Molybdenite Mineralization and Re‐Os Geochronology of the Escondida and Escondida Norte Porphyry Deposits,Northern Chile

Molybdenum is an economically important subproduct of North Chilean porphyry‐type deposits, and thus spatial and temporal distribution of molybdenite as the primary Mo‐bearing mineral in the Escondida and Escondida Norte deposits were characterized using several mineralogical and chemical techniques and the Re‐Os dating method. Molybdenum is distributed extensively in the two deposits, and high molybdenum concentrations (>500 ppm) are recognized particularly in the chlorite‐sericite transitional zone between the potassic and sericitic zones. Two modes of occurrence of molybdenite are observed in the Escondida deposit: aggregates with Cu‐Fe‐sulfide minerals in fine veinlets (sulfide‐veinlet type), and monomineralic microveinlets associated with NE‐trending faults. The former and the latter yielded ages of 36.1 ± 0.2 Ma and 35.2 ± 0.2 Ma, respectively. Re‐Os dating of Escondida Norte molybdenites also show two distinct episodes, at 37.7 ± 0.3 Ma and a younger episode at 36.6 ± 0.2 Ma. These data indicate that the Escondida Norte is older than the main Escondida deposit. The Re‐Os age data combined with those of the porphyry emplacement suggest that the molybdenite mineralization in the Escondida district occurred as several short episodic pulses during the late‐magmatic to hydrothermal transition, and that the Cu‐Mo deposits were formed in a variable overall period spanning 1 to 5 m.y.