The Chacarilla mine is one of the largest copper mines in Bolivia. It is located in the so-called Corocoro basin that extends over a distance of more than 750 km, and at an elevation more than 3, 800 m above the sea-level.
The mine area is composed entirely of continental sediments of the middle Tertiary age, presenting a typical anticlinal structure by which the distribution of ore bodies is largely controlled, that is, the ore deposits are found along the limbs of the anticline.
The ore deposits comprise two types, chalcocite deposits and native copper deposits. Ore mineral in, the chalcocite deposits is mainly chalcocite, and that in the native copper deposits is native copper. Oxidized supergene copper minerals, such as cuprite, tenorite, malachite and chrysocolla, occur near the surface. Mineralization of both chalcocite and native copper is noticed always in the sandtones and conglomarates which are characterized by a bleaching zone, so that the ore deposits apparently seem to be an ore bed type.
Distribution of the ore bodies is stratigraphicaly defined as chalcocite, native copper, and carboniferous chalcocite deposisits, in ascending order. Although the occurrence of ore deposits of these types has been studied in detail in the Corocoro mine by several authors, it is still being discussed. However, the location of chalcocite in a particular bed seems to be related to the process of sedimentation, and native copper seems to have been deposited secondarily by the action of copper-bearing solution which was derived from primary syngenetic chalcoctic ore deposits. This ore-forming process is presumed by the procipitation of native copper during the drainage of old mine water.
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