The economic analysis was based on potentially recoverable resources and is defined as a mineral inventory. The study was prepared in two phases,
- Short Term Mining Plan – First three years, a detailed mine plan to support GUIA mining activities;
- Long Term Mining Plan – Continuous yearly mining plan, from the fourth year, to complete the Life of Mine Plan.
The mining operations at the DANF Santiago Project will be executed via a conventional mining fleet, making use of wheel loaders, dump trucks and bulldozers. The mining operation will be contracted, to reduce capital costs and allow flexibility in the timing of extraction during the year.
The phosphate and waste rock material shall be loaded directly onto trucks with excavators or front loaders. The transport of phosphate rock to the plant located in Campos Belos, 28 km away from Santiago mining site, will be performed with road-legal trucks that have a nominal capacity of 20t. The transport of the waste rock material, to the waste dump, close to the mine face, will be performed with the same trucks.
It is projected that the LG mineralized material, which have a P2O5 grade above 3% and below 10%, will be stockpiled in the mine area, avoiding major transport distances, and allowing easy recovery in the future, in case this LG material becomes suitable for concentration or other final uses.
The disposal of waste rock, and LG mineralized material will be executed on a ........
