Stockwork

A dense network of small intersecting veinlets, mineralising a whole volume of rock rather than a single structure.

Definition

A complex network of small veins or veinlets forming a three-dimensional mesh in rock. Stockwork mineralization is common in porphyry and some gold deposits, where multiple generations of veining create economic grades.

Why it matters

Stockworks are how low-grade bulk-tonnage deposits form. Individually the veinlets are trivial; collectively they make a body large enough to mine from surface.

See also

  • Vein A sheet-like deposit of minerals that fills a fracture or fault in rock. Many gold deposits occur in quartz ve
  • Porphyry Deposit A large, low-grade disseminated ore deposit typically containing copper, molybdenum, and sometimes gold. Porph
  • Porphyry Copper Deposit A large, low-to-moderate grade copper deposit formed by hydrothermal fluids associated with intrusive igneous
  • Open-Pit Mining A surface mining method where ore is extracted from an open excavation. Open-pit mining is suitable for deposi

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