Regional study of applied satellite data for evaluation of resource potential in the Northern Area of the Republic of Peru, Phase II

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate regional resource potential of northern Peru by satellite image analysis. This study is being jointly carried out with Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico del Perú "INGEMMET" and Perupetro S.A. The term of this project is scheduled to be three years with this year being the second year of the project. The study area for this year was between latitudes 4° 30' S and 7°S in the N-S direction, and the Pacific Ocean and Brazilian border in the E-W direction. The western portion of the study area, the Andean mountain range region, is known as a metallogenic region, and numerous metallic ore deposit, such as Yanacocha mine (gold dissemination type in massive silicified rocks), La Ganja mine (porphyry copper type) and Hualgajoc mine (polymetallic vein type) are located here. Geologic interpretation and spectral analysis of LANDSAT TM data and field survey or alteration mapping in this region have been carried out, as well as a prototype of computer programrne to aid potential evaluation analysis by geologist using GIS data set as input data, have been developed. This programme will be completed and applied for evaluation of the whole Andean mountain range region in the next fiscal year. As a result of the study in the metallogenic region o far, concentration of mercury and arsenic is recognised ín one of the silicified zones causing a TM spectral anomaly in the Chota arca where the Yanaco ha and Hualgajoc mines are located. It suggests a possibi1ity that this silicified zone might be accompanied by gold mineralization. The test case of the prototype programme for potential valuation shows its effectiveness applied to regional valuation of resource potential.