Abstract：This study demonstrates that the portable infrared mineral analyzer (PIMA) is capable of deriving detailed mineralogical information on hydrothermal alteration at low cost and therefore is an operational tool for mineral exploration. With this technology, hydrothermal minerals can be quickly identified and hydrothermal alteration zones effectively mapped to assist in mineral exploration. Because of the fast data acquisition and no requirement for sample preparation, it becomes practical to measure a sufficiently large number of samples in order to objectively capture the mineralogical variation of a hydrothermal alteration/mineralization system. The results of PIMA application at the Tuwu porphyry prospect show the effectivity of mineral identification and characterizing the porphyry copper mineralization system.