Caracterización de la mineralización de Las Aguilas basada en indicadores litogeoquímicos y relaciones entre Cu-Ni y EGP.

FERRACUTTI, G. R.; BJERG, E. A.; MOGESSIE, M.

Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina

Asociación Geológica Argentina

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2010 vol. 67 p. 205 - 215

0004-4822

The Las Aguilas mafic-ultramafic body in the Sierras de San Luis carries a Fe-Ni-Cu-Co sulfide mineralization and platinum group minerals (PGE). Establishing if this body hosts a platinum group elements (EGM) reef mineralization or if these elements constitute accessory phases in a Ni-Cu-(EG P) sulfide mineralization is relevant due to the high market value of PGE’s. Studies on samples from two drill cores from Las Aguilas do not suggest the presence of platinum group elements reefs due to early segregation of sulfides which extracted those elements. However, Cu/Pd vs. Pd and Cu/Pd vs. Ni/Pd relationships and Cu/Pd lithogeochemistry profiles allowed the distinction of rocks with values similar to those of mantle rocks which suggest the possible presence of massive or semi-massive sulfide ore of Ni-Cu in which platinum group elements constitute an accessory product. The results shown by the Las Aguilas body does not exclude the potential presence of this kind of mineralization in the remaining mafic-ultramafic bodies that constitute the 100 km long San Luis belt.