Overview
| Stage | Production |
| Mine Type | Open Pit & Underground |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Drift & Fill
- Mechanized Cut & Fill
- Cemented backfill
- Backfill
|
| Production Start | ...  |
| Mine Life | 2025 |
Torex has been operating the ELG Mine Complex since 2016, which includes three independent open pits to extract ore from the skarn hosted gold-silver Guajes and El Limón deposits along with an underground mine (ELG UG). The open pits and underground mine feed a centrally located cyanide leach / carbon-inpulp process plant (CIP), with filtered tailings deposited just to the west of the ELG Process Plant. |
Source:
p. 34,69
Contractors
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Summary:
ELG Deposits
Gold mineralization at ELG occurs in association with a skarn body that was developed along a 2 km long corridor following the northeast contact of the ELG granodiorite stock. The skarn zone occurs at the marble stratigraphic level of the Morelos Formation is in contact with hornfelsed sedimentary rocks of the Mezcala Formation. At El Limón skarn mineralization is also structurally controlled by NE-SW and WNW-ESE trending faults and fractures zones. Skarn alteration and mineralization at ELG are fairly typical of calcic gold-skarn systems. Zones of coarse, massive, garnetdominant skarn appear within and along the stock margin, with fine-grained pyroxene-dominant skarn more common at greater distances from the contact with the stock. Significant gold mineralization at ELG is associated with the skarn, preferentially occurring in pyroxene-rich exoskarn but also hosted in garnet-rich endoskarn that has been affected by retrograde alteration.
Pre and post mineralization dykes and sills are found to crosscut the hornfels and marble, along the structural trends mentioned above, and spatially associated with the skarn formation.
El Limón Pit
The main El Limón intrusion consists of an approximately peanut shaped stock of granodiorite composition, which is approximately 6 km long by 2.5 km wide and has a general elongation of N45W. Usually, the skarn is developed along the contacts with this stock, although the important bodies are contro ........
Mining Methods
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Drift & Fill
- Mechanized Cut & Fill
- Cemented backfill
- Backfill
Summary:
Mining at the ELG Mine Complex is carried out by open pit method in the Guajes, El Limón and El Limón Sur pits and by underground mining methods for the ELG UG mine currently focused on the Sub-Sill and El Limón Deep zones.
ELG OP applies a conventional truck and shovel mining method. Open pit mining operations for the El Limón and Guajes pits are executed using the Owner’s open pit mining fleet and a contractor maintenance workforce, with some support of specialized contractor services. The El Limón Sur open pit operations are executed entirely by contractor workforce and equipment. All open pit operations are supported by owner’s supervision and Technical Services.
ELG UG consists of the El Limón and Sub-Sill deposits and applies cut and fill mining method with consolidated rockfill as backfill. Underground mining operations are executed using contractor workforce and equipment, supported by Owner’s supervision and its Technical Services.
Minimum Mining Width
A minimum mining width of 25 m has been considered in the pit and phase designs. This width must be respected to ensure a 91-tonne haul truck, with a turning radius of 10 m, can safely enter the mining area and make a 180° turn to be positioned for loading.
El Limón Pit Design
Mining in the El Limón pit is currently being done in the ED1, ED2 and ED2b phases. The pit floor in the ED1 phase is currently at the 1,141 m elevation and the bottom bench of the phase is ........
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Production:
| Commodity | Units | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|
Gold
|
koz
| ...... ^ | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 354 | 241 |
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Operational Metrics:
| Metrics | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|
Total tonnes mined
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 52,401 kt | 32,625 kt | 26,450 kt |
|
Ore tonnes mined
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 5,952 kt | 4,329 kt | 3,648 kt |
|
Waste
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 46,449 kt | 28,296 kt | 22,802 kt |
|
Daily ore mining rate
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 16,307 t | 12,368 t | 11,883 t |
|
Tonnes processed
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 4,393 kt | 4,152 kt | 428 kt |
|
Daily processing capacity
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 14,000 t | 13,000 t | 14,000 t |
|
Daily processing rate
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 12,036 t | 11,863 t | 12,084 t |
|
Stripping / waste ratio
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 8.4 | 6.7 | 6.3 |
|
Daily mining rate
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 143,564 t | 93,214 t | 86,156 t |
|
Annual processing capacity
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 5.04 Mt | | |
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Reserves at December 31, 2021:
El Limón and Guajes Open Pit Mineral Reserves are reported above a diluted cut-off grade of 1.1 g/t Au.
El Limón Guajes Low Grade Mineral Reserves are reported above a diluted cut-off grade of 1.0 g/t Au.
El Limón Underground Mineral Reserves are reported above an in-situ ore cut-off grade of 3.58 g/t Au and an in-situ incremental CoG of 1.04 g/t Au.
ELG Open Pit Mineral Resources are reported above a cut-off grade of 0.9 g/t Au.
ELG Underground Mineral Resources are reported above a cut-off grade of 2.6 g/t Au.
| Category | OreType | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
|
Proven & Probable
|
Stockpiles
|
4,808 kt
|
Gold
|
1.35 g/t
|
209 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
10,371 kt
|
Gold
|
3.11 g/t
|
1,037 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
2,675 kt
|
Gold
|
5.74 g/t
|
494 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
Stockpiles
|
4,808 kt
|
Silver
|
3.1 g/t
|
484 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
10,371 kt
|
Silver
|
4.5 g/t
|
1,503 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
2,675 kt
|
Silver
|
5.9 g/t
|
511 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
Stockpiles
|
4,808 kt
|
Copper
|
0.07 %
|
7 M lbs
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
10,371 kt
|
Copper
|
0.13 %
|
30 M lbs
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
2,675 kt
|
Copper
|
0.24 %
|
14 M lbs
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
Stockpiles
|
4,808 kt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.38 g/t
|
213 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
10,371 kt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
3.15 g/t
|
1,051 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
2,675 kt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
5.81 g/t
|
500 koz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
16,754 kt
|
Gold
|
2.89 g/t
|
1,557 koz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
4,551 kt
|
Gold
|
6.25 g/t
|
915 koz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
16,754 kt
|
Silver
|
4.8 g/t
|
2,579 koz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
4,551 kt
|
Silver
|
7.4 g/t
|
1,088 koz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
16,754 kt
|
Copper
|
0.12 %
|
45 M lbs
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
4,551 kt
|
Copper
|
0.3 %
|
30 M lbs
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
16,754 kt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
2.93 g/t
|
1,580 koz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
4,551 kt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
6.34 g/t
|
927 koz
|
|
Inferred
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
812 kt
|
Gold
|
1.8 g/t
|
47 koz
|
|
Inferred
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
1,380 kt
|
Gold
|
4.88 g/t
|
217 koz
|
|
Inferred
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
812 kt
|
Silver
|
3.5 g/t
|
90 koz
|
|
Inferred
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
1,380 kt
|
Silver
|
6.2 g/t
|
275 koz
|
|
Inferred
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
812 kt
|
Copper
|
0.08 %
|
1 M lbs
|
|
Inferred
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
1,380 kt
|
Copper
|
0.25 %
|
8 M lbs
|
|
Inferred
|
In-Situ (OP)
|
812 kt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.83 g/t
|
48 koz
|
|
Inferred
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
1,380 kt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
4.95 g/t
|
220 koz
|
Pipelines and Water Supply
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