Maricunga-Style21 Apr 2025 21:39
If Viuda Negra is a Maricunga-type system, then GSCU isn’t just chasing a few grams per tonne , they’re potentially sitting on A multi-million-ounce gold system. Tens to hundreds of millions of tonnes in potential resources. A style of deposit that majors actively pursue due to scalability.
And with gold over $3,300, these projects are more valuable than ever even 0.5–1.0 g/t Au projects now attract serious attention.
Why this is Geologically significant
Our Viuda Negra discovery shows several key similarities to Maricunga-style porphyry systems.
1. Alteration Signature
Albite-pyrite-clay alteration, with zones of magnetite-chlorite and advanced argillic overprint
Widespread sheeted and stockwork quartz veins.
Systematic zonation of Mo-Bi-Sb-Se, classic porphyry-style geochemical indicators
These alteration styles are textbook Maricunga.
2. Mineralisation Style
Outcrop samples up to 4.2 g/t Au, 145 g/t Ag, 0.56% Cu
Drill intercepts like 12m @ 1.5 g/t Au + 0.47% Cu, including 2m @ 4.4 g/t Au
Increasing grades and widths moving south suggesting a large, evolving system
This kind of Au-rich porphyry mineralisation is exactly what companies in the Maricunga Belt have turned into tier-1 deposits.
3. Structural Setting
Located in coastal metallogenic belt, comparable tectonic regime to Maricunga
Viuda prospect sits in a 2km-wide bowl-shaped alteration zone surrounding resistive silicified hills, this geomorphology is typical of collapsed or eroded porphyry centres
It’s geologically ripe for a buried porphyry centre!
The Maricunga Belt is a world-renowned metallogenic province in northern Chile, hosting large gold dominant porphyry and high sulphidation epithermal systems. It’s home to multiple multimillion ounce gold deposits notably…
Cerro Casale – 23Moz Au, 5.8Bn lbs Cu (Gold Fields & Barrick)
Cerro Maricunga – 5.2Moz Au (Atacama Pacific)
La Coipa – >6Moz Au, 100Moz Ag (Kinross)
Lobo-Marte – 6.4Moz Au (Kinross)
These deposits are characterised by large tonnage, often with low to medium grade (0.5–1.5 g/t Au) Hosted in porphyritic intrusions and volcanic complexes. Extensive hydrothermal alteration zones (argillic, advanced argillic, phyllic) Gold-dominant mineralisation with accessory copper and silver. Often spatially associated with sheeted quartz vein systems, breccias, and pyrite-chalcopyrite mineralisation
These deposits are highly economic because of Size/scale potential (many >200Mt) Often oxide caps that allow heap leach processing. Infrastructure access in Chile and long mine lives.
Sam said in an an interview last week “With gold prices currently at all-time highs, the gold-silver rich Maricunga-style porphyry gold and copper vein alteration evident in outcrop at Viuda represents a very exciting target for GSC."
So much going on.. Newsflow will be off the charts soon.. much like the SP when people catch on to what’s happening over i