Pegmatite-Hosted Mineralization at Casma, Peru

Frank Aliaga Livia frank.aliaga.livia@gmail.com

Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
Geographic and Geological Location

Classification of the deposit

The pegmatite of the Adan mine is in the NYF type,
the rare earth element class is subdivided according
to the mineralogical / geochemical characteristics. In
this case, the pegmatite is an allanite-monazite
subtype and the geochemical signature is composed
of LREE, U and Th. If we consider the classification
of NYF-type pegmatites (Mike Wise, 1999) the
deposit is an allanite subtype from the metaluminous
group.

Does Peru has geological potential to host

economic REE deposits?
Huajoto Project - Alturas Minerals (2010)

The Coastal Batholith of Peru is located in the west

of the country, there is a central segment called
Santa Rosa Superunity that hosts a complex
pegmatite in the location of Casma in the Ancash
Region, these rocks present petrographical
variations from tonalites to granites.

Capacsaya Project RioSol (January, 2015)

U.S.-based rare earth explorers RioSol announced
last month (January) a significant rare earth
element and poly-metallic claim discovery.

Genesis of the Deposit

The convergence tectonic setting produced the
emplacement of the Coastal Batholith of
Cretaceous age.
Pegmatites are associated to granitic rocks.
The depth formation is around 8 km.
Structural features trapped and formed the
pegmatite bodies as veins and lens.
Uplift caused by the continuous subduction
allowed the outcrop of the complex pegmatite.
Additionally, there are a thin supergene blanket of
copper secondary minerals.

View of the supergene blanket

overprinting the pegmatite

At the top of the main body

there are rounded xenoliths

View of the Capacsaya Project

View of the work in the Adan Mine

About allanite
(Ca, Ce, La)2(Al,Fe+2,Fe+3)3Si3O12(OH)
Sorosilicate, from the group of epidote. It is found,
commonly, as accessory mineral of granitic rocks
and pegmatites. Rare in schists, gneiss, limestone
and skarn. The associated minerals depends on the
geological environment, quartz, K-Feldspar, epidote,
muscovite, fluorite and cassiterite are some
associated minerals.
Prismatic and elongated crystals, brown color to
black, vitreous to submetallic brightness.
Average Chemical Content

Mineralogy of the pegmatite

SiO2

32.97%

Al2O3

17%

It consists of quartz, K Feldspar, allanite, smoky

quartz, plagioclase and micas, different textures are
observed in the hand samples.

FeO

11.24%

Fe2O3

2.66%

TiO2

0.2%

CaO

15.33%

Ce2O3

8.9%

La2O3

4.76%

Y2O3

0.21%

Nb2O3

0.03%

Nd2O3

2.23%

Sm

0.35%

ThO2

0.67%

UO2

0.04%

OH

3.16%

Granite-Quartz-Allanite

According to a geological report finished earlier this

month, the 10-kilometer Capacscaya and adjacent
claims, contain significant quantities of high-range of
Neodymium,
Scandium,
Lathanum,
Cerium,
Europium and Yttrium, as well as other LREEs and
HREEs and their related oxides. Radionuclides,
however, were found to be extremely low.

Quartz crystals and micas

Quartz with allanite (UV Light at right)

Granite around the

pegmatitic bodies

Allanite between quartz and Kfeldspar, sample from a dyke

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