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Mexico

Bolivar Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Zinc
Mining Method
  • Sub-level stoping
  • Longhole stoping
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SnapshotThe Bolivar Property includes the Bolivar Mine as well as the Piedras Verdes processing plant.

In 2021, Sierra Metals released results of the updated 10,000 tpd PEA results to include the iron ore production at Bolivar. Sierra Metals evaluated a magnetic separation circuit to recover magnetite from flotation tailings and historical tailings but deemed the circuit not viable and was not installed. The plant was expected to produce approximately 500,000 tonnes of 62% iron ore fines concentrate each year.

At Bolivar, the Sierra Metals will continue the construction of the new tailings dam, allowing the mine to increase its production capacity to 7,500 tpd in the future.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Sierra Metals Inc. 100 % Indirect
Dia Bras Mexicana SA de CV (operator) 100 % Direct
Sierra Metals Inc. owns 100% of the Bolivar Mine through Dia Bras Mexicana.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Skarn
  • Carbonate replacement

Summary:

The Bolivar deposit is classified as a high-grade Cu-Zn skarn.

The deposit is located within the Guerrero composite terrane, which makes up the bulk of western Mexico and is one of the largest accreted terranes in the North American Cordillera. The Guerrero terrane, proposed to have accreted to the margin of nuclear Mexico in the Late Cretaceous, consists of submarine and lesser subaerial volcanic and sedimentary sequences ranging from Upper Jurassic to middle Upper Cretaceous in age. These sequences rest unconformably on deformed and partially metamorphosed early Mesozoic oceanic sequences.

The Piedras Verdes district is made up of Cretaceous andesitic to basaltic flows and tuffs intercalated with greywacke, limestone, and shale beds. Cu-Zn skarn mineralization is in carbonate rocks adjacent to the Piedras Verde granodiorite. Mineralization exhibits strong stratigraphic control, and two stratigraphic horizons host the bulk of the mineralization: an upper calcic horizon, which predominantly hosts Zn-rich mineralization, and a lower dolomitic horizon, which predominantly hosts Cu-rich mineralization. In both cases, the highest grades are developed where structures and associated breccia zones cross these favorable horizons near skarn-marble contacts.

Mineralization
Mineralization at the Bolivar Property is hosted by skarn alteration in carbonate rocks adjacent to the Piedras Verde granodiorite (Meinert, 2007). Orientations of the skarn vary dramatically, although the majority are gently-dipping. Thicknesses vary from 2 m to over 20 m.

Skarn mineralization is strongly zoned, with proximal Cu-rich garnet skarn in the South Bolivar area, close to igneous contacts, and more distal Zn-rich garnet+pyroxene skarn in the northern Bolivar and southern skarn zones near El Val. The presence of chalcopyrite+bornite dominant skarn (lacking sphalerite) in the South Bolivar area, along with K-silicate veins in the adjacent granodiorite suggests that this zone is close to a center of hydrothermal fluid activity.

In contrast, the main Bolivar Mine is characterized by Zn>Cu and more distal skarn mineralogy such as pyroxene>garnet and pale green and brown garnets. Alteration is zoned relative to fluid flow channels. From proximal to distal, the observed sequence is red-brown garnet to brown garnet with chalcopyrite ± bornite ± magnetite to green garnet ± pyroxene with chalcopyrite + sphalerite to massive sulphide (sphalerite ± chalcopyrite ± galena) to marble with stylolites and other fluid escape structures.

Mineralization exhibits strong stratigraphic control, and two stratigraphic horizons host the majority: an upper calcic horizon, which predominantly hosts Zn-rich mineralization, and a lower dolomitic horizon, which predominantly hosts Cu-rich mineralization.

In both cases, the highest grades are developed where fault or vein structures and associated breccia zones cross these favorable horizons near skarn-marble contacts. Meinert (2007) suggested that hydrothermal fluids moved up along the Piedras Verde granodiorite contact, forming skarn and periodically undergoing phase separation that caused brecciation. Zones of breccia follow faults like the Rosario, Fernandez, and Breccia Linda trends as well as nearly vertical breccia pipes such as La Increíble.

Dulce Deposit
In contrast with the main Bolivar Mine, whose orebodies have a general trend NW-SE, Dulce Vetiform type skarn body is oriented northeast to southwest with dip 60°. The principal economic minerals are massive chalcopyrite, disseminate bornite and minor presence of sphalerite. The actual known area delimitated by drillholes covers a volume of 400 m in length by 450m in depth and an average of 12 m in width. Stratigraphic controls of this structure at hangingwall are andesitic flows and at the footwall by marble.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityProductUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Copper Metal in concentrate k lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe19,830 17,227 15,056 17,109 17,629 
Gold Metal in concentrate oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe6,974 3,968 2,880 2,986 3,216 
Silver Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe640 452 327 398 440 
Copper Equivalent Payable metal k lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe22,05419,18317,747
Copper Equivalent Metal in concentrate k lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe27,23621,32318,33821,23021,904
Silver Equivalent Payable metal koz  ....  Subscribe3,7023,6232,920
Zinc Equivalent Payable metal k lbs  ....  Subscribe53,03543,64437,914
Silver Equivalent Metal in concentrate koz 3,1933,286
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,500 t
Daily processing rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,628 t2,948 t2,535 t2,715 t2,373 t
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5,000 t3,600 t3,000 t3,000 t3,000 t
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,269,697 t1,031,750 t887,237 t950,398 t830,447 t

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20242023202220212020201920182017
Cash costs (sold) Copper Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1.73 / lb   1.44 / lb   1.49 / lb  
Cash costs (sold) Zinc Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe 0.72 / lb   0.63 / lb  
Cash costs (sold) Silver Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe 10.3 / oz   7.61 / oz   9.06 / oz  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Copper Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2.86 / lb   2.13 / lb   2.68 / lb  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Zinc Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe 1.19 / lb   0.94 / lb  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Silver Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe 17 / oz   11.3 / oz   16.3 / oz  
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operating Costs

Currency20232022202120202019201820172016
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Financials

Units20242023202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD  ....  Subscribe
Sustaining costs M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 10.3   2   11.1  
Capital expenditures M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 14.7   14.1   15.6  
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 60.4   52.5   44.9  
Gross profit M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 4.6   8.2   6.1  
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -3.4   -3.6   -3.2  
EBITDA M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 5.5   11   11.9  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
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EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
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Aerial view:

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