotnikov, V.I., Berzina, A.N., Economou-Eliopoulos, Maria, and Eliopoulos, D.G., 2001, Palladium, platinum, and gold distribution in porphyry Cu±Mo deposits of Russia and Mongolia: Ore Geology Reviews, v. 18, p. 95–111. (Also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0169-1368(01)00018-X.)
Sotnikov, V.I., Ponomarchuk, V.A., Berzina, A.N., and Gimon,V.O., 2003, The Aksug porphyry Cu-Mo deposit, Tuva, Russia—40Ar/39Ar dating and magma constraints, in Eliopoulos, D.G., ed., Mineral exploration and sustainable development: Rotterdam, Millpress, Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) Biennial Meeting, 7th, Athens, Greece, August 24–28, 2003 [Proceedings], v.1, p. 391–394.