Overview

Mine Type	Open Pit
Stage	Residual leach
Commodities	Gold Silver
Mining Method	Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start	...
Mine Life	...
Snapshot	The El Castillo mine was an operating open pit heap leach gold mine. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the El Castillo mine ceased mining operations and is now in residual leaching. During the 2023 year, site activities included leaching of the ore placed on the pad in the fourth quarter of 2022 and re-leaching to rinse the pads as part of the reclamation process. For 2024, site activities include releaching to rinse the pads as part of the reclamation process. As a result, minimal production is expected in the first half of 2024. The majority of site activities in 2024 will be focused on reclamation.

Deposit type

• Porphyry
• Intrusion related
• Epithermal

Summary:

Deposit Type
El Castillo is interpreted to be a porphyry-style gold system related to Eocene granodiorite– diorite porphyries that intrude Cretaceous clastic and carbonate sediments in an extensional tectonic setting. Gold mineralization occurs throughout the magmatic-hydrothermal system in space and time and is related to sulphide mineralization spatially associated with early potassic development and genetically related to an overprint of phyllic alteration. Supergene alteration, formed as a product of acid leaching, has resulted in argillic-quartz alteration assemblages within the oxide zone of the deposit. The main gold event is believed to be associated with magmatic hydrothermal fluids corresponding to phyllic alteration.

The El Castillo gold system is similar to that found at Andacollo, Chile (Reyes, 1991 and Oyarzun, et al., 1996). Andacollo is a Cretaceous diorite to granodiorite porphyry copper-gold system with central porphyry copper-gold mineralization related to a classic porphyry alteration assemblage and a distal sediment-hosted (manto) low sulphidation and epithermal-level gold satellite system. Fluid inclusion work by Oyarzun et al. (1996) indicates that the manto epithermal gold deposits may in fact be related to another intrusive that has not been recognized at the surface due to high temperature fluid inclusions (about 365ºC) that are found about 5 km from the porphyry centre.

Supergene oxidation of shallow (<200 m) pyrite-gold mineralization is the most important factor affecting mine viability at El Castillo. Oxidized or partially oxidized transition and sulphide material located relatively near surface is a main component of the Mineral Resources and mine plan. The depth of oxidation has been strongly influenced by the density and depth of natural rock fracturing, total pyrite content of hypogene mineralization and the thickness of post-mineral cover. The deeper sulphide portion of the mineral system remains open at depth.

Mineralization
The moderately dipping granodiorite–diorite sills, siltites and argillites are the most favourable host lithologies. Argillic–quartz alteration is often closely associated with the intrusive contacts and can be indicative of higher-grade zones of mineralization.

The dominant controls on the gold mineralization include structural channeling along contacts between intrusive sills and metasedimentary units and a broad zone of northeast-striking, steeply-dipping faults and fractures that acted as conduits to help spread mineralization. Gold precipitation may be somewhat dependent on a chemically-favourable environment within the sediments but does not appear to be strongly influenced by rock composition. The hydrothermal fluids and their contained metals are believed to have been derived from a magmatic source and are a primary volatile component of the porphyry intrusion that is host to much of the mineralization.

Gold is spatially and genetically associated with pyrite occurring as disseminations, fracture fillings and stockworks often occurring within areas of hydrothermal brecciation. Within the mine the host environment for gold mineralization is dominated by an alternating pattern of sediments and parallel intrusive sills that strike to the northwest and dip moderately to the northeast. The sedimentary units generally vary from 20 m to 40 m thick, as do the intrusive sills. Many of the sills appear to have intruded along bedding planes by splitting the tabular sedimentary blocks into their present positions. This geologic event resulted in the unique alternating pattern of sediments and intrusive sills that are observed throughout the mine area. Extensive fracturing and brecciation of the sedimentary blocks, especially along contacts, created favourable secondary permeability for the deposition of gold mineralization predominately associated with pyrite. As a result, the northwest-striking sediments are often better mineralized than the surrounding intrusive rocks.

There is typically a transition zone of partially oxidized mineralization that lies between the fully oxidized material and lower non-oxidized, sulphide material. The transition zone varies from 5 m to 50 m thick and is generally influenced by degree of fracturing and level of erosion.

The sulphide zone is generally identified by the presence of pyrite mineralization. The occurrence of sulphides, either fracture-related or disseminated, is usually a good indicator of gold mineralization. The sulphide veinlets are most commonly 0.5 cm to 4.0 cm wide.

There are two preferred trends to mineralization. The most obvious of these reflects the generally stronger mineralization within the sedimentary units. The favourable permeability related to increased fracturing within the sediments enhanced the distribution and broader geometry of mineralization. The second trend of mineralization is to the northeast and reflects the dominant structural controls to mineralization. These structures are considered to be important conduits that helped channel the mineralizing system. The combination of these geologic controls resulted in a northeast-elongated gold zone that measures approximately 1,800 m by 1,500 m.

Mining Methods

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Processing

- subscription is required.

Production

Commodity	Units	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Gold Equivalent	oz	....	....	....	....	....	66,509	48,311	59,540
Gold	oz		....	....	....	....	65,145	47,857	59,000	62,235	79,751
Silver	oz		....	....

Operational metrics

Metrics	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Stripping / waste ratio	....	....	....	1.49	1.4	1.28	1.48	1.53
Ore tonnes mined	....	....	....	8,914 kt	8,801 kt	8,140 kt	11,139 kt	10,787,049 t
Waste	....	....	....	13,293 kt	12,303 kt	10,407 kt	16,450 kt	16,506,926 t
Total tonnes mined	....	....	....	22,207 kt	21,104 kt	18,547 kt	27,589 kt	27,293,975 t
Tonnes processed	....	....	....	8,867 kt	8,840 kt	8,164 kt
Daily mining rate	....	....	....				75 kt	75 kt

Personnel

Job Title	Name	Profile	Ref. Date
.......................	.......................		Jul 30, 2024
.......................	.......................		Jul 30, 2024
.......................	.......................		Jul 30, 2024

Employees	Contractors	Total Workforce	Year
......	......	......	2023
......	......	......	2022
......			2021
......			2020