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Pena Colorada, El Mamey
Colima, Mexico
Main commodities: Fe


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In 1970 the Pena Colorada / El Mamey deposits in Colima State, south western Mexico, ~35 km WNW of the capital Colima, were the largest known iron deposit in the country in 2000.

The deposit is located in the southern part of the Guerrero Terrane.   The orebodies were massive hematite-magnetite associated with a 68 Ma equigranular intrusive diorite and limestone of the mid-Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary sequence with tholeiitic volcanics.   The deposits were believed to have the form of magmatic segregations and contact metamorphic (skarn) deposits, with associated detrital accumulations derived from the primary mineralisation (Klemic, 1970).

The dioritic intrusive is surrounded by a 500 m wide alteration halo, including an inner 200 m affected by an earlier metamorphic event with discontinuous bands of pyroxene hornfels and garnet disseminations which are over printed by albitisation and in turn by fracture controlled epidote-chlorite and epidote-chlorite-prehnite.   These were overprinted by a potassic alteration event associated with hydrothermal breccia and aplite dykes and overprints the earlier calcsilicates.   Massive magnetite (36%)-specular hematite (7%)-sulphide (<5%) mineralisation was deposited contemporaneously with metasomatic plagioclase, forming a shallow dipping 35 m thick replacement body, after a marl protolith, some 200 m above the diorite contact.

Resource figures include:
 131 Mt @ 56% Fe (Reserve, 1961, Klemic, 1970).
 150 Mt @ 36% Magnetite (Resource, 2000, Zurcher, 2001).

Mineralisation is associated with skarn alteration and has been classified as a Kirunavaara type Iron Oxide Apatite deposit (Klemic, 1970).

For detail consult the reference(s) listed below.

The most recent source geological information used to prepare this decription was dated: 2001.    
This description is a summary from published sources, the chief of which are listed below.
© Copyright Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd.   Unauthorised copying, reproduction, storage or dissemination prohibited.


  References & Additional Information
   Selected References:
Klemic, H.,  1970 - Iron ore deposits of the United States of America, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Central America: in   Survey of World Iron Ore Resources, Occurrence and Appraisal, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, New York,    pp 411-477.
Zurcher L, Ruiz J, Barton M D  2001 - Paragenesis, elemental distribution, and stable isotopes at the Pena Colorada Iron Skarn, Colima, Mexico: in    Econ. Geol.   v96 pp 535-557


Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd (PorterGeo) provides access to this database at no charge.   It is largely based on scientific papers and reports in the public domain, and was current when the sources consulted were published.   While PorterGeo endeavour to ensure the information was accurate at the time of compilation and subsequent updating, PorterGeo, its employees and servants:   i). do not warrant, or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, currency, or otherwise; and   ii). expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or conclusions contained herein.

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