Turnbull, R.E.; Christie, A.B.; Georgatou, A.A.; De Ronde, C.E.J.; Brathwaite, R.L.; Chambefort, I.; Hill, M.P. 2023 Copper as a critical metal for New Zealand’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Lower Hutt, NZ: GNS Science. GNS Science report 2022/43. 88 p.; doi: 10.21420/NYEJ-XG27
Abstract:
Copper (Cu) is a resource that is essential in the successful transition towards a low-carbon, clean energy future. Currently, New Zealand imports 100% of its Cu inventory, despite known Cu deposits in New Zealand. Given the predicted future demand for Cu, and its certainty to become scarce due to dwindling reserves, supply-chain issues, and global political instability, understanding New Zealand’s potential for a domestic supply of socially and environmentally sustainable Cu is appropriate. In this report we present an overview of the current understanding of New Zealand’s potential Cu resources, with a focus on the Coromandel Peninsula where historic mining for Cu associated with porphyry systems has occurred. An up-to-date inventory of Cu resources throughout New Zealand and the Coromandel Peninsula is provided, as well as the first resource assessment ever completed for Cu in New Zealand. Based on known and undiscovered occurrences, porphyry Cu deposits are likely to yield the largest resources of Cu in New Zealand, with a potential resource of 1,965,600 t of Cu (>90% of all estimated Cu resources). Focusing on porphyry Cu systems in the Coromandel Peninsula, geochemical data from several sources, as well as new analyses undertaken for this study, were compiled to identify Cu ‘fertility’ signatures in Coromandel Peninsula plutonic rocks. Based on the limited dataset, some plutonic rocks show that they are prospective with respect to Cu ‘fertility’; however, given the limited dataset and significant advances in the understanding of porphyry Cu deposits globally, additional sampling and acquisition of a high-quality, comprehensive geochemical dataset across the Coromandel Peninsula is recommended to better understand New Zealand’s porphyry Cu resource potential (auths)
