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Chile
Quebrada Blanca Mine (Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 (QB2) Project)

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 Location:
162 km SE from Iquique, Chile

  Address:
Esmeralda 340, Piso 10
Iquique
Chile
Phone  ...  Subscription required
Fax56-57-528-264
WebsiteWeb
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageResidual leach
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Molybdenum
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Sulfuric acid (reagent)
  • Heap leach
  • ROM/dump leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
Mine Life2020
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.
Latest NewsTeck Announces Closing of Quebrada Blanca Transaction     April 1, 2019


Owners & OPERATOR

Source: p. 66
CompanyInterestOwnership
Teck Resources Ltd. (operator) 60 % Indirect
During the first quarter of 2019, Teck closed a transaction where Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (25%) and Sumitomo Corporation (together referred to as SMM/SC) subscribed for a 30% indirect interest in Compañia Minera Quebrada Blanca S.A. (QBSA), which owns the Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 (QB2) copper development project located in Northern Chile. Post-transaction, QBSA’s effective ownership is 60% Teck, 30% SMM/SC and 10% Empresa Nacional de Minería (ENAMI). ENAMI, a Chilean State agency, holds a preference share interest in QBSA, which does not require ENAMI to fund capital spending.

Deposit Type

  • Porphyry


Summary:

The Quebrada Blanca orebody is a porphyry copper deposit located in a 30-40 kilometre wide belt of volcanic and sedimentary rocks which contains a number of the world’s largest copper mines including Collahuasi (10 kilometres to the east) and Chuquicamata (190 kilometres to the south). All of these deposits are spatially related to a major north-south fault, the West Fissure Fault, or to splays off this fault.

The Quebrada Blanca orebody occurs within a 2 kilometre by 5 kilometre 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, with (locally) faulted contacts separate the higher and lower grade supergene/dump leach ores from the leached cap and hypogene zones.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

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.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Sulfuric acid (reagent)
  • Heap leach
  • ROM/dump leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

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 ........

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2018
Copper Head Grade, % 0.48

Production:

CommodityUnits202020192018201720162015
Copper kt  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required233539
All production numbers are expressed as cathode. ^ Guidance / Forecast.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics201820172016201520142013
Total tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required12,489 kt22,923 kt34,520 kt56,200 kt
Tonnes processed  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required6,081 kt9,224 kt12,610 kt16,218 kt
Annual production capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required40 kt of copper cathode
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2019:

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGrade
Proven Heap leach 1,200 kt Copper 0.9 %
Proven ROM leach 3,700 kt Copper 0.31 %

Financials:

Units2019201820172016201520142013
Revenue M CAD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 288   375   422  
Gross profit M CAD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required -141   -16   3  
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 10, 2020
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2018
Annual Information Form 2017
Annual Report 2017
Feasibility Study Report 2017
Press Release 2017
Annual Information Form 2016
Annual Report 2016
Annual Report 2015
Press Release 2015
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Teck Announces Closing of Quebrada Blanca Transaction April 1, 2019

Aerial view:

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