SEG STUDENT CHAPTER UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE INGENIERIA

FIELD TRIP TO YANACOCHA HIGH-SULFIDATION GOLD DEPOSIT

In November 2013, 20 students from the National University of Engineering (UNI), we participated in the Field Trip to Yanacocha Mining District, in Cajamarca´s city. As our knowledge, The Mining Yanacocha District is the largest gold producer in Latin America and is listed world class, so for these reasons, we believe the study of this mineral deposit is important for the formation of future generations geologists of our country, which could contribute in the near future in geological exploration to discover new deposits like this in our country and around the world.

We arrived to the city of Cajamarca on November 24, 2013 because the next day we would have a lecture at the National University of Cajamarca, with students from that university, they would be with us in the field trip to Yanacocha Mining District.

Before visiting the Yanacocha Mining District, we participated a short course of two days (26 and 27 November) by PhD Antoní Camprubi, who is specialist in epithermal deposits of high and low sulphidation.

The short course was held in the city of Cajamarca (Gran Continental Hotel) with the presence of students from both schools (UNI and UNC) and some engineers at Yanacocha Mining Company.

Short Course by PhD Antoní Camprubi

Some Students of UNI, with PhD Antoní Camprubi in

Cajamarca’s city

After two days previous knowledge about this type of deposit, the 28th of November we went to the Yanacocha Mining District. That first day we had a trek in the area called Kupfertal (German word so named by an ex company worker by referring to a valley of copper), where we started to see the San José Pit (which began its work in 1995). After that we went down to the Encajon creek, looking the changes of the alteration of the wall rock, which shows a change of type of deposits (from epithermal to porphyry).

In the afternoon of the same day, we traveled to Yanacocha Sur Pit, accompanied by the geologist engineer in charge of production, we went to make a geological survey of the area, also checking out some samples. Later, we went to offices of Geology´s department, to see a small demonstration of Terraspec equipment used for checking or finding minerals in the rock. We could also see the area where all the geological maps made since this project began.

On the morning of November 29th, we

traveled to Maqui Maqui deposit, in that

place we could see different kinds of

alterations, and also we identified some

rocks of each part of the evolution of

epithermal system. Later we had a core

shack of Kupfertal prospect and we saw the

typical alteration of rocks.

Finally, thanks to the team of geologists

from the Yanacocha Mining Company:

Ricardo Pachas R., Bertil Rodriguez, José

Trujillo, and Jaime Gómez.

On the other hand special gratitude to PhD Antoní Camprubi come to our country to share their

knowledge.

Trek in Kupfertal

Students from UNI & UNC, PhD Antoní Camprubi with

geologists team in Yanacocha Sur Pit