Porphyry Deposit

A large, low-grade deposit formed around a cooling intrusion, most often carrying copper with gold or molybdenum.

Definition

A large, low-grade disseminated ore deposit typically containing copper, molybdenum, and sometimes gold. Porphyry deposits form from hydrothermal fluids associated with intrusive igneous rocks and are among the world's largest metal sources.

Why it matters

Porphyries supply most of the world's copper and a good deal of its molybdenum. They are enormous, mineable from surface, and almost always beyond what a junior can build alone.

See also

  • Porphyry Copper Deposit A large, low-to-moderate grade copper deposit formed by hydrothermal fluids associated with intrusive igneous
  • Stockwork A complex network of small veins or veinlets forming a three-dimensional mesh in rock. Stockwork mineralizatio
  • Molybdenum A refractory metal (Mo, atomic number 42) used primarily as a steel alloying element to improve strength and c
  • Stripping Ratio The ratio of waste rock that must be removed to extract one tonne of ore in open-pit mining. Lower stripping r

More geology terms