Mining Intelligence and News
Peru

Toquepala Mine

Click for more information

Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Molybdenum
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Toquepala operations consist of an open-pit copper mine and two concentrators; and refine copper at the SX-EW facility through a leaching process.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Grupo Mexico, S.A.B. de C.V. 88.28 % Indirect
Ownership Tree
The Project is wholly owned by Southern Copper Corporation, Sucursal del Perú, which is a majority-owned, indirect subsidiary of Grupo Mexico S.A.B de CV.

Contractors

Lock

- subscription is required.

Deposit type

  • Porphyry

Summary:

The Toquepala deposit is considered to be an example of a copper–molybdenum porphyry deposit.

The deposit is ovoid, extending over a 3.3 x 3.5 km area. Mineralization has been drill tested to about 950 m from the original land surface. Drilling from within the pit base indicates primary mineralization extends for an additional 930 m below the pit bottom.

Mineralization is closely associated with a complex, 1,500 m diameter intrusive centre dominated by four phases of porphyritic dacite plugs, referred to as "T", "Main", "L/M" and "Late", a dacite diatreme and agglomerates, extensive hydrothermal breccias and latite porphyry stocks and dikes.

In the mine area, the Toquepala Lineament appears to control some aspects of mineralization. The lineament is based on the distribution of three porphyry stocks, two breccia bodies, numerous pebble and thin intrusive dikes within the mine, as well as the Cerro Toquepala, Cerro Azul and Totoral breccia pipes, along a 20º azimuth. The lineament is controlled by a north–northeast-trending pre-mineral fault system.

Mineralization consisted of leached capping, oxide, enriched, transitional and primary mineralization. The first three types have largely been mined out.

Mineralization types included:
• Leached capping was predominantly limonite (jarosite 30%, hematite 60% and goethite 10%) mostly disseminated and in fractures. It is mostly mined out; however, remnants occur around the periphery of the pit.
• Oxide mineralization was very sparse and may be entirely mined out.
• Enriched mineralization consisted of 90% chalcocite, and 10% digenite, covellite, and bornite in breccia matrix, disseminations, and veinlets. This material had the highest copper grades and is mostly mined out.
• Transition mineralization was about 60% chalcopyrite, 25% chalcocite and 15% molybdenite and bornite as breccia matrix, disseminations, and veins associated with quartz. It is mostly mined out, but remnants are localized on the west edge of the pit.
• Primary copper mineralization occurs as hypogene sulfides mainly restricted to the dacite porphyry and breccias. Chalcopyrite is the dominant economic mineral (90% of mineralization) with 10% bornite, molybdenite, and enargite as dissemination fracture fillings, and breccia matrix. It is associated with potassic alteration (biotite and/or K-feldspar) with about 1% of pyrite (pyrite to chalcopyrite ratio of about 3:1) associated with magnetite and anhydrite. Economic molybdenite mineralization is associated with quartz veinlets and locally, with disseminated chalcopyrite.

In the phyllic zone, pyrite is present as 10% of the rock. The pyrite to chalcopyrite ratio is about 12:1, associated with minor molybdenite, bornite, chalcocite, sphalerite, and galena.

Reserves

Lock

- subscription is required.

Mining Methods

Lock

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Lock

- subscription is required.

Processing

Lock

- subscription is required.

Production

Since 2019 stripping ratio obtained dividing waste by leachable material plus ore mined.
CommodityProductUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Copper Cathode kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2626252524
Copper Metal in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe232144123116119
Copper Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe885528452424429
Molybdenum Metal in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe7.34.24.26.37.9
Molybdenum Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe137.57.51114
Silver Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,4212,1321,7791,5861,613

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe120,000 t of ore (in concentrator)120,000 t of ore (in concentrator)
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe56 kt of copper cathode56 kt of copper cathode56 kt of copper cathode56 kt of copper cathode
Stripping / waste ratio  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe0.85 9.64 8.98 9.48 8.58
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe134,948 kt126,827 kt105,459 kt98,425 kt74,590 kt
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe249,083 kt241,514 kt203,778 kt209,064 kt193,013 kt
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe38,121 kt of ore (in concentrator)23,060 kt of ore (in concentrator)

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Financials

Units2023202220212020201920182017
Book Value M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2,084   1,019   861  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Lock

- subscription is required.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 22, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 22, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 22, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 22, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 22, 2024

EmployeesYear
...... Subscription required 2014

Aerial view:

Lock

- subscription is required.