Overview
| Stage | Production |
| Mine Type | Open Pit |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
|
| Processing |
- Heap leach
- Agitated tank leaching
- Counter current decantation (CCD)
- Carbon in column (CIC)
- SART
- AVR cyanide recovery
- Merrill–Crowe
- Cyanide (reagent)
|
| Mine Life | 2019 |
Yanacocha is South America's largest gold mine.
The Yanacocha property began production in 1993 and consists of the following open pit mines: the La Quinua Complex, the Yanacocha Complex, the Carachugo Complex and Maqui Maqui. In addition, Yanacocha has four leach pads (La Quinua, Yanacocha, Carachugo and Maqui Maqui), three gold processing plants (Pampa Larga, Yanacocha Norte and La Quinua), one limestone processing facility (China Linda) and one mill (Yanacocha Gold Mill). |
| Latest News | Newmont Goldcorp’s Quecher Main Project in Peru Achieves Commercial Production October 31, 2019 |
Source:
p. 43, 72
In December 2017, Yanacocha repurchased a 5% interest held by the International Finance Corporation, increasing Newmont’s ownership in Yanacocha from 51.35% to 54.05% as of December 31, 2017. In June 2018, Yanacocha sold a 5% ownership interest to a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, reducing Newmont’s ownership to 51.35%.
The operation is a joint venture between Newmont Mining Corporation (51.35%), Minas Buenaventura (43.65%) and Sumitomo Corporation (5%).
Yanacocha is owned by Minera Yanacocha S.R.L. (“Yanacocha” or “MYSRL”), which is 51.35% owned by Newmont. The remaining interest in MYSRL is held by Compañia Minera Condesa S.A, which is 100% owned by Compañia de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A (“Buenaventura”) (43.65%) and Summit Global Management II VB (5%), a subsidiary of Sumitomo.
Summary:
Yanacocha is an epithermal type deposit of high sulfidation hosted in volcanic rock formations. Gold is associated with ironoxides and pyrite.
The Yanacocha property consists of the following open pit mines: the La Quinua Complex, Cerro Yanacocha, the Carachugo Complex and Maqui Maqui.
The Yanacocha gold district is a 10x4km zone of altered rocks within a belt of tertiary volcanics that extends the whole length of Peru. Andesitic domes and dome complexes have been silicified and leached by epithermal gold-bearing solutions in at least nine distinct deposits. The mineralised sequences, which can also contain significant amounts of silver, are flanked by extensive argillitic alteration, and subsequent events have created siliceous breccia pipes with localised high gold grades.
Summary:
The Yanacocha property began production in 1993 and consists of the following open pit mines: the La Quinua Complex, the Yanacocha Complex, the Carachugo Complex and Maqui Maqui.
The La Quinua Complex is currently mining material from the La Quinua Sur and the Tapado Oeste Layback and is scheduled to finish mining operations in 2019.
The Yanacocha Complex mines material from the Yanacocha Layback and Yanacocha Pinos, which are scheduled to finish mining operations in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The Yanacocha Complex began operations in 1997 and has had limited mining operations in recent years.
The Carachugo Complex and Maqui Maqui mined material from multiple mines that are no longer in operation and only de minimis residual leaching of gold continues. In addition, the Carchugo Complex processes material from the Quecher Main project, which is a new open pit within the existing footprint of Yanacocha. This project will add oxide production at Yanacocha and will extend the life of the Yanacocha operation to 2027.
Yanacocha’s available mining fleet consists of two shovels, four excavators, two loaders and thirty-one 240-tonne haul trucks.
Processing Technologies
- Heap leach
- Agitated tank leaching
- Counter current decantation (CCD)
- Carbon in column (CIC)
- SART
- AVR cyanide recovery
- Merrill–Crowe
- Cyanide (reagent)
Summary:
Yanacocha has four leach pads (La Quinua, Yanacocha, Carachugo and Maqui Maqui), three gold processing plants (Pampa Larga, Yanacocha Norte and La Quinua), one limestone processing facility (China Linda) and one mill (Yanacocha Gold Mill).
Yanacocha’s processing facilities (Pampa Larga, Yanacocha Norte and La Quinua) are located adjacent to the solution storage ponds and are used to process gold-bearing solutions from Yanacocha’s leach pads through a network of solution pumping facilities. The Yanacocha Gold Mill processes high-grade gold ore to produce a gold-bearing solution for treatment at the La Quinua processing plant. The Yanacocha Gold Mill commenced operations in March 2008, and it processes between 5.5 and 6.0 million tonnes per year.
Since the ore is porous, run-of-mine ore can be heap-leached without crushing and the solution treated by the Merrill Crowe process.
Reserves at December 31, 2018:
| Category | OreType | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
|
Proven
|
Total
|
29,796 kt
|
Gold
|
0.79 g/t
|
759.5 koz
|
|
Proven
|
Total
|
17,137 kt
|
Silver
|
14.7 g/t
|
8,179 koz
|
|
Probable
|
Total
|
210,906 kt
|
Gold
|
0.98 g/t
|
6,660 koz
|
|
Probable
|
Total
|
216,164 kt
|
Silver
|
13.9 g/t
|
96,573 koz
|
|
Probable
|
Total
|
104,382 kt
|
Copper
|
0.63 %
|
662,123 t
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
240,702 kt
|
Gold
|
0.96 g/t
|
7,420 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
233,301 kt
|
Silver
|
14 g/t
|
104,752 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
104,382 kt
|
Copper
|
0.63 %
|
662,123 t
|
|
Measured
|
Total
|
10,906 kt
|
Gold
|
0.5 g/t
|
175.3 koz
|
|
Measured
|
Total
|
10,711 kt
|
Silver
|
4.7 g/t
|
1,636 koz
|
|
Indicated
|
Total
|
68,744 kt
|
Gold
|
0.7 g/t
|
1,558 koz
|
|
Indicated
|
Total
|
22,006 kt
|
Silver
|
19.2 g/t
|
13,613 koz
|
|
Indicated
|
Total
|
3,700 kt
|
Copper
|
0.12 %
|
4,440 t
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Total
|
79,649 kt
|
Gold
|
0.68 g/t
|
1,733 koz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Total
|
32,717 kt
|
Silver
|
14.5 g/t
|
15,249 koz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Total
|
3,700 kt
|
Copper
|
0.12 %
|
4,440 t
|
|
Inferred
|
Total
|
185,005 kt
|
Gold
|
0.96 g/t
|
5,725 koz
|
|
Inferred
|
Total
|
16,358 kt
|
Silver
|
24 g/t
|
12,639 koz
|
|
Inferred
|
Total
|
11,879 kt
|
Copper
|
0.22 %
|
19,474 t
|
Heavy Mobile Equipment as of December 31, 2018:
| HME Type | Size | Quantity |
|
Excavator
|
|
4
|
|
Loader
|
|
2
|
|
Shovel
|
|
2
|
|
Truck (haul)
|
240 t
|
31
|
Aerial view:
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