At Beiya, the mineralized zones in the Cu–Au-rich porphyries are surrounded by Au–Cu–Fe skarns and Au (Cu) veins. Pb–Zn–Ag-rich mineralization was derived from the inner porphyry, and is widely developed outside the central alkaline-rich porphyry.
The sulfur isotope signature of the sulfide mineralization in the Beiya and Qinhe deposits is − 2.40‰–4.50‰ and 1.25–2.75‰, respectively. These values are close to 0‰, indicating that the sulfur may be mantle-derived. The δ18O compositions of the ore-forming fluids responsible for the formation of calcites at Qinhe are 8.10‰–9.61‰, which is lower than that of Beiya (δ18O = 10.5‰) where the ores contain a larger contribution of oxygen from the mantle. The Beiya porphyry magmas provided fluids and the heat that drove the transport of the metals to the site of deposition.
Alkaline porphyries are widely distributed throughout the Jinshajiang–Honghe strike–slip fault belt, and they are potential hosts to future discoveries of Beiya-style mineralization.