Mining Intelligence and News
Brazil

Antas (Antas North) Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusClosing / Closed
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
SnapshotMining at the Antas open pit was completed in June 2021 and it is transitioning into the first hub at Carajás East. Its existing processing plant will continue to be used to process ore from new satellite mines, including Pedra Branca.

Activities focussed on decommissioning the Antas facility through transferring existing tailings to the exhausted mine pit.
Related AssetCarajás East Operation

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnershipInvestor's Info
BHP Group Ltd. 100 % Indirect
OZ Minerals operate the Pedra Branca underground copper mine in the state of Para, within the Carajás East Hub in Brazil.

On May 2, 2023, BHP announced the completion of the OZ Minerals acquisition and implementation of the scheme of arrangement for BHP Lonsdale Investments Pty Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of BHP Group Limited, to acquire 100% of the shares in OZ Minerals Limited (OZL) (the Scheme). BHP Group Limited is now the ultimate parent company of OZL.

Deposit type

  • IOCG

Summary:

In the Carajás Hub, tailings are now deposited in the depleted Antas open pit.

The Antas North iron oxide copper gold deposit is hosted within the Carajás Mineral Province which is located in the southern part of the Amazon Craton. Locally the craton is overlain by metavolcanic–sedimentary units of the Rio Novo Group and the 2.76 Ga Itacaiúnas Supergroup. The Itacaiúnas Supergroup hosts all the known Carajás iron oxide copper gold deposits and is thought to have been deposited in a marine rift environment. The Carajás Mineral Province represents one of the best endowed mineral districts in the world and contains the world’s largest known concentration of iron oxide copper gold deposits including the, Salobo, Igarapé Bahia, Alemão, Cristalino, Gameleira, Furnas, Alvo 118, Antas, Pedra Branca and Pantera deposits.

The Antas North deposit is a structurally controlled iron oxide copper gold deposit which is spatially related to (WNW-ESE) regional shear zones, specifically the Carajás fault and the Cinzento shear system. Mineralisation is hosted within hydrothermal brecciated and altered felsic and mafic volcanic units. Mineralised fluids have been sourced from nearby large granitoid bodies and have been focussed along structural conduits resulting in the deposition of high grade (greater than 10 per cent copper) massive sulfide zones immediately adjacent to or within the interpreted main structural zone. These high-grade massive sulfide zones are commonly 2 to 5 metres wide and are surrounded by a broader zone of lower grade disseminated mineralisation grading 0.2 to 2.0 per cent copper.

The main zone of mineralisation at the Antas North mine has been defined over 350 metres along strike, 300 metres down dip and can be up to 35 metres wide. Mineralisation contains variable proportions of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, and magnetite. Mineralisation in the eastern part of the pit is offset and truncated by late stage dykes which, during emplacement, have remobilised mineralisation locally along dyke margins.

The main zone of mineralisation at the Antas North mine has been defined over 350 metres along strike, 300 metres down dip and can be up to 35 metres wide. Extensions of mineralisation along strike and down plunge to the west are considered possible. Economic mineralisation has also been identified near surface at the Azevedo deposit which is located 300 metres from the current Antas North pit limits. Azevedo mineralisation has currently been identified over a 140 metres strike length and a plunging down dip extent of 100 metres to 140 metres. The mineralisation at Azevedo is typically lower grade (~0.8% copper) and thinner (up to 10 metres wide) than mineralisation inside the Antas North pit.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityProductUnits20202019201820172016
Copper Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe25445140
Gold Metal in concentrate oz  ....  Subscribe6,1719,58211,3667,779

Operational metrics

Metrics20212020201920172016
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe468,732 t642,366 t629,026 t
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4,849,538 t
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe7,027,085 t6,497,037 t
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe773,602 t708,113 t510,830 t

Production Costs

CommodityUnits2020201920182017
Credits (by-product) Copper USD  ....  Subscribe -0.57 / lb   -0.47 / lb   -0.43 / lb  
Total cash costs Copper USD  ....  Subscribe 2.7 / lb **   1.78 / lb **  
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Copper USD  ....  Subscribe 2.95 / lb **   1.94 / lb **  
C1 cash costs Copper USD  ....  Subscribe 2.35 / lb **   1.5 / lb **   1.64 / lb **  
** Net of By-Product.

Financials

Units202020192017
Capital expenditures M AUD  ....  Subscribe 9.9  
Revenue M  ....  Subscribe 66.2  AUD 96.4  USD
Gross profit M 31.7  USD
Pre-tax Income M 3.3  USD
EBITDA M  ....  Subscribe 5  AUD 23.6  USD

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 26, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 26, 2023

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2021

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