Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Drift & Fill
- Longitudinal stoping
- Transverse stoping
- Sub-level stoping
- Cemented (undefined) backfill
- Unconsolidated rockfill
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2027 |
El Valle Boinás and Carlés mines and the El Valle processing plant, collectively El Valle, producer of copper concentrate and doré.
The Boinás underground mine is producing asset. The Carlés open pit and underground mines are currently on care and maintenance. Underground mining at Carlés is planned to re-commence in the near future with pre-development and mine development activities scheduled for 2024.
The Orovalle has changed its underground hauling strategy starting January 1, 2023. From this date onwards, all hauling is being carried out using trucks. The shaft is on care and maintenance. |
Source:
p. 1,12
Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Orovalle Minerals S.L., Orvana Minerals Corp. owns and operates the El Valle and Carlés mines.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Skarn
- Breccia pipe / Stockwork
Summary:
Gold-copper skarns have developed mainly along the contact between intrusives and carbonate units. Two different types of skarn have been recognised at El Valle-Boinás. The first is a calcic skarn related to limestone units and the second is a magnesian skarn, called “black skarn”, that is related to dolomite units.
The gold-copper bearing skarns at Carlés are generally calcic skarns. Better grade goldcopper mineralisation is associated with high magnetite and bornite content that is localised in generally continuous, relatively thin (four metres thick) layers of retrograde skarn.
At the El Valle-Boinás deposit, reactivation of fracture zones (along northeast-southwest, eastwest, and northwestsoutheast orientations) produced widespread brecciation and favoured the emplacement of porphyritic dykes. A low temperature alteration and mineralisation event is spatially and genetically associated with the subvolcanic porphyry dykes, which overprint all previous lithologies. Depending on the host rock, there are different styles of hydrothermal alteration and mineralisation, such as: sericite-adularia-carbonates (+py-aspy) in granites and skarns; leaching, enrichment, and silicification in skarns (+ native copper and chalcocite); and silicification (+py) in dolomites.
Highest gold grades occur where the low temperature mineralisation overprints previously mineralised gold-copper skarn, forming jasperoid or semi-jasperoids with native copper and minor ........
Mining Methods
- Drift & Fill
- Longitudinal stoping
- Transverse stoping
- Sub-level stoping
- Cemented (undefined) backfill
- Unconsolidated rockfill
Summary:
The Orovalle Operation consists of underground mines at Boinás and Carlés and an open pit at Carlés. As of 2023, the Boinás underground mine is the only producing asset, with a nominal mining rate of 2,000 tpd. Both Carlés mines are currently on care and maintenance. Underground mining at Carlés is planned to re-commence in the near future with pre-development and mine development activities scheduled for 2024.
The mining methods used at Boinás underground mine are overhand D&F and transverse and longitudinal longhole SLS. The D&F mining method is utilised in oxides and some transitional areas of the Boinás mine. Longitudinal SLS is used exclusively in the more competent skarns. The Carlés mine is planned to utilise both SLS methods underground, where the orebody dip is suitable, and D&F where the orebody dip is too shallow for SLS mining. Should the open pit at Carlés recommence production, then a conventional drill and blast, truck and shovel method will be used.
Access is typical for SLS methods, with an upper drill drift and lower mucking drift. Cable bolting is carried out to support the hanging wall and help reduce dilution. In Boinás there are primary and secondary stopes. Primary stopes are backfilled with cemented rock fill (CRF) and secondary stopes are backfilled with uncemented rock fill (URF). In Carlés all the stopes will be backfilled with URF. Waste suitable for CRF production will be hauled to surface where it is screened and mixed wit ........
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Source:
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Production:
Commodity | Product | Units | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Gold
|
Metal in conc./ doré
|
oz
| ...... ^ | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 58,259 |
Copper
|
Metal in concentrate
|
k lbs
| ...... ^ | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
Silver
|
Metal in conc./ doré
|
oz
| | ...... | ...... | ...... | | | |
Gold Equivalent
|
Metal in conc./ doré
|
oz
| | ...... | | ...... | | | |
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Daily ore mining rate
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | | |
Daily milling rate
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 1,898 dmt | 1,830 dmt |
Hourly processing capacity
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | | |
Annual milling capacity
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 750,000 t | 750,000 t |
Ore tonnes mined
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 713,818 wmt | 647,852 wmt |
Tonnes milled
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 658,046 dmt | 623,137 dmt |
Daily processing capacity
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 2,000 dmt | 2,000 dmt |
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Reserves at September 30, 2023:
Mineral Resources were estimated at gold equivalent stope cut-off grades of 2.08 g/t for Boinás skarns; 2.51 g/t for Boinás oxides and 2.51 g/t for La Brueva. At Carlés Mineral Resources were estimated at breakeven AuEq cut-off grade of 1.93 g/t considering there to be additional risk as the Carlés mine is not currently operational.
Mineral Reserves are based on the application of AuEq break-even cut-off grades by lithology & method, consisting of 3.17 g/t AuEq for Boinás oxides (D&F), 2.44 g/t AuEq for Boinás skarns (SLS), 2.85 g/t AuEq for Boinás skarns (D&F), and 2.06 g/t AuEq for Carlés skarn (SLS).
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven & Probable
|
2,373 kt
|
Gold
|
2.96 g/t
|
226 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
2,373 kt
|
Silver
|
4.28 g/t
|
327 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
2,373 kt
|
Copper
|
0.26 %
|
13,749 k lbs
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,885 kt
|
Gold
|
3.62 g/t
|
801 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,885 kt
|
Silver
|
7.52 g/t
|
1,665 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,885 kt
|
Copper
|
0.4 %
|
60,003 k lbs
|
Inferred
|
2,635 kt
|
Gold
|
3.83 g/t
|
325 koz
|
Inferred
|
2,635 kt
|
Silver
|
6.76 g/t
|
573 koz
|
Inferred
|
2,635 kt
|
Copper
|
0.33 %
|
19,000 k lbs
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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