Dulcinea mine

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Dulcinea
Location
Dulcinea is located in Atacama Region
Dulcinea
Dulcinea
Dulcinea is located in Chile
Dulcinea
Dulcinea
Atacama Region
CountryChile
Coordinates27°09′10″S 69°57′52″W / 27.152868°S 69.964341°W / -27.152868; -69.964341
Production
ProductsCopper, gold
History
Opened1854

Dulcinea is a copper and gold[1] mine in northern Chile about 40–50 km north-east of the city of Copiapó and about 40 km south of the town of Inca de Oro. It is classified as a medium-size deposit by the National Geology and Mining Service.[1] In 1966 it was the deepest mine in Chile with its deepest parts reaching then 1 km below surface.[2] Dulcinea lies in an area of cold desert climate.[3]

The ore of the mine is mainly composed of a vein of chalcopyrite, crysocolla, malachite, molybdenite and pyrite.[1] The main vein is chiefly composed of chalcopyrite and has a thickness of 1.5 m and 8% of its mass made of copper.[2] There are also lesser ammounts of chalcocite and secondary djurleite.[4][5] Gangue minerals found in the mine are; calcite, quartz, hematite and tourmaline.[5] The mine also host small amounts of zinc in sphalerite and as native alloys.[5] In parts the main vein is split into two separated by a sliver of altered diorite.[4][6]

The mine was likely exploited already in Pre-Hispanic times but the modern mine dates to 1854.[7] The mine was owned by The Copper Mines of Copiapo owned by British capital.[7] In late 1970, during the Presidency of Salvador Allende, the mine was organized as worker's cooperative, being the first one of a series of cooperative mines that formed in the early 1970s.[8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c SISTEMA DE INFORMACIÓN DE YACIMIENTOS MINERALES DE CHILE FICHA DEL YACIMIENTO N° 613 Dulcinea (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). SERNAGEOMIN (published 2014-12-23). 2014-12-14.
  2. ^ a b Bowes, William A.; Knowles, Paul H.; Serrano C., Mario; Gruenwald S., Rodolfo (1966). "Reconocimiento por uranio en el area de Copiapó, Provincia de Atacama" (PDF). Exploration de Minerales Radiactivos en Chile (in Spanish). Vol. Segunda Parte: Provincias de Atacama y Coquimbo. Instituto de Investigaciones Geologicas Chile. pp. 27–54.
  3. ^ "Dulcinea, Copiapo, Provincia de Copiapó, Región de Atacama, Chile". Mindat. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  4. ^ a b Clarck, A.H.; Cooke, R.U.; Mortimer, C.; Sillitoe, R.H. (1967-05-10). Relaciones entre la alteración mineral supergénica y la geomorfología en la parte meridional del desierto de Atacama, Chile: Un informe provisional (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). Translated by Magalhaes-Calvet Arnolds, Juan.
  5. ^ a b c Clark, A.H., & Sillitoe, R.H. (1970). "Native zinc and α-Cu, Zn from mina Dulcinea De Llampos, Copiapó, Chile". American Mineralogist: Journal of Earth and Planetary Materials, 55(5-6): 1019-1021.
  6. ^ Griem, Wolfgang. "Ilustraciones históricas de Chile y Atacama: E. Poirier - Mina Dulcinea en las cercanías de Puquios". geovirtual (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  7. ^ a b "Reseña sobre una mítica Mina Atacameña Dulcinea". El Zorro Nortino (in Spanish). 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  8. ^ Venegas Valdebenito, Hernán (2012). "El cooperativismo minero como alternativa de organización social y económica en los años de la revolución. Atacama 1964-1973". Tiempo Histórico (in Spanish). 5: 103–127.
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