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Chile
Escondida Mine

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 Location:
150 km SE from Antofagasta, Chile

  Regional Office:
Cerro El Plomo 6000, Las Condes
Santiago
Chile
7560623
Phone  ...  Subscription required
WebsiteWeb
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Financials
  • Fleet
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Bacterial leaching
  • Acid leach
  • Flotation
  • Heap leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
Mine Life58 years (as of Jan 1, 2021)
Escondida is a leading producer of copper concentrate and cathodes located in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Escondida’s two pits feed three concentrator plants, as well as two leaching operations (oxide and sulphide).
Latest NewsUnion at BHP's Escondida mine in Chile rejects contract, company seeks talks     July 31, 2021


Owners

Source: p. 236
CompanyInterestOwnershipInvestor's Info
Jeco 2 Ltd. 2.5 % Indirect
JECO Corp. 10 % Indirect
Rio Tinto plc 30 % Indirect
BHP Group Ltd. 57.5 % Indirect
BHP Billiton Minerals Pty Ltd. (operator) 57.5 % Indirect
BHP 57.5%, Rio Tinto 30%, JECO Corporation consortium comprising Mitsubishi, JX Nippon Mining and Metals 10%, JECO 2 Ltd 2.5%.

Deposit Type

  • Porphyry


Summary:

The Escondida porphyry copper deposit, located in northern Chile, was one of the two largest copper producers of the world in the 1990s. The hydrothermal evolution of this deposit is associated with the emplacement of a late Eocene-Oligocene quartz monzonitic to granodioritic intrusive stock complex composed of at least three intrusive phases and hosted by Paleocene andesite. This Paleocene andesite is underlain by Mesozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks, which are characteristic of the basement of the Precordillera de Domeyko province in northern Chile.

The complete evolution of the porphyry system is characterized by overprinting of pervasive and vein-associated alteration-mineralization styles grouped in three main hydrothermal stages. The early stage includes a zone of pervasive biotitization of andesite and development of a silicification shell around the intrusive complex, propylitic alteration around the biotitic zone, and a vein-associated orthoclase-quartz ± anhydrite biotite alteration that mark the end of stage one. This early alteration contains magnetite, chalcopyrite, and bornite, with less than 0.5 vol percent of sulfides and a hypogene copper grade of £0.2 wt percent.

The second hydrothermal stage is represented by vein and vein selvage-associated chlorite sericite ± quartz and by quartz-sericite with sulfides including chalcopyrite, pyrite, and molybdenite. In the chlorite-sericite and quartz-sericite zones the content of sulfides ranges from less than 0.5 to 2 vol percent with a chalcopyrite to pyrite ratio of 3 to 1 and copper grades that range between 0.4 and 0.6 wt percent. The intrusion of a rhyolite dikeand a dome are at least 3 m.y. younger than the first and second hydrothermal stages and separate them in time from the late hydrothermal stage.

The late hydrothermal stage is represented by an acid-sulfate mineral association that includes pyrophyllite, alunite, and quartz as alteration minerals and a variety of sulfides that include bornite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, chalcocite, covellite, enargite, sphalerite, tennantite, and galena. This acid-sulfate event occurred mainly in west-northwest striking veins and also along the contact of the rhyolite and its host rock. Where sulfides from this event overprint previous sulfides, the primary copper grades range from 0.6 to higher than 1.0 wt percent. In the Escondida deposit, the highest hypogene and supergene copper grades occur in areas where all three hydrothermal stages are present.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

2 open-cut pits: Escondida and Escondida Norte.


Crushing and Grinding
Flow Sheet: Source
Crusher / Mill TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
SAG mill 5
Ball mill 15


Processing

  • Bacterial leaching
  • Acid leach
  • Flotation
  • Heap leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning

Source: Subscription required

Summary:

Crushing facilities, feed concentrator and leaching processes.

3 concentrator plants produce copper concentrate from sulphide ore by flotation extraction process (byproducts: gold and silver).

2 solvent extraction and electrowinning plants produce copper cathode Nominal capacity: 153.7 Mtpa (nominal milling capacity) and 350 ktpa copper cathode (nominal capacity of tank house).

2 x 168 km concentrate pipelines, 167 km water pipeline.

Port facilities at Coloso, Antofagasta Desalinated water plant (total water capacity of 3,800 litres per second).


Production:

CommodityProductUnits2022202120202019201820172016
Copper Total kt  ......  Subscription required ^
Copper Cathode kt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required288232330
Copper Metal in concentrate kt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required926540649
Gold Metal in concentrate koz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Silver Metal in concentrate koz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
^ Guidance / Forecast.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202120202019201820172016
Total tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required417,469 kt416,411 kt
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required125,566 kt118,275 kt
Annual milling capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required153.7 Mt153.7 Mt153.7 Mt153.7 Mt
Annual production capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required350 Mt of copper cathode350 kt of copper cathode350 kt of copper cathode350 kt of copper cathode
Daily mining rate  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1.2 Mt
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at June 30, 2021:
Cut-off criteria:
Mineral Resources: Oxide 0.20%SCu, Mixed 0.30%TCu, Sulphide 0.25%TCu or 0.30%TCu depending on processing.
Ore Reserves: Oxide 0.20%SCu, Sulphide 0.30%TCu and greater than variable cut-off (V_COG) of the concentrator, Sulphide Leach 0.25%TCu and lower than V_COG and with >30% of copper carried by more leachable copper minerals.

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGrade
Proven Heap leach 1,330 Mt Copper 0.42 %
Proven Sulphide 3,450 Mt Copper 0.68 %
Proven Oxide 76 Mt Copper 0.62 %
Probable Heap leach 286 Mt Copper 0.39 %
Probable Sulphide 1,700 Mt Copper 0.57 %
Probable Oxide 123 Mt Copper 0.53 %
Proven & Probable Heap leach 1,620 Mt Copper 0.41 %
Proven & Probable Sulphide 5,150 Mt Copper 0.64 %
Proven & Probable Oxide 199 Mt Copper 0.56 %
Measured Sulphide 5,270 Mt Copper 0.61 %
Measured Oxide 99 Mt Copper 0.6 %
Measured Mixed 72 Mt Copper 0.52 %
Indicated Sulphide 3,690 Mt Copper 0.51 %
Indicated Oxide 39 Mt Copper 0.58 %
Indicated Mixed 57 Mt Copper 0.47 %
Inferred Sulphide 10,400 Mt Copper 0.53 %
Inferred Oxide 3 Mt Copper 0.78 %
Inferred Mixed 23 Mt Copper 0.45 %
Total Resource Sulphide 19,400 Mt Copper 0.55 %
Total Resource Oxide 141 Mt Copper 0.6 %
Total Resource Mixed 152 Mt Copper 0.49 %

Financials:

Units2021202020192018201720162015
Capital expenditures M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required997   999   2,268   3,273  
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required8,774   4,576   5,071   8,092  
After-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required2,221   516   505   2,194  
EBIT M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
EBITDA M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required4,921   2,397   1,743   4,064  
Operating Cash Flow M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment:
HME TypeModelQuantityLeased or
Contractor
Ref. Date
Shovel (rope) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Aug 1, 2020
Shovel (rope) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Aug 1, 2020
Shovel (rope) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Aug 1, 2020
Shovel (rope) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Aug 1, 2020
Tire manipulator ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Leased Jul 13, 2018
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required Apr 1, 2019
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required Apr 1, 2019
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required Aug 1, 2020
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2022
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

Total WorkforceYear
Subscription required 2015

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Report 2018
Annual Report 2018
Other 2018
Annual Report 2017
Annual Report 2017
Annual Report 2017
Annual Report 2016
Annual Report 2015
Corporate Presentation 2015
Annual Report 2014
Other 2001
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Union at BHP's Escondida mine in Chile rejects contract, company seeks talks July 31, 2021

Aerial view:

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

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