Mining Intelligence and News
Peru

Uchucchacua Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Silver
  • Zinc
  • Lead
  • Manganese
Mining Method
  • Overhand Cut & Fill
  • Bench & Fill
  • Sub-level stoping
  • Longitudinal stoping
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SnapshotThe Uchucchacua site is a part of Uchucchacua operation.

Operating was stopped at the Uchucchacua mine in late 2021 due to a combination of technical and social issues and has restarted in September 2023.

Buenaventura has optimized Uchucchacua’s operations, which is now operating at approximately ~800 tpd and the plan is to ramp-up to ~1,500 tpd by 4Q24.
Related AssetUchucchacua Operation

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. (operator) 100 % Indirect
The Uchucchacua mine is wholly-owned and operated by Buenaventura.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Carbonate replacement
  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Epithermal
  • Mesothermal

Summary:

The geology consists of sedimentary rocks from the Upper Cretaceous carbonate sequence. At the base, limestones from the Jumasha and Celendín formations exist; these sedimentary rocks have been strongly folded and faulted. On top of these units and in erosional unconformity, the red layers of Casapalca formation were deposited, and were eventually covered by Calipuy group volcanic rocks and Tertiary intrusives.

Uchucchacua is a polymetallic deposit associated with replacement bodies and veins. Its mineralization (Ag, Zn, Pb, Fe and Mn) is located in a sequence of carbonate rocks from the Upper Cretaceous Jumasha Formation.

Mineralized structures are mostly between 1 and 4 meters thick, with occurrences in some sectors with thicknesses in the order of 15 meters.

The mineralization processes at Uchucchacua have been complex and multiple; therefore, its mineralogy is unusually varied. Among the main mineral groups are: Oxides, Silicates, Carbonates, Sulfides and Sulfosalts. Among the main ore minerals, we have: Galena, Proustite, Argentite, Pyrargyrite, Native Silver, Sphalerite, Marmatite, Jamesonite, Polybasite, Boulangerite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Jalpaite, Stromeyerite, Golfieldite. Gangue minerals include Pyrite, Alabandite, Rhodochrosite, Calcite, Pyrrhotite, Fluorite, Psilomelane, Pyrolusite, Johansonite, Bustamite, Arsenopyrite, Marcasite, Magnetite, Stibnite, Quartz, Orpiment, Realgar, Benavidesite, Tephroite and Gypsum.

It is important to mention that the silver mineralization with base metals is mainly embedded in rocks of the Jumasha Formation middle member, and occurs in different styles:
- Socorro Zone: mineralization mainly in the form of veins.
- Carmen Zone: veins and bodies in the form of replacement chimneys and mantles.
- Huantajalla Zone: veins and replacement chimneys.
- Plomopampa zone: veins.
- Lucrecia Zone: replacement bodies and veins.

Uchucchacua is a polymetallic epithermal deposit of veins (fracture filling) and metasomatic replacement, emplaced in carbonate rocks of the Jumasha Formation. Mineralization is complex, occurring in multiple stages or pulses, controlled by well-defined vein structures, replacement bodies or shoots and skarn.

Carbonate replacement deposits (CRD) related to intrusives are an important global resource for base metal production; these deposits present a variety of manifestations ranging from Pb-Zn-Cu skarns, to polymetallic replacement bodies in carbonate rocks with Pb-Zn-Ag, to distal skarns with Pb-Zn-Ag-Mn.

In Peru, these deposits are generally associated with Miocene calc-alkaline intrusions resulting from the subduction of the oceanic plate under the continental plate. They show a zoning pattern characterized by Cu±Au±Ag in the higher temperature core grading towards Pb-Zn-Ag and Mn zones in the distal low-temperature epithermal parts of the hydrothermal system. Uchucchacua is an excellent example of the latter manifestation.

Although the deposits at Uchucchacua have many features in common with other skarn-associated Zn-Pb deposits, they possess a combination of important distinguishing features (Bussell, y otros, 1990):
1. Minerals have unusually high Ag values.
2. The mineral assemblages are enriched in Mn, which can be considered to indicate Mn enrichment in the late stage of the Pb-Zn skarn series. The main mineralization took place at lower temperatures compared to other similar deposits and developed at low temperatures towards the end of a skarn hydrothermal system.
3. The fluid was polygenetic with a significant contribution of brines mixed with hot meteoric and (probably) magmatic waters.
4. It is uncommon to find a closed systematic association of the mineralization in contact with the intrusive. Mineralization develops by fissure filling and limestone replacement along fractured rock zones.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

Operations resumed in September 2023 after a temporary suspension in October 2021.
CommodityProductUnits202420232021202020192018201720162015
Silver Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe10,64115,42016,58416,21313,920
Zinc Metal in concentrate t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe19,14421,84013,0407,2275,693
Lead Metal in concentrate t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe17,63519,12216,70810,7247,947
Zinc Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe48
Lead-Silver Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe
Manganese Sulphate t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe22,01924,62321,40217,056
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily milling rate  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,335,018 t1,387,775 t1,364,478 t1,267,752 t1,121,474 t
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4,000 t4,000 t4,000 t3,860 t3,800 t
Daily ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Daily mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,335,018 t1,387,775 t1,364,478 t1,267,752 t1,121,474 t
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20212020201920182017
Cash costs (sold) Lead USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1,310 / t   1,354 / t   1,571 / t  
Cash costs (sold) Zinc USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2,071 / t   1,983 / t   2,951 / t  
Cash costs (sold) Silver USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 12.2 / oz   10.4 / oz   10.6 / oz  

Financials

Units202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 31.5   18.4   18.1  
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 186   257.3   272.3  
Operating Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -4.3   6.3   38.7  
Gross profit M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 25.6   56.1   75.8  
Pre-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -4.9   6.2   38.5  
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -4.9   5.4   37.4  
Book Value M USD  ....  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 23, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 27, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 27, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 27, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 23, 2024

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... 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 2017
...... Subscription required 2016

Aerial view:

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