China is located in the intersection of Europe, Asia, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, and its regional geological background is complex, which is conducive to the formation of various types of copper deposits. In addition, the Pacific Rim, Palaeo-Asia (Central Asia-Mongolia) and Palaeo-Mediterranean (Alps-Himalaya) all pass through China, so the industrial types of copper deposits in China are complete. Up to now, the main types of copper deposits in the world have been found in China, including porphyry type, skarn type, marine sand shale type, continental sand shale type, marine volcanic rock type (pyrite type), continental volcanic rock type, copper-nickel sulfide type, vein type and native copper type. Some scholars (Liu Yarong, 1989) call marine volcanic rock type and continental volcanic rock type volcanic sedimentary type, and marine sand shale type and continental sand shale type layered type. Generally speaking, China is also rich in copper resources, and the total copper reserves have exceeded 70 million tons. Mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Daxing 'anling, Qilian Mountain, Zhongtiao Mountain, Southwest "Sanjiang", Southwest Tianshan-central Yunnan, Altai Mountain, Beishan Mountain and Langshan-Zhaertai area of Inner Mongolia. Similar to foreign countries, China's copper reserves are mainly concentrated in five types of copper deposits: porphyry, marine sand shale, marine volcanic rock, copper-nickel sulfide and skarn. The difference is that China's skarn-type copper deposits occupy a more important position, because China's carbonate rocks are relatively developed and magmatic activities are frequent (especially in Yanshan period); Other types of copper deposits also have some differences in scale and grade (the scale of deposits is generally small and the copper grade is low), which may be related to the geological evolution and other geological characteristics of China. According to the proportion of copper deposits in China, we rank them in turn as follows: porphyry type → marine sand shale type → skarn type → marine volcanic rock type (pyrite type) → copper-nickel sulfide type, in which the reserves of porphyry copper deposits account for more than 50% in China. At present, large and super-large copper mines in China are basically produced in the above five types of copper mines, and their copper reserves account for more than 80% of the total reserves in China.

(i) Porphyry copper mine

This is the most important type of copper mine in China. It is mainly distributed in five areas: Daxinganling in Northeast China, Zhongtiaoshan in Shanxi, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the "Three Rivers" in Southwest China, northern Xinjiang and the northern margin of North China Craton. They are basically located in the distribution areas of the world's three major porphyry copper belts (Pacific Rim Belt, Paleo-Asian Belt and Paleo-Mediterranean Belt). Their distribution is closely related to tectonism and is generally controlled by tectonic active zones, but as far as a single deposit is concerned, it is located at the junction of uplift and depression, close to the uplift side (Rui Zongyao, 1998). In the porphyry rock mass, copper deposits do not exist in the whole rock mass, but often only in some parts of the outer edge of the porphyry body, where fracture structures are developed and alteration is strong. Mineralization occurred after diagenesis and was obviously related to hydrothermal activity. At present, among the five super-large copper deposits known in China, porphyry copper deposits account for four, namely Yulong in Tibet, Dexing Copper Factory in Jiangxi, Fujiawu in Heilongjiang and Duobaoshan (the reserves are close to super-large scale). In addition, there are five large copper mines: Wengligutu Mountain in Inner Mongolia, Tongchangyu in Shaanxi, Zhushahong in Dexing, Jiangxi, Xiaduosongduo in Gongjue, Tibet and Chaya Marathon in Tibet. The average grade of copper in porphyry copper deposits in China is relatively poor compared with foreign countries, and the copper content in ores is mostly below 1%. The composition of porphyry copper ore is complex, and there are many elements that can be comprehensively utilized. The most common is molybdenum, which often forms a typical porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit, followed by gold, silver, rhenium, selenium and tellurium, which can be recovered as by-products. Some may be accompanied by platinum group elements, but this needs further in-depth work to determine.

(II) Marine sandstone shale copper deposit

This kind of copper deposit is mainly produced in marine fine clastic rock-carbonate formation. Host rocks are fine clastic rocks (some contain volcanic materials) or carbonate rocks. The ore body is layered and layered, and folds synchronously with the stratum. In some areas, there are late-cut copper veins. The deposits are generally large in scale, mainly distributed in Huili-Dongchuan, Yunnan-Yimen-Yuanjiang, Zhongtiaoshan, Shanxi, Langshan-Zhaertai, Inner Mongolia and Elashan, Qinghai. It is controlled by the marginal trough of intracontinental rift (also known as Ola Valley) or uplift area. The host strata of marine clastic copper deposits are mainly Proterozoic and Paleozoic. Compared with foreign countries, Proterozoic in China is more important. The main deposits are all produced in the middle and Neoproterozoic fine clastic rocks (partly containing volcanic materials)-carbonate rocks, which is one of the important types of copper deposits in China. The largest deposit is Tangdan copper mine in Dongchuan, Yunnan. Recent data show that its copper reserves are close to the scale of super-large deposits (2.5 million t). There are also large copper mines such as Huogeqi in Chao Ge Banner, Inner Mongolia, Tanyaokou in Urad Houqi Banner, Tongyugou in Xinghai, Qinghai and Luoxue in Dongchuan, Yunnan. The ore composition is simple, mainly copper and iron sulfides, such as bornite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, some galena and sphalerite, and some deposits also show cobalt anomalies. At present, marine sandstone-shale copper deposits in Paleozoic sedimentary basins have not been found in the vast areas of eastern China, but they have been found in the surrounding areas of Tarim and Qaidam blocks in northwest China. However, due to their low level of work, their scale prospects are still unclear. The Tongyugou large copper deposit in Qinghai contains a large number of skarn minerals in Paleozoic strata, which was once called skarn-like deposit. However, according to the bedding distribution of surrounding rocks and ore bodies and other characteristics of the deposit, it may be more suitable to classify it as sandstone-shale copper deposit. Because the scale of this type of copper deposits is generally large, attention should be paid to finding marine sandstone shale copper deposits around Tarim and Qaidam blocks in the future.

(III) Skarn copper deposit

This is a unique and important type of copper deposit in China, which occurs in the contact zone between intermediate-acid intrusive rocks and carbonate rocks. Widely distributed in most provinces (autonomous regions) in China, such as Tibet, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guangdong, Heilongjiang, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Anhui, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Hunan, Liaoning, Qinghai, etc., among which the skarn copper deposits in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and Yunnan, Shandong, Guangdong and other provinces are the most, especially in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Its distribution characteristics are generally porphyry in rock mass and skarn in the contact zone of rock mass edge, so we sometimes call it porphyry-skarn. For example, Xuejiping in Yunnan, Chengmen Mountain in Jiangxi and Fengshan Cave in Hubei are all porphyry and skarn copper deposits. At present, the known large-scale skarn copper deposits are Wushan in Ruichang, Jiangxi, Chengmen Mountain in Jiujiang, Tianpai Mountain in Qian Shan, Tonglushan in Daye, Hubei, Dabaoshan in Qujiang, Guangdong and Dongguashan in Tongling, Anhui. An important feature of skarn-type copper deposits is that they are small and rich, and the copper grade of the ore can reach 2% ~ 3%. Large, medium and small copper deposits and occurrences are the main ones, and almost no super-large deposits are formed. Ore composition is relatively complex, often containing cobalt and a small amount of gold. The associated components of different deposits are different, including molybdenum, lead, zinc, tin and magnetite.

(4) Marine volcanic copper deposits

This kind of copper deposit is often called massive sulfide deposit in western countries, but it is called copper-bearing pyrite type in the former Soviet Union, which is one of the important types of copper deposits in China. Its grade is rich, and the copper grade of most deposits is above 1%. The occurrence of ore bodies and strata is consistent, and they are layered and lenticular, appearing in groups. There are deposits in Archean to Tertiary strata, and the metallogenic age range is large. China is mainly produced in Proterozoic and Paleozoic marine volcanic rocks. Widely distributed, mainly distributed in Qilian Mountain in the west and "Three Rivers" in the southwest, such as Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and other provinces, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Xinjiang and other provinces (autonomous regions) also produce. This kind of deposit is the product of submarine volcanic activity, and most marine volcanic copper deposits are located at the intersection of volcanic rocks with different compositions. Ore-bearing volcanic rocks are mostly spilite porphyry formations, including tuffaceous volcanic rocks and volcanic lava. The famous large and medium-sized copper mines are Ashele in northern Xinjiang, Delny in Maqin, Qinghai, Baiyin Factory in Lanzhou, Gansu, Lala Factory in Huili, Sichuan, Wu Li in Jiulong and Dahongshan in Xinping, Yunnan, which belong to the same genesis. Such deposits are often associated with iron ore in space, such as Hongshan in Yunnan and Chenjiamiao in Gansu. The upper part is copper-bearing (magnetite) iron deposit, and the lower part is iron-bearing copper deposit.

(5) Copper-nickel sulfide copper deposit

This kind of deposit is closely related to mafic-ultrabasic rocks in space distribution and time. The shape, scale, occurrence and mineralization of ore bodies are controlled by rock mass. Most ore bodies are layered and lenticular and occur in the bottom contact zone of layered mafic-ultramafic rock mass, which is usually considered as the result of gravity differentiation, flow differentiation and crystallization differentiation. These mafic-ultrabasic rocks are mainly distributed along the ancient continental margin or intracontinental rift or intracontinental deep fault, and are the products of upwelling of mantle rocks in extensional environment. There are two very important conditions for the formation of such deposits: first, the fault depth is large; Second, the deep ore-forming materials are rich. This situation is similar to that of marine volcanic copper deposits, but the metallogenic model is different. Therefore, in the extension area of deep fault zone with copper-nickel sulfide copper deposits, there are often marine volcanic copper deposits with different metallogenic ages from copper-nickel sulfide copper deposits. For example, the Erqis super lithospheric fault zone has the early Permian Karatongke copper-nickel sulfide deposit in the southeast and the Middle Devonian Ashele marine volcanic copper deposit in the northwest. Another example is the Mesoproterozoic (1509Ma) Jinchuan copper-nickel sulfide deposit on the north side of the marine volcanic copper belt in North Qilian. The relationship between the spatial distribution and genesis of these two types of copper deposits is a problem worthy of in-depth study, because it is of great significance to prospecting. According to the available data, copper-nickel sulfide deposits in China are basically distributed in Changbai Mountain, Altai Mountain, Tianshan Mountain, Qilian Mountain and Hengduan Mountain. The most famous deposits are Jinchuan, Gansu, Fuyun Kalatongke, Xinjiang and Hongqiling, Panshi, Jilin. Among them, the metal reserves of copper and nickel in Jinchuan deposit in Gansu Province have reached the scale of super-large deposits, and the associated platinum group elements are the main sources of platinum group metals in China at present.

(VI) Continental sandstone shale copper deposit

This type of copper mine is of great significance in China. It occurs in Mesozoic-Cenozoic continental basins (there are also copper mineralization in the continental sandstone of Chengjiang Formation of Lower Sinian in Yunnan), and can be divided into two subtypes according to regional geological background, ore occurrence and mineral differences. One is that copper mineralization is distributed along multiple layers, and the ore bodies are mainly layered, layered and lenticular (the same as sandstone-type copper (uranium) deposits in Colorado Plateau, USA, but mostly coiled ore bodies in redox zones), which are ore-bearing rock series. Mainly red sand shale, mixed with yellow, gray, purple, green and other variegated sand shale, this lithologic combination is often called "red bed". The basin area is relatively small, all of which are fault basins and intermontane basins, so the formed deposits are generally small in scale. The bottom of the basin is generally dark coarse clastic rock or coal measures, the middle is copper-bearing formation, and the upper is gypsum-salt formation. Copper mineralization occurs in light-colored sand shale (generally gray, gray-green, gray-black, etc. ) with red clastic rocks. The ore minerals are mainly chalcocite, light blue copper ore, bornite, chalcopyrite, malachite, azurite, pyrite and white iron ore, with a small amount of galena, sphalerite and tennantite. The ore is rich in copper grade, generally between 1.0%-2.0%. Useful elements such as uranium, silver and selenium are often associated with different deposits, and sometimes their ore bodies can be circled, and even copper-bearing uranium deposits or copper-bearing silver deposits can be formed. Since 1980s, people have a consistent understanding of the genesis of the deposit, with early syngenetic sedimentation and late hydrothermal superimposed reformation mineralization, so it is called sedimentary reformation deposit. Continental sandstone shale copper deposits are mainly distributed in southern China, such as Hengyang Basin, Mayang Basin in Hunan, Chuxiong Basin in Yunnan and Anninghe Basin in Sichuan, and are controlled by the same horizon in the same area. The famous deposits are Liu Ju, Dacun, Dayao Aodiju, Mouding Haojiahe, Sichuan Huili Dadongchang, Hunan Mayang Jiuqu Bay, Changning Baifang and so on. However, no large deposit of this type has been found so far, which may be related to the small scale of continental basins of rock mines. The other is a copper mine in continental sand shale, which is only found in Lanping-Simao Basin, Yunnan. It is mainly distributed in the west margin of Lanping Basin, east of the Lancang River deep fault, and near the NW-trending deep fault in the middle of Simao Basin. The fault structures in the area are well developed, and mineralization occurs in groups, mainly in the Middle Jurassic, followed by Triassic, Permian, Cretaceous and Tertiary, with sandstone shale, volcanic rocks and limestone as lithology, and the representative deposit is Jin Man copper mine (medium-sized). In addition, there is copper mineralization (malachite) in the surface spring water nearby, and the spring flowers cover the Tertiary (such as the north of Lajing Mountain in Lanping County). The ore bodies are mainly vein-shaped, and the ore minerals are mainly tetrahedrite, bornite and chalcopyrite, followed by pyrite, malachite and chalcopyrite, with occasional chalcocite, galena and sphalerite. The distribution and mineral assemblage of ore bodies are obviously different from those of the first mineralization, which reflects their differences in genesis and may be a new type of copper deposit. Based on the study of Tengchong Lianghe Gold Mine, 38 1 Uranium Mine, Jiangcheng Mengyejing Potash Mine, Lanping Lead-zinc Mine, Jin Man Copper Mine and Lajing Copper Mine in Sanjiang area of western Yunnan, it is pointed out that they belong to the continental hydrothermal sedimentary origin. According to the occurrence, the continental hydrothermal sedimentary deposits are divided into three subtypes, namely basin sedimentary type, filling (infiltration) sedimentary type and spring sedimentary type, and Jin Man copper mine belongs to filling (infiltration) continental hydrothermal sedimentary type. There are two types of ore bodies in the deposit: vein and vein. Vein ore bodies are the main body of the deposit, which are distributed along the interlayer fracture zone and strictly controlled by the fracture zone. Its copper reserves account for 86% of the whole ore, and the copper grade is 0.65% ~ 12.02%, with an average of 2.04%. There are many veinlet ore bodies with small scale and low grade, mostly below 1%. The copper grade of the largest ore body is 0.65% ~ 1.94%, with an average of 1.03%. Most of them are distributed in the gray fine sandstone of the upper member of the middle Jurassic Huakaizuo Formation, and some of them occur in the corresponding parts of large vein ore bodies.

(vii) Continental volcanic copper deposits

It is mainly produced in Mesozoic intermediate-acid continental volcanic rocks in eastern China, followed by Permian continental Emeishan basalt in Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou in western China, with some copper mineralization and ore occurrences. In addition, in Junggar, West Tianshan, West Qinling, Hoh Xil, Gangdise Mountain and other places in western China, there were also basic-intermediate acid continental volcanic rock copper deposits and mineralization from Carboniferous to Tertiary, but few deposits have been found so far. Continental volcanic copper deposits are first controlled by volcanic rock formation types and distributed along deep faults. In the past, because there were few large and super-large deposits of continental volcanic copper deposits in China, the research degree was relatively low compared with the above types of deposits. Continental volcanic copper deposits are often associated with subvolcanic rocks, so it is easy to regard them as porphyry deposits. However, porphyry copper deposits are quite different from continental volcanic copper deposits. Porphyry copper deposits are mainly disseminated ores, while continental volcanic copper deposits are mainly vein ores. In addition, the wall rock alteration of continental volcanic copper deposits is also very characteristic, such as alum petrochemical, glacier petrochemical and Dikai petrochemical. The ore composition of this kind of deposit is relatively simple, sometimes accompanied by silver and gold. Continental volcanic-type copper deposits often occur in Yanshanian continental volcanic rocks in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and coastal provinces such as Fujian, Zhejiang and Guangdong, but the scale of the deposits seen is not large. At present, only the Zijinshan copper mine in Shanghang, Fujian Province has reached a large scale. The deposit is located in the eastern margin of Cretaceous continental volcanic-sedimentary basin in the northwest of Xiao Yun-Shanghang deep fault. The ore minerals are mainly pyrite, chalcocite-chalcocite, followed by chalcopyrite, chalcocite and a small amount of bornite.

(8) Vein and native copper deposits.

It accounts for a small proportion of copper metal reserves, and some porphyry copper deposits, continental volcanic copper deposits and continental sandstone shale copper deposits also have vein-like ore bodies. These two types of copper deposits are not introduced here.

The above seven types of copper deposits are classified according to the host rocks, which are easy to identify in the field and indoors. The genesis and details of various types of copper deposits will be discussed in later chapters, and will not be repeated here. It should also be pointed out that in recent decades, geologists in China have done a lot of work and made great achievements in copper prospecting and research, but we must also clearly see that in the past, our work was mainly concentrated in the eastern part of China, while in the vast area of western China, due to inconvenient transportation, relatively backward economy and relatively low level of geological basic research and prospecting work, it is still possible to find the above-mentioned types of copper deposits or even new types of copper deposits in this area. In recent years, some large or extra-large copper deposits and areas have been discovered in western China, such as Xifanping in Yanyuan, Sichuan (large, alkali-rich porphyry type), Yangla in Deqin, Yunnan (large, massive sulfide type), Tuding in Weixi (medium, massive sulfide type), Jinggu Minle (medium or above, porphyry type) and Simao Dapingzhang (medium or above, marine volcanic type).

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