The copper-gold sulphide mineralization found at the Candelaria Copper Mining Complex is generally referred to as iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) mineralization. The sulphide mineralization occurs in breccias, stockwork veinlets, disseminations in andesite, and as an internal tuff unit. There are also some localized controls to mineralization in the form of faults, breccias, veins, and foliation. Candelaria has become an exploration model for Andean-type IOCG deposits that display close relationships to the plutonic complexes and broadly coeval fault systems. Depending on lithology and the structural setting, the polymetallic sulphide mineralization can occur as veins, hydrothermal breccias, replacement mantos, and calcic skarns. The Candelaria IOCG system lies within the thermal aureole of the Lower Cretaceous magmatic arc plutonic suite in the Candelaria-Punta del Cobre district.

Chalcopyrite is the only primary copper sulphide present in the Santos mine. Additionally to copper mineralization, there are economic values of gold. Most frequent gangue minerals are pyrite, magnetite, actinolite, k-feldspar, chlorite, biotite and hematite.

In the Santos mine, three types of mineralized bodies are observed: veins, mantos, and breccia bodies. An important vein in the Santos mine is the Isabel, which is oriented northwest-striking, and extends over 1 kilometre in length and between 4 and 30 metres in width. Manto-type mineralization occurs as tabular bodies host ........

Minera Ojos del Salado consists of the Santos and Alcaparrosa underground mines.

The three underground mines (Candelaria Underground, Santos, and Alcaparrosa) utilize a sublevel stoping mining method for ore extraction. This method is ideal for relatively large, vertical, as well as thick deposits with favourable and stable host rock. Stopes can typically be up to 180 metres high with sublevels at 20 to 60 metre intervals. The length of the stopes is generally 40 to 100 metres with widths varying between 20 to 30 metres. Stopes are drilled down from the sublevel drilling drifts as benches using 114 to 140 mm diameter down-the-hole holes. The holes are loaded and blasted in vertical slices towards an open face created by the slot blasting. The blasted ore gravitates to the bottom of the stope and is collected in draw points at the production level below. This lower level also consists of the haulage (transport) drift. The undercut levels, which feed the draw points, are 15 to 20 metres high and inclined at 50 to 60 degrees to allow the blasted ore to flow easily by gravity. An Epiroc Simba tophammer rig drills 64 mm up holes within the undercut, which are loaded and blasted with the downholes. Once the stope is mined, a remaining rib pillar, which can be another 20 to 30 metres wide, may be blasted into the stope to increase the extraction tonnage. Typically, a 20-metre structural pillar remains between each stope and no backfill is used at these operations. Mucked ........

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Minera Ojos del Salado PAC Plant
The PAC concentrator of Minera Ojos del Salado has been in operation since 1929. The concentrator processes 3,800 tonnes per day of fresh feed from the Santos underground mine with an historical average head grade of 0.85 percent copper with a copper recovery of 94 percent. Copper concentrate produced has averaged 30 percent copper, 5 g/t gold, and 67 g/t silver since 2004. Gold and silver recoveries are slightly lower than Candelaria, at 72 percent each.

The flotation plant uses multi-stage, mechanical (self-aspirated and forced-air) flotation cells varying in size from 100 to 1500 cubic feet. After rougher flotation, regrind milling and column cells are used to generate a final concentrate which is thickened and filtered using a 30-square- metre ceramic disc filter. Final flotation tailings from the PAC plant are pumped to the main Minera Candelaria tailings storage facility but not processed through the magnetite recovery plant.