Bonillas Cord, Uspallata, Las Heras Department, Mendoza, Argentina

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Cordón de Bonillas, Uspallata, Departamento Las Heras, Provincia de Mendoza, Argentina.

Elevation: 3,047 m. above sea level.
Located at 20 Km at the East of Uspallata City.
Talc Deposits and Mines.

History:
The Pre mountain range and front range of Mendoza offer the geological framework suitable for the location of deposits of the talc of importance and economic quality. There are approximately 125 sites and basic located in ultra rocks bands TALC mines of the Pre mountain range and front range that have yielded approximate reserves (indicated, inferred and hidden) that exceed one million tons.

Location:
Deposits of pre mountain range located in the cords "Cortaderas" and "Bonillas".
The first cord ("Cortaderas") is located approximately 30 km to the NE of the town of Uspallata, and constitutes the eastern edge of the eponymous Valley. The area is located between the following coordinates:
32 ° 12´ - 32 22´ S ° and 69 ° 10´ 69 ° 07´ W.
"Bonilla" cord is located about 20 kilometers from the town of Uspallata, which is accessed by the quebrada de "Santa Elena", and the sector is bounded by the following coordinates:
32 ° 32´ - 32 43´S ° and 69 ° 15´ 69 ° 10´ W.
Mining demonstrations are located in the District of Uspallata, Las Heras Department, access is by the Gorge of the "Santa Elena", and the mine "La Mendocina" is reached after traveling a distance of 18 kilometres.
District Uspallata-Bonilla involves the following mines:
Don Luis, Los Cheecos, Gobernador Cano, Don Ernesto, Flor, Victoria, Salada, Salada Segunda, La Nona, La Cueva, Corina, Rivadavia, La Mendocina, San Carlos, El Coloso, El Tramojo, Alberta, Ariel, María Susana, Benito, Alcorta, Maria Lidia, Jagüelito, Maria Rosa, Susana, Carmen, Bonilla, Sarita, Susy I, Susy II, Maria Teresa, Cema II, Eclipse I and San Felipe, with a total of 34 mines.
The total reserves of the district, indicated and inferred, are 280,000 tons and hidden 50,000 tons.

Geology of the District:
Foothills: the outcrops of the basic rocks and altered serpentinics talc, actinolite, chrysotile bodies, they are contained in different metamorphic units, predominantly grade lower than extend emerges from the boundary with the province of San Juan to the course of the Mendoza River.
-In training "Bonillas" of the Uspallata saws are located most of the altered to TALC serpentine bodies. This formation consists of phyllites, schists, tremolitics, albitics and chloritic-dolomitics, limestone and quartz limestone. The presence of pyrite composed of phyllite and Ortho amphiboles, is abundant in this formation and in the "Farallones" training. Northward, the cords "Cortaderas" and "Alojamiento", there are important bodies of geology also altered to talc, billeted in metamorphic rocks similar to those considered in the sierra de Uspallata.
-"Cortaderas" formation is composed of goal graywackes, schists and phyllites, recipient of the basic bodies and ultra basic metamorphosed. The important bodies of geology and pockets of talc are associated with this training and then northward of the outcrops involved in "Bonilla" and "Farallones" formations.

Morphology: the concentrations of talc, usually have horizontal development, with flashing of 200 to 300 metres and consist of a series of bodies with an area of 20 to 40 meters.
"La Mendocina" mine consists of bodies or streaks of talc housed in lenticular bodies of serpentinite with general direction North-South, tilt 35 ° to 45 ° E and power between 1.4 and 2 metres. The thickness of the deposits range between 1 and 2 meters, in some cases, reaching 6 metres. In depth mineralization has been recognized more than 70 meters, as it is the case of this mine.

Genetic model: the formation of deposits of the talc is related to the alteration of the ultra basic bodies in three stages. The first occurs the serpentinization of the rocks, in the second the resulting serpentinite is carbonatized by the action of fluids carrying CO2 and the formation of the talc-carbonate Association. The last stage, with the contribution of SiO2 and H2O solutions produced the esteatization of the previous rocks with the extraction of faith, to the and Mg.

Operating system: virtually all the deposits have been exploited opencast and shallow. In those cases that have had make shafts, tunnels, galleries, these have not passed 20 meters and reached exceptionally 60 m, such is the case of the mine "La Mendocina", where the galleries made exceeded the 400 meters in length.

Sites primary mineralization consists of: TALC - tremolite - actinolite - Antigorita - asbestos - chrysotile - pyrite - calcite - dolomite - Serpentinita - Asbestina - oxides of iron - amphiboles - quartz - Albite - chlorites.

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Actinolite Albite 'Amphibole Group' Antigorite

'Asbestos' Calcite 'Chlorite Group' Chrysotile

Dolomite Limonite Pyrite Quartz

'Serpentine Group' Talc Tremolite

30 entries listed. 10 valid minerals.

Localities in this Region

Argentina Mendoza Las Heras Department Uspallata Bonillas Cord La Mendocina Mine

References