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Chile
Spence Mine (Pampa Norte Operation)

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 Location:
50 km SW from Calama, Chile

  Address:
General Borgoño 934 Oficina 1201- Piso 12
Antofagasta
Chile
1243401
Phone  ...  Subscription required
Fax56-5-564-7011
WebsiteWeb
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
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  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Heap leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
Mine Life50 years (as of Jan 1, 2017)


Owners

 
CompanyInterestOwnershipInvestor's Info
BHP Group Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Minera Spence S.A. 100 % Direct

Deposit Type

  • Porphyry


Summary:

The Spence porphyry copper deposit is related to three stocks of dacitic porphyries and tourmaline-bearing hydrothermal breccias, which were emplaced in andesitic volcanic rocks of the Upper Cretaceous–Lower Tertiary. Laser 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages in magmatic biotites of preand post mineralization dacitic stocks show evidence that hypogene mineralization (chalcopyrite, pyrite, molybdenite, and lesser amounts of bornite and tennantite) occurred between 56 and 57 Ma.

Unconsolidated gravel deposits and a leach cap cover an oxidation blanket characterized by atacamite, chrysocolla, and minor brochantite, in which the Cu-hydroxychloride is by far the dominating mineral. Underlying the oxide zone is a well-developed chalcocite- and lesser covellite-bearing supergene enrichment blanket.

Representative samples from pit walls and drill cores were selected in order to cover most of the hypogene and supergene zones, including chalcopyrite from the hypogene-enriched sulfides and hypogene zones, chalcocite from the supergeneenriched sulfides and hypogene-enriched blankets, chrysocolla from the oxide blankets, and atacamite from the oxide zone within the host rocks and gravels and leach cap.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

Spence and Cerro Colorado are comprised of open pit mines. At these mines, overburden is removed after blasting, using a truck and shovel.

Open-cut Enriched and oxidised porphyry copper deposit containing in situ copper oxide mineralisation that overlies a near-horizontal sequence of supergene sulphides.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Heap leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning

Source: Subscription required

Summary:

Processing and crushing facilities, separate dynamic (on-off) leach pads, solvent extraction plant, electrowinning plant Nominal capacity of tank house: 200 ktpa copper cathode.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter202020192018201720162015
Copper Head Grade, % 0.911.091.131.141.331.21

Production:

CommodityUnits202020192018201720162015
Copper kt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required190174171
All production numbers are expressed as cathode.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202020192018201720162015
Total tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required88,188 kt90,151 kt
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Annual production capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required200 kt of copper cathode200 kt of copper cathode
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required19,256 kt of ore16,834 kt of ore
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2020:

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGrade
Proven Oxide 31 Mt Copper 0.61 %
Proven Low-grade oxide 9.9 Mt Copper 0.68 %
Proven Supergene sulphide 100 Mt Copper 0.62 %
Proven Transitional sulphide 22 Mt Copper 0.67 %
Proven Hypogene sulphide 615 Mt Copper 0.46 %
Probable Oxide 0.11 Mt Copper 0.95 %
Probable Low-grade oxide 0.59 Mt Copper 0.56 %
Probable Supergene sulphide 6.6 Mt Copper 0.43 %
Probable Transitional sulphide 0.51 Mt Copper 0.53 %
Probable Hypogene sulphide 694 Mt Copper 0.46 %
Measured Oxide 36 Mt Copper 0.63 %
Measured Low-grade oxide 0.9 Mt Copper 0.23 %
Measured Supergene sulphide 114 Mt Copper 0.6 %
Measured Transitional sulphide 22 Mt Copper 0.67 %
Measured Hypogene sulphide 620 Mt Copper 0.46 %
Indicated Oxide 1.7 Mt Copper 0.66 %
Indicated Low-grade oxide 34 Mt Copper 0.2 %
Indicated Supergene sulphide 9.6 Mt Copper 0.45 %
Indicated Transitional sulphide 0.5 Mt Copper 0.53 %
Indicated Hypogene sulphide 761 Mt Copper 0.45 %


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 29, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 29, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 29, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 29, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2018
................................... Subscription required 2018
Annual Report 2017
Press Release 2017
Annual Report 2016
Fact Sheet 2016
Corporate Presentation 2015
Corporate Presentation 2012
Other 2011
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Aerial view:

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