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Chile
Spence Mine (Pampa Norte Operation)

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 Location:
50 km SW from Calama, Chile

  Regional Office:
Cerro El Plomo 6000, Las Condes
Santiago
Chile
7560623
Phone  ...  Subscription required
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Fleet
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Molybdenum
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Crush-and-stack plant
  • Flotation
  • Heap leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
Mine Life38 years (as of Jan 1, 2021)
Latest NewsBHP begins autonomous blasthole drilling rollout at Spence copper mine in Chile     December 7, 2021


Owners

Source: p. 26,182,236
CompanyInterestOwnershipInvestor's Info
BHP Group Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Minera Spence S.A. (operator) 100 % Direct
BHP ownership: 100 percent.
Operator: BHP.

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 pre- and 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 supergene-enriched 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 is Open-cut. Enriched and oxidised porphyry copper deposit containing in situ copper oxide mineralisation that overlies a near-horizontal sequence of supergene sulphides, transitional sulphides, and finally primary (hypogene) sulphide mineralisation.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Crush-and-stack plant
  • Flotation
  • Heap leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

Spence produces copper cathodes and, since December 2020, copper concentrate. Crushing facilities feed concentrator and leaching processes. 1 copper concentrator plant with 95 ktpd capacity (by-products: gold and silver), molybdenum plant and a 1,000 lps desalinated water plantunder a Build, Own, Operate, Transfer (BOOT) agreement. Dynamic leach pads, solvent extraction and electrowinning plant Nominal capacity of tank house: 200 ktpa copper cathode.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2021202020192018201720162015
Copper Head Grade, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1.131.141.331.21

Production:

CommodityProductUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Copper Metal in concentrate kt  ......  Subscription required
Copper Cathode kt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required200190174171
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202120202019201820172016
Total tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required82,513 kt89,976 kt93,442 kt88,188 kt
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required20,670 kt19,447 kt20,093 kt19,256 kt
Annual production capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required200 kt of copper cathode200 kt of copper cathode200 kt of copper cathode200 kt of copper cathode
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at June 3, 2021:
Cut-off criteria:
Mineral Resources: Oxide - 0.30%TCu; Low-grade Oxide - 0.20%TCu; Supergene Sulphide, Transitional Sulphide & Hypogene Sulphide - 0.20%TCu.
Ore Reserves: Oxide - 0.30%TCu; Supergene Sulphide, Transitional Sulphide & Hypogene Sulphide - 0.20%TCu.

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGrade
Proven Oxide 26 Mt Copper 0.67 %
Proven Supergene sulphide 104 Mt Copper 0.59 %
Proven Transitional sulphide 20 Mt Copper 0.64 %
Proven Hypogene sulphide 636 Mt Copper 0.46 %
Proven Transitional sulphide 20 Mt Molybdenum 100 ppm
Proven Hypogene sulphide 636 Mt Molybdenum 180 ppm
Probable Oxide 0.3 Mt Copper 0.57 %
Probable Supergene sulphide 7.8 Mt Copper 0.41 %
Probable Transitional sulphide 0.5 Mt Copper 0.49 %
Probable Hypogene sulphide 725 Mt Copper 0.45 %
Probable Transitional sulphide 0.5 Mt Molybdenum 60 ppm
Probable Hypogene sulphide 725 Mt Molybdenum 130 ppm
Proven & Probable Oxide 26 Mt Copper 0.67 %
Proven & Probable Supergene sulphide 112 Mt Copper 0.58 %
Proven & Probable Transitional sulphide 20 Mt Copper 0.64 %
Proven & Probable Hypogene sulphide 1,360 Mt Copper 0.45 %
Proven & Probable Transitional sulphide 20 Mt Molybdenum 100 ppm
Proven & Probable Hypogene sulphide 1,360 Mt Molybdenum 150 ppm
Measured Oxide 27 Mt Copper 0.66 %
Measured Low-grade oxide 0.6 Mt Copper 0.26 %
Measured Supergene sulphide 103 Mt Copper 0.59 %
Measured Transitional sulphide 20 Mt Copper 0.64 %
Measured Hypogene sulphide 636 Mt Copper 0.46 %
Measured Transitional sulphide 20 Mt Molybdenum 100 ppm
Measured Hypogene sulphide 636 Mt Molybdenum 180 ppm
Indicated Oxide 1.6 Mt Copper 0.66 %
Indicated Low-grade oxide 0.1 Mt Copper 0.26 %
Indicated Supergene sulphide 8.1 Mt Copper 0.41 %
Indicated Transitional sulphide 0.5 Mt Copper 0.49 %
Indicated Hypogene sulphide 773 Mt Copper 0.45 %
Indicated Transitional sulphide 0.5 Mt Molybdenum 60 ppm
Indicated Hypogene sulphide 773 Mt Molybdenum 130 ppm
Inferred Supergene sulphide 0.2 Mt Copper 0.42 %
Inferred Hypogene sulphide 981 Mt Copper 0.39 %
Inferred Hypogene sulphide 981 Mt Molybdenum 90 ppm
Total Resource Oxide 29 Mt Copper 0.66 %
Total Resource Low-grade oxide 0.7 Mt Copper 0.26 %
Total Resource Supergene sulphide 111 Mt Copper 0.58 %
Total Resource Transitional sulphide 21 Mt Copper 0.64 %
Total Resource Hypogene sulphide 2,390 Mt Copper 0.43 %
Total Resource Transitional sulphide 21 Mt Molybdenum 100 ppm
Total Resource Hypogene sulphide 2,390 Mt Molybdenum 120 ppm


Heavy Mobile Equipment:
HME TypeModelQuantityRef. Date
Drill ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Dec 6, 2021
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Apr 29, 2022
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required Apr 29, 2022
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 13, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 13, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 13, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 13, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 22, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 13, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 13, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Other 2022
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Report 2018
Press Release 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.

News:

NewsDate
BHP begins autonomous blasthole drilling rollout at Spence copper mine in Chile December 7, 2021

Aerial view:

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