Mining Intelligence and News
Mexico

Cienega Mine

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Zinc
  • Lead
Mining Method
  • Longhole open stoping
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotCiénega, including the San Ramón satellite is Fresnillo's most polymetallic mine.

Ciénega is the 2024 year’s big success story. Ciénega has a long history of providing value as well as being a source of great professionals. The original outlook for this mine was complex, with a limited mine life if additional cost-cutting strategies were not identified. However, by changing how the team approached the future – redoubling efforts to identify operational efficiencies – Fresnillo has been able to achieve an excellent financial and operational performance.

Fresnillo will continue the exploration programme in these areas with the aim of extending the mine’s life beyond 2028.

The objective for 2025, continue to focus on maximising productivity with own resources while enhancing contractor efficiency. Continue exploration programme in selected high-grade target areas to extend the reserve base and mine life. Finalise evaluation of satellite deposits to complement production.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Industrias Peñoles SAB de CV 74.99 % Indirect
Fresnillo plc is the owner of Cienega mine, with 100% ownership.

Fresnillo plc is 75% owned subsidiary of Industrias Peñoles SAB de CV.

Fresnillo plc is listed independently on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), and has its own management team, administrative structure, and governing bodies.

Deposit type

  • Epithermal
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

The La Ciénega gold-silver veins are low-sulfidation, epithermal-type deposits related to a rhyolitic flow-dome complex. Ore deposits in the La Ciénega district consist of a series of subparallel, northwest– southeast-trending veins which are hosted in andesitic and rhyolitic rocks that belong to the Tertiary-age Upper and Lower Volcanic sequences. The veins are vertical to steeply dipping structures which consist of quartz, generally containing gold-silver and less than 10 percent combined lead, zinc, and copper sul-fide, and sulfosalt minerals. Supergene enrichment is present in the upper parts of the known ore shoots.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Gold Metal oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe65,58366,86971,94772,85185,662
Silver Metal oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5,796,1905,998,9875,394,0375,130,8704,827,864
Zinc Metal t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe8,9865,8927,0487,4505,970
Zinc Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1712141412
Lead Metal t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5,8394,7996,3285,8835,425
Lead Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1313171614

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4 kt4 kt4 kt4 kt4 kt
Annual milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,340 kt1,340 kt1,340 kt1,340 kt1,340 kt
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,329 kt1,324 kt1,302 kt1,275 kt1,329 kt

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20242023202220212020201920182017
Cash costs Silver USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Cash costs Gold Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Cash costs Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Cash costs Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Cash costs (sold) Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -0.23 / oz **   25.9 / oz **   -163.7 / oz **  
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Silver USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1,212 / oz **   1,414 / oz **   691.43 / oz **  
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency202420232022202120202019201820172016
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Mine Financials

Units20242023202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 58.2   72.9   46.5  
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 204.7   187.1   198.3  
Gross profit M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 84.9   79.2   97.1  
EBITDA M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 10, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 10, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2018
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2017
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2016
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2015

Aerial view:

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