No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D. - Hydrology and Water Resources)--University of Arizona. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 344-349).

Thesis (B.S.)--University of Missouri, School of Mines and Metallurgy, 1916. / The entire thesis text is included in file. Typescript. Illustrated by author. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed April 1, 2009)

The author's thesis, University of Notre Dame. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-98).

The author's thesis, University of Notre Dame.

From introduction: The mining of porphyry type deposits accounts for about 50% of the world's present copper (Figs.I,2) and molybdenum production and resources. Mining organizations therefore invest substantial amounts of time, money and skills in the location and delineation of these types of deposit. The optimization of this investment effort is based on complex inter-relationships between geological, economic and political factors. The object of this dissertation is to review the geological and some of the economic aspects involved in the exploration and evaluation of porphyry deposits . These may hopefully provide some practical guidelines for decision making during the exploration and evaluation of such deposits. For the purpose of this dissertation, the exploration-evaluation of porphyry deposits, has been divided into three main stages:- Stage 1 : Geological mapping, interpretation of exploration drilling results and other geological factors which may help in understanding the shape and nature of the deposit. A knowledge of existing geological models for porphyry deposits will be essential in understanding the geological factors affecting tonnage and grade of these deposits Stage 2 Stage 3 (see Part I). Determination of grade-tonnage relationships. This is important in order to establish the different tonnage-grade alternatives for the deposit. Based on this, reserve estimations are calculated for different possible scales of mining. Drilling and sampling techniques, as well as statistical and preliminary economic evaluation methods are applied during this stage (see Part 2). Mine development and feasibility studies involve factors that influence type and scale of mining, and factors affecting mineral processing and extraction in relation to tonnage- grade alternatives. These factors are reviewed in Part 3.

No description available.

The exotic orebodies related to cal-alkaline porphyry copper deposits. are sub-horizontal lenticular bodies of secondary copper minerals that impregnate Tertiary gravels and bedrock of different ages. They lie immediately downslope of the porphyry copper deposits, that is to say. they are related to the propylitic halo of the main deposits, and are considered to have originated with the deposition of copper minerals from solutions that overflowed during the secondary enrichment process. Supergene alteration took place between the late Oligocene and Miocene, by which time both orehodies (exotic and porphyry copper) were established. The paucity of tile denudation since the Miocene in the Andean segment from 21º to 26º latitude S. due to the dominance of a hyperarid climate explains the remarkable preservation of the shallow porphyry copper systems, supergene enriched blankets and associated deposits. This is reflected in the limonites, where the typical boxworks have been partially or totally destroyed on surface by the superleaching. As a result of the lateral migration of the copper-bearing solutions, the exotic deposits show a zonation. alteration and mineralization whose characteristics depend among other factors. on the reactivity of the bedrocks and the Cu/S ratio of the mother deposit. In these deposits three zones can be recognized: Proximal (0 to 2 km Intermediate (2 to 3) and Distal (3 to 8-14 km) with palaeodrainage control. The associations and mineralogical abundance are related to the climate (rain. temperature). In some deposits two important units are detected and they are the Cu-phosphates and Cu-lixiviable (to sulphuric acid) units. The size of tile Chilean exotic deposits varies between 100 and 3.500.000 tons of copper, with a total known resource of 8 M tons of copper. The large exotic deposits are comparable to the resources of a medium-sized porphyry copper- type deposit. The discovery of the exotic deposits is related to the exploration of porphyry copper deposits, where a mass balance of the leached column must be done. Moreover the lithology and alteration of the propylitic halo. permeability, structures, geophysics and geochemistry should be considered. The diorite model is not compatible with a supergene enrichment process, expressed by the absence of colour anomalies, exotic deposits and in the presence of secondary minerals like jarosite, which is coherent with the pyrite deficiency of the system. The projects are for exploitation of reserves by open pit methods. The projects plan to extract and to crush copper oxide ore which will he pre-treated with concentrated sulphuric acid prior to heap leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning. The copper output varies between 10,000 and 50,000 ton per year of catilode copper. The total investment varies between 20 and 100 millions dollars. For project calculations, estimation of 65 % - 82 % copper recovery and 37 - 40 kg/ton net acid consumption can be used due to the nature of ore. The leaching time is estimated as 30 to 180 days for heaps of 4,5 to 30 metres high. As a result of this, the plant capacity is determined by an annual equivalent of 10,000 to 25,000 ton Cu per year. Pit planning has heen carried out using diverse software on the basis of 5 x 5 x 5 m and 10 x 10 x 10 m block models, evaluated using a kriging package built into the program, giving an overall waste/ore ratio (induding pre-stripping) of 0: I (in an outcrop) to 3: I. The location of the mine and plant sites are associated with the porphyry copper in production, for this the already installed facilities can be used. So there is no need to build a new mine camp or access. The environmental impact is summarized relating to the characterization of the physical, biological and socio-cuitural effects, using the framework of the Base Line study and the Impact evaluation derived from the construction and project operation phases. The conclusions and recommendations will diminish, mitigate and/or eliminate impact derived from the specific activities.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effectiveness of the leaching streams from waste copper ore dumps as a nutrient solution for subsequent biological oxidation and solubilization of sulfide minerals. The copper in the leaching streams is precipitated by displacement with iron. As a result of this procedure the solution is high in ferrous iron concentration and has a pH of near 3.7. The bacteria in the leaching streams are capable of oxidizing ferrous iron to the ferric state and sulfide minerals to sulfates. The effects of temperatures, pH, urea, and aeration rate on the oxidation of the ferrous iron in the stream were studied. The effect of oxidized and reduced forms of the solutions, pyrite, urea, and pH on the solubilization of chalcopyrite were investigated. It was found that an increase in the rate of bubbling air through the ferrous solutions greatly increased the rate of oxidation of the solution. The optimum pH was found to be near 3.2. The optimum temperature was near 35°C. Added urea had little effect on the rate of oxidation of the ferrous solution. The presence of pyrite slowed the rate of solubilization of chalcopyrite. This was interpreted as being due to the lower pH caused by the oxidation of pyrite. Copper was found in the effluent leachates from the mineral samples when the pH was near 3.0. Little copper was found when the pH was below 2.5. Raising the pH with CaCO3 increased the rate of solubilization of chalcopyrite. Added urea had little effect on the rate. It was concluded that the reduced form of the leaching stream is an effective leaching fluid for the biological solubilization of chalcopyrite because of its relatively high pH and nutrient content. Pyrite is preferentially oxidized in the presence of chalcopyrite in tailing solution.