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Mexico
Buenavista Mine

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 Location:
0 km from Cananea, Sonora, Mexico

  Regional Office:
Campos Elíseos N° 400 Colonia Lomas de Chapultepec Delegación Miguel Hidalgo
Mexico city
Mexico, Mexico
11000
Phone(5255) 1103-5000
Fax(5255) 1103-5567
WebsiteWeb
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Fleet
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Molybdenum
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Sulfuric acid (reagent)
  • Flotation
  • ROM/dump leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
The Buenavista ore body is considered one of the world’s largest porphyry copper deposits. It is the oldest continuously operated copper mine in North America, with operations dating back to 1899.


Owners & OPERATOR

Source: p. 3
CompanyInterestOwnership
Grupo Mexico S.A. de C.V. 88.91 % Indirect
Operadora de Minas e Instalaciones Mineras, S.A. de C.V. (operator) 100 % Indirect
Ownership Tree
Operadora de Minas e Instalaciones Mineras, S.A de C.V. (the “Buenavista unit”) operates Buenavista, an open-pit copper mine, which is located at the site of one of the world’s largest copper ore deposits, two copper concentrators and three SX-EW plants.

Deposit Type

  • Porphyry

Source: Source p.42

Summary:

Geological and structural features in the district are representative of large, disseminated type, porphyry copper deposits.

Mineralization in the district is extensive covering a surface area of approximately 30 square kilometers. An early pegmatitic stage associated with bornite-chalcopyrite-molybdenite assemblage was followed by a widespread flooding of hydrothermal solutions with quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite. A pervasive quartz-sericite alteration is evident throughout the district’s igneous rock fabric.

An extensive and economically important zone of supergene enrichment, with disseminated and stockworks of chalcocite (Cu S), developed below the iron oxide capping. This zone coincides with the topography and has an average thickness of 300 meters. A mixed zone of secondary and primary sulfides underlay the chalcocite blanket. The hypogene mineralization, principally chalcopyrite (CuFeS ), extensively underlies the ore body. Molybdenite occurs throughout the deposit and the content tends to increase with depth.

The Buenavista copper porphyry is considered world-class and unique. The deepest exploration results in the core of the deposit have confirmed significant increase in copper grades. Similar porphyry copper deposits usually contain lower grades at depth. The district is also unique for the occurrence of high-grade breccia pipes, occurring in clusters following the trend of the district.

Current dimensions of the mineralized ore body are 5x3 kilometers, and projects to more than one kilometer at depth. Considering the geological and economic potential of the Buenavista porphyry copper deposit, it is expected that the operation can support a sizeable increase in copper production capacity.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader

Source: p.40

Summary:

The Buenavista mining unit operates an open-pit copper mine, two concentrators and three SX-EW plants.


Crushing and Grinding
Source: Source p.44,45
Crusher / Mill TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
Ball mill 6
Ball mill


Processing

  • Sulfuric acid (reagent)
  • Flotation
  • ROM/dump leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning

Source: Source p.42, 43

Summary:

Buenavista uses state-of-the-art computer monitoring systems at the concentrators, the crushing plant and the flotation circuit in order to coordinate inflows and optimize operations. In the original concentrator, material with a copper grade over 0.38% is loaded onto trucks and sent to the milling circuit, where giant rotating crushers reduce the size of the ore to approximately onehalf of an inch. The ore is then sent to the ball mills, which grind it to the consistency of fine powder. The finely ground powder is agitated in a water and reagents solution and is then transported to flotation cells. Air is pumped into the cells producing a froth, which carries the copper mineral to the surface but not the waste rock, or tailings. Recovered copper, with the consistency of froth, is filtered and dried to produce copper concentrates with an average copper content of approximately 24%. Concentrates are then shipped by rail to the smelter at La Caridad.

In the second concentrator, material with a copper grade over 0.555% is sent to a three-phase milling circuit, where the ore size is reduced to approximately one-half inch. The ore is then sent to a circuit of six ball mills, which grind it to the consistency of fine powder. The finely ground powder is agitated in a water and reagents solution and is then transported to flotation cells. Air is pumped into the cells producing a froth, which carries the copper mineral to the surface but not the waste rock, or tailings.

Recovered copper, with the consistency of froth, is filtered and dried to produce copper concentrates with an average copper content of approximately 24%. Concentrates are then sent by trucks or by railroad to the La Caridad smelter or to the Guaymas port, at Sonora, for exporting.

As part of the expansion program for this unit, in 2013 we completed the construction of the first molybdenum plant with an annual production capacity of 2,000 tons of molybdenum contained in concentrate. The plant was designed to process 1,500 tons of copper-molybdenum concentrates per day with a recovery of approximately 80% of copper and 50% of molybdenum content. The molybdenum plant consists of thickeners, homogenizer tanks, flotation cells, column cells and a holo-flite dryer. The second molybdenum plant was designed to process 3,040 tons of copper-molybdenum concentrates per day for a recovery between 80% and 87% of copper and 60% of molybdenum content. It obtained its first production lot in July 2016 and fully initiated operations in November 2016.

The Buenavista unit operates a leaching facility and three SX-EW plants. All copper ore with a grade lower than the mill cut-off grade of 0.38%, but higher than 0.25%, is delivered to the leach dumps. A cycle of leaching and resting occurs for approximately five years in the run-of-mine dumps and three years for the crushed leach material.

There are three irrigation systems for the dumps and eleven dams for the pregnant leach solution (PLS). Plant I has four solvent extraction tanks with a nominal capacity of 18,000 liters per minute of PLS and 54 electrowinning cells and has a daily production capacity of 30 tons of copper cathodes with 99.999% purity. Plant II has five trains of solvent extraction with a nominal capacity of 62,000 liters per minute of PLS and 220 cells distributed in two bays and has a daily production capacity of 120 tons of copper cathodes with 99.9% purity. Plant III has three trains of solvent extraction with a nominal capacity of 167,100 liters per minute of PLS and 270 cells distributed in two bays and has a daily production capacity of 328 tons of copper cathodes with 99.9% purity. The plant produces copper cathodes of LME grade A.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2019201820172016201520142013
Copper Recovery Rate, % 86.78684.170.847.858.550.1
Copper Head Grade, % 0.550.540.550.570.590.580.56
Copper Concentrate Grade, % 23.823.723.423.82323.524.3
Molybdenum Recovery Rate, % 65.658.439.925.125.64417.3
Molybdenum Head Grade, % 0.0130.0120.0130.0130.0130.0190.019
Molybdenum Concentrate Grade, % 51.851.151.449.550.352.754.1

Production:

CommodityProductUnits2019201820172016201520142013
Copper Cathode kt 100891121311229366
Copper Metal in concentrate kt 338325319316162133116
Copper Concentrate kt 1,4201,3711,3621,330705566476
Molybdenum Metal in concentrate kt 6.18.43.51.60.92.20.4
Molybdenum Concentrate kt 129.66.73.21.94.20.7
Silver Metal koz 5,7555,1624,9884,8192,3672,0241,910

Operational Metrics:

Metrics201920182017201620152014
Total tonnes mined 288,882 kt297,718 kt288,716 kt257,395 kt282,954 kt271,026 kt
Ore tonnes mined 70,323 kt70,464 kt69,773 kt66,328 kt33,726 kt27,291 kt
Tonnes milled 70,371 kt70,328 kt69,294 kt66,112 kt33,141 kt27,278 kt
Stripping / waste ratio 0.37 3.23 3.14 2.88 6.23 8.93
Daily milling capacity 182,000 t176,700 t
Annual production capacity 174,470 t of copper cathode174,470 t of copper cathode

Reserves at December 31, 2018:

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGrade
Proven ROM leach 1,800,652 kt Copper 0.155 %
Proven Mill / Sulphide 3,035,978 kt Copper 0.441 %
Proven Mill / Sulphide 3,035,978 kt Molybdenum 0.008 %
Probable ROM leach 722,123 kt Copper 0.136 %
Probable Mill / Sulphide 1,475,012 kt Copper 0.39 %
Probable Mill / Sulphide 1,475,012 kt Molybdenum 0.009 %
Proven & Probable ROM leach 2,522,775 kt Copper 0.149 %
Proven & Probable Mill / Sulphide 4,510,990 kt Copper 0.424 %
Proven & Probable Stockpiles 1,676,237 kt Copper 0.161 %
Proven & Probable Mill / Sulphide 4,510,990 kt Molybdenum 0.008 %


Heavy Mobile Equipment as of December 31, 2014:
Source: Source
HME TypeSizeQuantity
Drill 11
Grader 5
Loader 3
Shovel 40 cu. yd 4
Shovel 56 cu. yd 1
Shovel 70 cu. yd 2
Shovel 74 cu. yd 7
Truck (haul) 400 tons 56
Truck (haul) 320 tons 13
Truck (haul) 240 tons 20
Truck (water) 52000 gallons 3
Truck (water) 40000 gallons 4

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
Maintenance General Manager Jose Arturo Sagaon Duran LinkedIn Mar 10, 2021
Mine Manager Christian Torrecillas LinkedIn Mar 10, 2021
Plant Maintenance Manager Hector Rivera Campillo LinkedIn Mar 10, 2021

Staff:

EmployeesYear
833 2014

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Form 10-K 2020
Form 10-K 2019
Form 10-K 2018
Form 10-K 2017
Form 10-K 2016
Form 10-K 2015
Other 2014
Form 10-K 2013

Aerial view:

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