Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Processing |
- Heap leach
- Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
- Counter current decantation (CCD)
- Carbon in column (CIC)
- SART
- AVR cyanide recovery
- Merrill–Crowe
- Cyanide (reagent)
|
Mine Life | 2027 |
Yanacocha is South America's largest gold mine.
First copper production is expected from Yanacocha Sulfides in 2026. |
Latest News | Newmont to Acquire Remaining Stake in Yanacocha April 12, 2022 |
Source:
Yanacocha is owned by Minera Yanacocha S.R.L. (“Yanacocha” or “MYSRL”), which is 95% owned by Newmont. The remaining interest in MYSRL is held by Sumitomo Corp.
April 12, 2022--Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT) has announced that it will acquire the remaining 5% interest in Yanacocha from Sumitomo Corporation for $48 million. zthe acquisition of the remaining 5% interest in Yanacocha from Sumitomo Corporation is expected to close in Q2 2022.
This announcement follows an announcement in February 2022, in which Newmont acquired Buenaventura’s 43.65% interest in Minera Yanacocha.
Deposit Type
- Epithermal
- Volcanic hosted
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.
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 2021.
The Yanacocha Complex mines material from the Yanacocha Layback and Yanacocha Pinos, which are scheduled to finish mining operations in 2021. The Yanacocha Complex began operations in 1997 and has had limited mining operations in recent years.
The Carachugo leach pad processes oxide material from the Quecher Main project, which is a new open pit within the existing footprint of Yanacocha. This project went into commercial production in October 2019 and will extend the life of the Yanacocha operation to 2027.
Yanacocha’s available mining fleet consists of two shovels, four excavators, one loader and 31 haul trucks, each with 233-tonne payload.
Processing
- Heap leach
- Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
- Counter current decantation (CCD)
- Carbon in column (CIC)
- SART
- AVR cyanide recovery
- Merrill–Crowe
- Cyanide (reagent)
Source:
Summary:
Yanacocha has three processing concessions from Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines for its processing facilities: Cerro Yanacocha (La Quinua and Yanacocha leach pads, La Quinua and Yanacocha Norte gold recovery plants and Yanacocha Gold Mill), Yanacocha (Carachugo and Maqui Maqui leach pads and Pampa Larga gold recovery plant) and China Linda (non-metallic processing concessions). Yanacocha’s gold processing plants are located adjacent to the solution storage ponds and are used to process goldbearing 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 processes between 5.5 and 6.0 million tonnes per year.
Production:
Commodity | Units | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Gold
|
koz
| ...... ^ | ......  | ......  | 515 | 535 | 655 | 918 |
Silver
|
koz
| | ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  | |
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Total tonnes mined
| ......  | 52,704 k tons | 53,242 k tons | 62,449 k tons | 90,326 k tons | 80,627 k tons |
Ore tonnes mined
| ......  | 38,245 k tons | 29,862 k tons | 26,866 k tons | 31,897 k tons | 40,834 k tons |
Waste
| ......  | 14,459 k tons | 23,380 k tons | 35,583 k tons | 58,429 k tons | 39,793 k tons |
Tonnes processed
| ......  | 39,871 k tons | 31,436 k tons | 29,755 k tons | 36,476 k tons | 43,328 k tons |
Annual processing rate
| ......  | 6 Mt | 6 Mt | 6 Mt | 6 Mt | |
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Reserves at December 31, 2020:
Category | OreType | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
198,611 kt
|
Gold
|
0.033 oz/t
|
6,627 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
221,609 kt
|
Silver
|
0.44 oz/t
|
96,554 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
112,404 kt
|
Copper
|
0.62 %
|
697 kt
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Total
|
337,893 kt
|
Gold
|
0.024 oz/t
|
8,245 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Total
|
122,612 kt
|
Silver
|
0.496 oz/t
|
60,882 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Total
|
138,247 kt
|
Copper
|
0.38 %
|
525 kt
|
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