The Quebrada Blanca Cu-Mo sulphide deposit is characterized by a series of Eocene-Oligocene aged intrusions, hydrothermal breccias and vein-related mineralization over and area of approximately 5 kilometers by 3 kilometers and controlled primarily by northeast-oriented structures. Alteration associated with the emplacement of the porphyritic and related intrusions includes chalcopyrite- and bornite-related veins, disseminations, and cement fill associated with potassic alteration. A large, vertically zoned hydrothermal breccia developed in association with potassic event. This breccia has biotite, biotite-magnetite, chalcopyrite and locally bornite preserved at depth, whilst at shallower levels it transitions to a tourmaline-rich breccia with pyrite and chalcopyrite. A series of quartz-molybdenite veins are commonly associated with the biotite-magnetite breccia on the east of the deposit. A subsequent chalcopyrite and molybdenite event cuts across the system and is characterized by grey-green sericite and quartz veins. This type of transitional alteration is best-preserved in the western part of the deposit. A late quartz-sericite-pyrite assemblage cuts the copper-bearing stages, northeast-oriented structures, which were a key control in the location of the supergene mineralization at surface.

The Quebrada Blanca occurs within a 2-kilometer by 5-kilometer quartz monzonite intrusive stock. Supergene enrichment processes have dissolved and redeposited primary (hypogene) chalcopyrite as a blanket of supergene copper sulphides, the most important being chalcocite and covellite with lesser copper oxides/silicates such as chrysocolla in the oxide zone. Irregular transition zones, which locally faulted contacts separate the higher and lower-grade supergene/dump leach ores from the leach cap and hypogene zones.

The initial open pit mine at Quebrada Blanca (the Quebrada Blanca Phase 1 operation or QB1) commenced operation in 1994, exploiting supergene copper mineralization. To date, operations at the mine have used a heap leach and dump leach and solvent extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) process. The supergene ore is now depleted and mining operations ceased in October 2018; however, the SX/EW plant will continue to produce cathodes throughout 2019 and 2020 from existing supergene leaching pads.

The Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 project (QB2) is planned to exploit hypogene mineralization below the supergene mineralization mined in QB1. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) for QB2 was prepared in 2016, and approved by the Chilean environmental authorities in August 2018. The Teck board has approved the QB2 project for full construction, with first production targeted for the second half of 2021.

Quebrada Blanca is an open-pit mine which produces ore for both heap leach and lower grade dump leach production. Copper-bearing solutions are collected from the heap and dump leach pads for processing in an SX-EW plant which produces copper cathode. Copper cathode is trucked to Iquique for shipment to purchasers.

Ore is delivered from the pit to a primary crusher, crushed and then discharged by conveyor belt to a coarse ore stockpile. Ore is drawn from the coarse ore stockpile by conveyor belts feeding a vibrating screen with oversize in turn passing through a secondary standard cone crusher. The product is then conveyed to five surge bins, which feed five tertiary screens. The oversize product is passed through five tertiary crushers. Ore is received at the agglomeration drum from a conveyor belt discharging into a fine ore bin. Ore passes through one of two agglomeration drums. Agglomerated ore is transported by a system of overland conveyors, tripper, and grasshopper con ........