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Peru

Hilarion Project

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Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
Study CompletedPreliminary Economic Assessment
Commodities
  • Zinc
  • Silver
  • Lead
Mining Method
  • Sub-level stoping
  • Transverse stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Hilarión Project involves developing an underground mine that may use its own processing plant or one of several nearby plants, such as Pachapaqui, Huanzala, and Atalaya.

In 2024, spending was directed toward mineral rights, project maintenance, geological reviews, and environmental obligations, with no drilling activities.

For 2025, the budget includes maintenance, with no drilling planned. The Ministry of Energy and Mines is evaluating the fourth modification to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Nexa Resources S.A. 83.55 % Indirect
Nexa Resources Perú S.A.A. owns 100.0% of the Hilarión project.

Nexa Resources S.A. owns a total of 83.48% in the Project that corresponds to the sum of Nexa’s direct interest in Nexa Perú (0.17%) and Nexa’s indirect interest in Nexa Perú (83.38%) through its controlled company Nexa Resources Cajamarquilla S.A. (99.91%).

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Skarn

Summary:

The mineralization at Hilarión is found in association with a Zn-Pb-Ag skarn system. Skarn mineralization is hosted by contact, metasomatic calc-silicate rocks proximal to intrusive rocks. They typically form by contact metamorphism of a carbonate rich rock.

The Project is located in the Central Andes in Peru. The Central Andes developed as a typical Andean-type orogen through subduction of oceanic crust and volcanic arc activity. The Central Andes includes an ensialic crust and can be subdivided into three main sections which reveal different subduction geometry as well as different uplift mechanisms. The Northern Sector of the Central Andes, which hosts the Project, developed through extensional tectonics and subduction during early Mesozoic times. The sector was uplifted due to compression and deformation towards the foreland. In the last 5 Ma, a flat-slab subduction developed (Peruvian Flat Slab Segment).

The mineralization at Hilarión–El Padrino occurs along the contacts of dikes but also as discrete tabular vertical zones. The zones are elongated parallel to the main northwestsoutheast structures, which is also the direction of most of the dikes. The Hilarión deposit consists of multiple zones that vary from 3 m to 65 m in thickness and from 100 m to 1,500 m along strike.

The alteration and mineralization assemblage at Hilarión–El Padrino show overlapping phases of hydrothermal mineral formation, confirming the typical multi-pulse style of this type of mineralization (skarn). The most distal parts of the system are composed of an alteration assemblage of garnet (andradite more distal and grossularite more proximal) and pyroxene (diopside and hedenbergite). Closer to the heat source, this assemblage is overprinted by the minerals of economic interest: sphalerite-marmatite, galena, argentiferous galena and argentite, associated with pyrite and pyrrhotite. This ore has semi-massive to massive texture. Pyrrhotite is more abundant in the zones adjacent to the intrusive bodies, and at depth it can be found where chalcopyrite occurs.

The mineralization in the Project area consists of sulphides containing potentially economic concentrations of Zn-Ag-Pb-(Cu-Au) that have formed during the interaction between magmatic hydrothermal fluids and the country limestone (skarn).

Lithology, structure, and proximity to the intrusive are the main controls for Hilarión–El Padrino mineralization. The host rock for the mineralization is the upper member of Pariatambo Formation, which consists of tens of centimetre-scale nodular limestone beds interlayered with bituminous black marl. This combination of rocks is an outstanding chemical trap to cause sulphide precipitation as the acid hydrothermal fluid was neutralized by limestone and reduced by contact with bitumen.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Zinc Payable metal M lbs 2543,063
Zinc Metal in zinc concentrate M lbs 3,141
Zinc Concentrate kt 2202,850
Silver Payable metal koz 2,60033,230
Silver Metal in lead concentrate koz 34,979
Lead Payable metal M lbs 44578
Lead Metal in lead concentrate M lbs 612
Lead Concentrate kt 37505
Zinc Equivalent Payable metal kt 150

Operational metrics

Metrics
Daily ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Daily processing rate  ....  Subscribe
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Waste tonnes, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes processed, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2020 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Assumed price Lead USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Zinc USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Silver USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2020 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

CurrencyAverage
UG mining costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
G&A ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2020 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Closure costs $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
UG OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M USD 592.3
G&A costs $M USD 134.1
Total OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Mining Taxes $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Income Taxes $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Net revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 14, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 14, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 14, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 7, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 3, 2025

Workforce

Aerial view:

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