Mining Intelligence and News
Chile

Cerro Colorado Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe continued transition towards the planned closure of Cerro Colorado at the end of CY2023.
Related AssetPampa Norte Operation

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnershipInvestor's Info
BHP Group Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Compania Minera Cerro Colorado Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Cerro Colorado is owned by BHP: 100 percent.

Operator: BHP.

Deposit type

  • Porphyry

Summary:

The Cerro Colorado porphyry copper deposit is the northernmost currently active copper mine in Chile. It belongs to one of the Paleocene to early Eocene porphyry copper deposits that are distributed along the western slope of the main Andean Cordillera in Northern Chile. Cerro Colorado is enriched and oxidised porphyry copper deposit containing in situ copper oxide mineralisation that overlies a near-horizontal sequence of supergene sulphides, transitional sulphides and finally primary (hypogene) sulphide mineralization. The geological evolution of Cerro Colorado area can be generalized as follows. The Cretaceous Cerro Empexa Formation, consisting of a sequence of volcanic rocks, mainly andesitic lava and breccia, lahars, some ignimbrite intercalations and dacitic tuff, was intruded by tonalitic to dioritic magma in Middle-Eocene. Magmatic activities generated brecciated rocks accompanying with different alteration zones radiate outward from the intrusion. The mineralized hypogene protore later interacted with ground water, creating the supergene blanket, which is now the principal mining target of Cerro Colorado.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits20222021202020192018201720162015
Copper kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe7563657778
All production numbers are expressed as cathode.

Operational metrics

Metrics20222021202020192018201720162015
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe130 kt of copper cathode130 kt of copper cathode102 kt of copper cathode102 kt of copper cathode80 kt of copper cathode
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe67,458 kt77,256 kt58,235 kt53,668 kt60,882 kt
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe18,888 kt18,300 kt15,173 kt17,946 kt17,934 kt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 8, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 8, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 8, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 8, 2024

Aerial view:

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