Overview
Stage | Permitting |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 13.6 years (as of Jan 1, 2023) |
The updated Mineral Resource Estimate and PEA confirm that Volcan is a large resource capable of generating significant annual gold production with substantial margins at today's gold prices. |
Source:
p. 54
In March 2022, Hochschild established a new Canadian company, Tiernan Gold Corp (Tiernan), and on 14th March 2023 completed a restructuring where Tiernan became 100% owner of Andina Minerals Chile SpA and a subsidiary of Hochschild UK.
Andina Minerals Chile SpA is owner of Volcan Project.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Hydrothermal
- Breccia pipe / Stockwork
- Porphyry
Summary:
The structural setting of the Volcan property is related to, and associated with, the formation of the Copiapo stratovolcano (Volcan Copiapo) and may also be related to regional northerly-trending high-angle reverse faulting. Cameco originally identified three generally moderate to steeply dipping fault systems, trending northwest-southeast, northeast-southwest and east-west, and considered the northeast-southwest and east-west trending systems to be the more important structural controls on alteration and mineralization.
The principal rock types identified on the Volcan property are:
• Dacite, rhyodacite and andesite lavas;
• Volcanic flow and dome complex rocks;
• Pyroclastic flows;
• Hydrothermal breccias;
• Sub-volcanic porphyry.
Gold-copper mineralization at Volcan is related to the intensely developed hydrothermal alteration that gave rise to the native sulphur deposits in the area. The hydrothermal system was a consequence of the sub-volcanic intrusion of dacitic to microdioritic porphyry into a complex of domes and lava flows of dacitic composition.
Mineralization
Easdon (2005) describes the gold mineralization as follows:
“The generation of this sulphur [i.e., the native sulphur], with associated and anomalous mercury, arsenic, antimony and gold, was recognized (Zentilli, 1990) to be related to near-surface, but deeper seated multiple hydrothermal high sulphidation epithermal systems which are developed in a complex of domes and lava flows of dacitic composit ........
Summary:
There are two independent open-pit areas named Dorado Oeste/Central and Dorado Este, each one with a dedicated NonEconomic Rock Storage Facility.
Open Pit
The proposed mining operations are based on the use of hydraulic excavators and a haul truck fleet engaged in conventional open pit mining techniques.
Excavated material will be loaded to trucks and hauled to either the Run of Mine (ROM) pad, the low-grade stockpile or the NERSF. Mineralized material excavation and haulage will be monitored by quality control personnel employed by the geology department and details of material movement will be recorded by a radio dispatch system. Almost all rock is fresh rock that will be typically blasted on 20 m benches.
Pit Optimization Parameters:
Overall pit slopes - 38.2° – 52°
Face angle - 73°
Bench height - 20 m
Berm width - 9.5 to 11.9 m
Inter-ramp angle - 42° to 52°
Ramp width - 32 m
Production Schedule
Mine scheduling assumptions are as follows:
• Crusher feed of 60 kt/d.
• Maximum 85 Mt of material movement per year.
• Low-grade stockpile to increase head grade for initial years.
The estimated open pit mine life is 14 years, providing feed to the crushing circuit at an average rate of 60,000 t/d. Mineralized material is produced from the pit from 10 years of active mining with low-grade material set aside for processing for the last 4 years of mine life.
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Pipelines and Water Supply
Source:
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Reserves at July 22, 2022:
The mineral resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.29 g/t gold for the DO and DE and are reported at a cut-off of 0.75 g/t for DC.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Measured
|
123,979 kt
|
Gold
|
0.7 g/t
|
2,792 koz
|
Indicated
|
339,274 kt
|
Gold
|
0.643 g/t
|
7,013 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
463,253 kt
|
Gold
|
0.658 g/t
|
9,804 koz
|
Inferred
|
75,018 kt
|
Gold
|
0.516 g/t
|
1,246 koz
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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