Mining Intelligence and News
Peru

Yauli Operation

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Zinc
  • Lead
  • Copper
  • Silver
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Cut & Fill
  • Sub-level stoping
  • Underhand Cut & Fill
  • Overhand Cut & Fill
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SnapshotThe Yauli operational unit consists of three underground mines: San Cristóbal-Carahuacra, Andaychagua, and Ticlio. The extracted mineral is processed in two concentration plants, Victoria and Andaychagua. The Mahr Tunnel Plant is currently in care and maintenance.

Starting in 2023, San Cristobal and Carahuacra mines became a single unit.

As of 19 March 2024, due to work on updating an operating permit for Rumichaca tailings dam, the San Cristobal, Carahuacra, and Ticlio mines were suspended for up to 30 days.

The Victoria Plant restarted treatment on April 20, 2023, with the accumulated ore stock.

Underground mining operations restarted in San Cristóbal-Carahuacra on April 22, 2024, and in Ticlio on April 21, 2024.
Related AssetsAndaychagua Mine, Carahuacra Mine, Carahuacra Norte Mine, San Cristobal Mine, Ticlio Mine

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Glencore plc. 23.3 % Indirect
Volcan Compañía Minera S.A.A. is a subsidiary of Glencore AG, which is a subsidiary of Glencore Plc., owner of 63% of common class A voting shares and an economic interest of 23%, excluding treasury shares.

Volcan Compañía Minera S.A.A. and its subsidiary companies engaged in the mining sector operate the mining unit of Yauli.

In Q4 2022, Glencore commenced a process to dispose of its 23.3% economic interest in Volcan, which is ongoing. As a result, the carrying amounts of Volcan assets and liabilities as at 31 December 2023 and 31 December 2022 are classified as held for sale.

Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Manto
  • Porphyry
  • Epithermal
  • Skarn
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork

Summary:

The Yauli unit region shows mineralization related to polymetallic epithermal systems, replacement bodies and polymetallic vein systems, as well as porphyry mineralization and skarns, thus indicating the great potential of the area.

The two mining districts still in activity of the Yauli Dome area are Morococha to the northwest and San Cristobal-Andaychagua in the southern part of the Yauli Dome.

The southern portion of the Yauli Dome is the host of several vein-type and replacement mantles and bodies; including polymetallic deposits such as where Andaychagua, Carahuacra, San Cristobal and Ticlio are.

San Cristobal
Considered broadly, the Yauli Dome is the foremost structural feature of the San Cristobal region. This dome measures thirty kilometers by twenty kilometers. The long dimension strikes about N 40° W. The center of the Yauli Dome is formed by the Chumpe Anticline, the main structural feature of the San Cristobal area.

There are two types of deposits in the San Cristobal district, veins and mantoso Veins are roughly perpendicular to the axis of the Chumpe Anticline and mantos are emplaced along the Mitu volcanic rocks-Paria limestone contact.

The San Cristobal Vein system is made up of two main mineral-bearing structures, the San Cristobal Main Vein and the Siberia 1 Vein, The Oyama-Triunfo Vein, which is located on the northeast limb of the anticline, appears to be an extension of the San Cristobal Main Vein, Both veins are separated on the surface by Chumpe lake and no underground workings exist below the area that permit a clear correlation.

The San Cristobal Main Vein extends all the way along the San Cristobal fault, considering the Oyama-Triunfo Vein as its extension. The Siberia 1 Vein is located in the axial zone of the anticline.

Volcanic rocks in the area are fine to medium-grained with abundant quartz and plagioclase. Both limbs of the Chumpe Anticline show very different types of volcanic rocks. The northeast limb or Andaychagua side of the anticline has a variety of volcanic rocks which include andesites, basalt porphyries, tuffs, and dacites. The volcanic rocks on the southwest limb or San Cristobal side of the anticline are practically homogeneous throughoute The most common type is described as a quartz latite porphyry.

Carahuacra
The Carahuacra deposit lies on the southwest flank of the Yauli anticline, formed by Tertiary folding. Manto ore, formed before the climax of the Andean orogeny, consists mainly of ferroan sphalerite and pyrite, with negligible chalcopyrite. These were later brecciated tectonically to form two zones of 'breccia ore'. The last phase of mineralization involved formation of epithermal cross veins with sphalerite, pyrite, galena, tetrahedrite, and jamesonite, and irregular cementation of fragments in the breccia ore by sphalerite-galena and pyrite-marcasite. Supergene alteration, particularly pronounced in the breccia zone, has formed ore much enriched in silver (native silver, argentite, pyrargyrite).

Ticlio
The Ticlio intrusion (Cu-Au) in the western part of the Morococha district displays a zoned mineralisation and alteration pattern. A core of high-density stockwork of quartz-magnetite±K-feldspar veins changes progressively to an outer zone of intense Kfeldspar alteration with a low-density of magnetite and quartzmagnetite veinlets that host small amounts of bornite and native Au inclusions in chalcopyrite. An outermost zone displays a strong pyrite-quartz-sericitic alteration and skarn mineralisation in adjacent Cretaceous carbonate rocks.

In 2022, the results of the drilling programs made it possible to confirm the depth and lateral continuity of economic mineral resources: (i) in the Andaychagua mine, consolidation of the Salvadora - Prosperidad Techo body system housed in metavolcanic rocks and lateralization of Bárbara vein, with a new mineralized zone of copper and silver (oreshoot); (ii) at the San Cristóbal mine, deepening of the Ramal Piso 722, 658, Split 658 and vein K, lateral continuity of veins 722, 658, San Cristóbal, San Cristobalito and discovery of secondary veins with high grades of zinc and silver; (iii) in the Carahuaccra mine, consolidation of the Principal - Paula mantles, as well as the discovery of the Jovencita mantle in the Pucará corridor; and (iv) in the Ticlio mine, deepening of the Ramal Techo vein, consolidation of body Replacement and confirmation of economic mineralization in branches of the Ramal Techo vein, with high silver and copper grades.

Andaychagua
Andaychagua Vein is one of the producers in the San Cristobal district, is one of the most important veins on the southeast side of the Chumpe intrusive. The vein lies on the northeast side of the Chumpe Anticline* About three and a half kilometers southeast of the San Cristobal Vein system* The Andaychagma Vein strikes N 30° E and dips 85° northwest* The vein can be traced on surface for about four kilometers, three of which are in Mitu volcanic rocks and one of which in Excelsior phyHites. The structure continues on surface across the axial zone to the southwest side of the Chumpe Anticline, but only as a fault structure without apparent mineralization. The Andaychagua Vein carries sphalerite, galena, and silver minerals.

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

CommodityProductUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Zinc Metal in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe141147146165175
Zinc Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe274289290319339
Lead Metal in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2019182431
Lead Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4341415254
Copper Metal in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2.92.933.20.6
Copper Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1112121310
Silver Metal in concentrate M oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe77.87.71213
Gold Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5.97.55.22.5

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe11,400 t11,400 t11,400 t11,400 t11,350 t
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,199 kt3,201 kt3,563 kt3,623 kt4,036 kt
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,170 kt3,212 kt3,585 kt3,657 kt3,994 kt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Operating Costs

Currency20232022202120202019201820172016
UG mining costs ($/t milled) USD 58.3  45.4  43.3  44.4  38.2  39.4  
Combined mining costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
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Financials

Units2023202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 105.1   92.2   94.2  
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 390.4   411.7  
Operating Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 89.3   54.3  
Gross profit M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 64.8   127.6  
Pre-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -138.1   9.9  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

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EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
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