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Chile
Ministro Hales Mine

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 Location:
6 km N from Calama, Chile

  Address:
Kilómetro 4 Calama-Chuquicamata. Ruta B24
PO Box 24
Calama
Chile
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Silver
  • Sulphuric acid
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Flotation
  • Roasting
Mine Life58 years (as of Jan 1, 2015)


Owners

Source: p. 15, 20
CompanyInterestOwnership
Codelco Corp. 100 % Indirect
In 1997, Codelco inaugurated the first operation led by Chileans, the Radomiro Tomic mine. Then continued with Gabriela Mistral and Ministro Hales.

Codelco Corp. operates seven mine sites (known as “divisiones”): Chuquicamata, Ministro Hales, Radomiro Tomic, Gabriela Mistral, Salvador, Andina, El Teniente, in addition to the Ventanas Smelter and Refinery.

Deposit Type

  • Porphyry
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork
  • Hydrothermal


Summary:

Ministro Hales is a mega porphyry Cu-(Mo) deposit with the superposition of hydrothermal breccias/stockwork bodies containing Cu-(Ag-As) in its upper part. The porphyry and mineralization make up an elongated body resembling a large dike. It is situated west of a major strand of the West Fault system, an arc parallel set of (early dextral, later sinistral) transcurrent fault active in Cenozoic times. East of the fault, Paleozoic metamorphic, intrusive and volcanic basement rocks dominate, covered by ca. 1000 m of Cenozoic gravels. West of the fault volcanic rocks are intruded by Eocene intrusive bodies. Hypogene mineralization is distributed within a fanning, subparallel array of subvertical hydrothermal breccia bodies with a NS to N15o W elongation, parallel to the West Fault.

Supergene enrichment and oxidation are minor west of the fault, and an exotic oxide blanket occurs in the gravels to the east. Within the deposit, the older rocks are undifferentiated green andesitic flows and breccias with chlorite, epidote and pyrite, assigned to the Triassic Collahuasi Fm., although zircon dates indicate some rocks may be Paleozoic in age. The bulk of the hypogene ore is hosted by the pervasively altered, equigranular MM Granodiorite. It has a Triassic zircon U/Pb LAM-ICPMS age, and is presently considered to be the equivalent to the Este Granodiorite of Chuquicamata.

The dike like MM Porphyry appears deep in the deposit and adjacent to the West Fault; its U/Pb LAMICPMS age in zircon is 38.9 ± 0.4 Ma. It has an aplitic groundmass and scarce quartz eyes; it displays potassic alteration with K-feldspar (as veinlets and rims on plagioclase), biotite and green-grey sericite, cut by A type quartz veinlets. MM Porphyry is cut by early B type veinlets (with axial molybdenite and chalcopyrite). It is mineralized with bornite-chalcopyrite-(digenite).

The Quartz Porphyry was intersected in one deep drillhole. It is characterized by abundant quartz eyes. It has been affected by potassic alteration with green-grey sericite, K-feldspar and anhydrite, and contains disseminated bornite and chalcopyrite in fine stockworks. This porphyry cuts mineralized and altered veins of the MM Porphyry. Its U/Pb LAM ICPMS age in zircon is 35.5 ± 0.6 Ma.

Dacite dikes belonging to more than one generation intrude all the above units along faults but are cut by hydrothermal breccias; some are Triassic. They are aphanitic with crystals of hornblende, plagioclase and scarce quartz.

Hydrothermal breccia bodies rooted in the MM Porphyry host the highest Cu grades, as well as elevated values of As and Ag. These consist of isolated angular (dacitic) rock fragments within a matrix of sulfides (chalcocite, enargite and pyrite), rock powder, silica and alunite; laterally these bodies grade into mineralized random stockworks. Where the breccias show evidence of rotation of clasts, and banding, Cu grades are highest. Advanced argillic alteration (silica, alunite, pyrophyllite, sericite and dickite) accompanies these breccias bodies. At depth they contain assemblages with bornite-chalcocite-pyrite, at medium depths chalcopyrite-tennantite-pyrite, and closer to the surface chalcociteenargite-pyrite-(bornite)-(covellite). High-grade Cu zones (>2 %) contain high As, Ag, and Zn values. Minor gold is present in some bodies. This assemblage represents a transition between a typical Cu-Mo porphyry and “epithermal” high-sulfidation mineralization.

Pebble dikes: post-ore dike-like bodies of breccia occur within the NS fault and vein system; some are up to 30 m wide. Clasts are angular to rounded in a clastic matrix, barren of mineralization; they are interpreted to be products of fluidized beds during venting of highly pressurized steam.

Sedimentary rocks and exotic ores. Eocene and younger gravels are present east of the West Fault. A 10 to 50 m thick blanket of exotic copper mineralization is found in the lower MM Gravel unit below the contact with an upper thin brown unit. The unit contains chrysocolla, Cu-bearing cryptomelane, malachite, azurite, conichalcite and smectite.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

Ministro Hales is mined by open pit extraction method.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Flotation
  • Roasting

Source: Subscription required

Summary:

The Division includes an open-pit mine operation, mill and concentrator (primary crushing, grinding and flotation) that will process 50,000 tpd and, in addition to other works, roasting and acid plants.

Products: Copper calcine, copper and silver concentrate.


Production:

CommodityProductUnits201920182017201620152014
Copper Metal t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required215,086237,020238,305141,206
Silver Metal in concentrate kg  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Sulphuric acid Acid t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics2016
Daily milling capacity 50,000 t

Reserves at December 31, 2019:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven 167 Mt Copper 1.05 % 1.8 Mt
Probable 111 Mt Copper 0.86 % 1 Mt
Proven & Probable 278 Mt Copper 0.97 % 2.7 Mt
Measured 212 Mt Copper 1 % 2.1 Mt
Indicated 371 Mt Copper 0.9 % 3.4 Mt
Inferred 745 Mt Copper 0.81 % 6.1 Mt
Total Resource 1,328 Mt Copper 0.87 % 11.5 Mt

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits201820162015
C1 cash costs Copper USD  ......  Subscription required 1.15 / lb 1.41 / lb
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Financials:

Units20192018201720162015
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 1,653  
Gross profit M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 108.76  
Pre-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required -89.97  
After-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required -32.39  
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 8, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 8, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 8, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 8, 2020
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

EmployeesYear
Subscription required 2019
Subscription required 2018
Subscription required 2017
Subscription required 2016
Subscription required 2015
Subscription required 2014

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2018
................................... Subscription required 2018
Annual Report 2017
Corporate Presentation 2017
Annual Report 2016
Corporate Presentation 2016
Financial Review 2016
Other 2016
Annual Report 2015
Other 2009
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Aerial view:

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