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Russia
Kupol Mine (Kupol-Dvoinoye Operation)

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 Location:
194 km SE from Bilibino, Russia

  Regional Office:
6 Rultytegina Str.
685000 Magadan, 13 Proletarskaya Str.
Anadyr
Russia
689000
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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
  • Longhole stoping
  • Avoca
  • Longitudinal retreat
  • Backfill
Processing
  • Gravity separation
  • Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
  • Counter current decantation (CCD)
  • Merrill–Crowe
  • Cyanide (reagent)
Mine Life2024


Owners & OPERATOR

Source: p. 12
CompanyInterestOwnership
Kinross Gold Corp. 100 % Indirect
Chukotka Mining and Geological Co. (operator) 100 % Direct
Chukotka Mining and Geological Company (CMGC) is Kinross’ operating entity for Kupol.

Deposit Type

  • Epithermal
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork
  • Vein / narrow vein


Summary:

The Kupol deposit is considered to be an example of a low-sulphidation epithermal deposit (e.g., Panteleyev, 1996). Low-sulphidation epithermal deposits are high-level hydrothermal systems, which vary in crustal depths from about 1 km to surficial hot spring settings. Host rocks are extremely variable, ranging from volcanic rocks to sediments. Calc-alkaline andesitic compositions predominate as volcanic rock hosts, but deposits can also occur in areas with bimodal volcanism and extensive subaerial ashflow deposits. A third, less common association is with alkalic intrusive rocks and shoshonitic volcanics. Clastic and epiclastic sediments in intra-volcanic basins and structural depressions are the primary non-volcanic host rocks.

Mineralization in the near surface environment takes place in hot spring systems, or the slightly deeper underlying hydrothermal conduits. At greater crustal depth, mineralization can occur above, or peripheral to, porphyry (and possibly skarn) mineralization. Normal faults, margins of grabens, coarse clastic caldera moat-fill units, radial and ring dyke fracture sets, and hydrothermal and tectonic breccias can act as mineralized-fluid channelling structures. Through-going, branching, bifurcating, anastomosing, and intersecting fracture systems are commonly mineralized. Mineralization forms where dilatational openings and cymoid loops develop, typically where the strike or dip of veins changes. Hanging wall fractures in mineralized structures are particularly favourable for high-grade mineralization.

Deposits are typically zoned vertically over about a 250 m to 350 m interval, from a base metal-poor, Au-Ag-rich top to a relatively Ag-rich base metal zone and an underlying base metal-rich zone grading at depth into a sparse base metal, pyritic zone. From surface to depth, metal zones grade from Au-Ag-As-Sb-Hg-rich zones to Au-Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu-rich zones, to basal Ag-Pb-Zn-rich zones.

Silicification is the most common alteration type with multiple generations of quartz and chalcedony, which are typically accompanied by adularia and calcite. Pervasive silicification in vein envelopes is flanked by sericite-illite-kaolinite assemblages. Kaolinite illite-montmorillonite±smectite (intermediate argillic alteration) can form adjacent to veins; kaolinite-alunite (advanced argillic alteration) may form along the tops of mineralized zones. Propylitic alteration dominates at depth and along the deposit margins.

The mineralization typically includes pyrite, electrum, gold, silver, and argentite. Other minerals can include chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, tetrahedrite, and silver sulphosalt and/or selenide minerals. In alkalic host rocks, tellurides, roscoelite and fluorite may be abundant, with lesser molybdenite as an accessory mineral.

Features that classify the Kupol deposit as a low-sulphidation epithermal-style deposit include:

1) Vein was emplaced in a predominantly extensional environment, vein is associated with regional through-going structure;
2) Presence of chalcedonic and opaline quartz (low temperature cryptocrystalline to colloidal quartz);
3) Mineralization is hosted in multiphase colloform- to crustiform-banded quartzadularia veins and polyphase breccias; well-developed cyclic banding of quartz and sulphides-sulphosalts with cryptocrystalline (chalcedonic) to fine-grained quartz; cockade and lattice structures are common;
4) Gold occurs within or is rimmed by sulphosalts and free within the quartz;
5) Sulphide assemblages are dominated by pyrite. Russian studies indicate the presence of very fine-grained arsenopyrite, stibnite, silver-rich tetrahedrite (freibergite), acanthite, stephanite, and pyrargyrite;
6) Zonation of the alteration within the deposit area with distal propylitic alteration grading into proximal silicification, argillic alteration and potassic alteration; above the deposit in the north area an advanced argillic cap has developed;
7) Fluid inclusion studies that show homogenization temperatures for vein samples that range from 160 to 260°C;
8) Silver-gold ratio of 12:1.

Gold and silver occur as native gold, the gold-silver alloy electrum, in acanthite and silver-rich sulphosalts (stephanite and pyrargyrite dominant). Gold and these minerals occur with pyrite and minor amounts of arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite predominantly in bands within chalcedonic quartz, quartz and quartzadularia colloform and crustiform veins and breccias. The predominant gold and silver minerals of the Kupol deposit are electrum, native gold, silver-rich tetrahedrite (freibergite), acanthite, and a variety of sulphosalts. Stephanite and pyrargyrite are the dominant sulphosalts. Traces of selenium-bearing sulphosalts and naummannite are present. Visible native gold or gold-silver amalgams are common throughout the deposit but rarely exceed 3 mm in size.

Pyrite and marcasite are ubiquitous, and are accompanied locally by chalcopyrite. Base metals occur throughout the Kupol vein; however, there is not a noticeable transition from precious to base metal-rich mineralogies at depth.

Polymetallic mineralization present in the veins to the southwest of the main vein system (Vtoryi veins) may reflect a different source of hydrothermal fluids or lateral zonation of fluid chemistry out from the main structure. These veins have silver-gold ratios that range from 1:1 to 1,500:1.

The Kupol deposit is located in the 3,000 km long Cretaceous Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanogenic belt. This belt is interpreted to be an Andean volcanic arc type tectonic setting, with the Mesozoic Anui sedimentary fold belt in a back-arc setting to the northwest of the Kupol region. Tthe Kupol deposit area is centred within a 10 km wide caldera, along the northwestern margins of the 100 km wide Mechkerevskaya volcano-tectonic “depression”, an Upper Cretaceous bimodal nested volcanic complex. The volcanic succession in the area is 1,300 m thick and consists of a lower sequence of felsic tuffs and ignimbrites, a middle sequence of andesite to andesite-basalt flows and fragmentals capped by felsic tuffs and flows.

The property is underlain by shallow eastward-dipping andesite lithic tuffs, feldsparhornblende porphyry andesite, and andesite-basalt (trachytic andesite) flows. The andesitic volcanic units are intruded by massive to weakly banded rhyolite dykes, rhyolite and dacite flow-dome complexes, and basalt dykes. The main deposit strikes north-south and has been divided into six contiguous zones. From north to south these are: North Extension, North, Central, Big Bend, South, and South Extension.

The volcanic stratigraphy of the Kupol deposit comprises rocks of andesitic composition that have been divided into three principal groups (flows, volcaniclastics, and epiclastics) based on composition, textures, and depositional environment:

Each group is further subdivided based on composition and/or texture. The volcanic rocks are intruded by dykes of basalt and rhyolite composition. The rhyolite dykes are most abundant and extensively intrude faults and the vein zone. Locally, zones of polylithic breccia with a clayey or glassy matrix occur adjacent to dykes and in the vein zone.

The Kupol vein system dips steeply to the east at 75° to 90° and describes a broad arc varying between azimuth 22° and 350°. The vein is a fissure structure that contains local splays, anastomosing vein sets, and cymoidal loop structures. The cymoids correspond to thickening of the veins and development of higher-grade shoots.

The highest concentration of precious metals in the main deposit occurs in the Big Bend Zone, a dilational jog in the Kupol structure where the vein swings from an azimuth of 000° to 010-022°. The ore shoot in this area is approximately 700 m in strike length and plunges toward the South Zone at a shallow angle where it continues for greater than 300 m.


Mining Methods

  • Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
  • Longhole stoping
  • Avoca
  • Longitudinal retreat
  • Backfill


Summary:

The mining method currently in use is long hole longitudinal retreat sub level open stoping (the Avoca method) with the following parameters:

- Sills are driven on 15 m (sublevel) spacing approximately 4.5 m high;
- Longhole stopes (panels) are drilled using parallel or fan drill holes between the sublevels (approximately 11 m);
- A slot is drilled and blasted first to create a void to shoot to if one does not exist;
- Multiple rings are blasted into the void (exact number of rings blasted is dependent on production requirements and regulations);
- Stopes are filled with waste rock backfill as production advances, typically leaving only 20 m of void to reduce dilution and hanging wall failure;
- The production cycle is repeated until the level is completed;
- Temporary sill pillars are left between mining fronts;
- A concrete sill pillar is constructed on the first (lowest) sill cut of a mining front if there is an expectation ore will be mined up to this sill from below.

The backfill cycle is an integral part of the production cycle of the mining method. Over the remaining life-of- mine, approximately 2,200 tonnes per day will be required.

Backfill will be primarily run-of-mine waste, either directly from underground development or from open pit waste (acid generating material).

Stopes are backfilled to provide a working floor and to store potentially acid generating (PAG) waste encountered over the course of mine development. The backfill is an unconsolidated waste fill, which is not expected to provide much support for the walls.

Ventilation of the mine consists of two ventilation intake drifts.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Gravity separation
  • Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
  • Counter current decantation (CCD)
  • Merrill–Crowe
  • Cyanide (reagent)

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

The Kupol processing plant also processes ore from Dvoinoye. The ores from the two sites are processed in batches, with Dvoinoye ore typically being processed at the start of each month.

The milling process consists of primary crushing and a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill / ball mill grinding circuit, and includes conventional gravity technology followed by whole ore leaching. Merrill-Crowe precipitation is used to produce gold and silver doré bars. Countercurrent decantation (CCD) wash thickeners recover soluble gold and silver, and a cyanide destruction system is used to reduce cyanide concentrations to an acceptable level for disposal. The tailings flow by gravity through a pipeline to a conventional tailings impoundment. Doré bars are shipped to the non ferrous metals plant in Krasnoyarsk. Average mill recovery, based on both Kupol and Dvoinoye ore, is 95% for gold and 85% for silver. The mill availability is 94%.

The mill is designed to process ore on ........


Combined production numbers are reported under Kupol-Dvoinoye Operation

Operational Metrics:

Metrics201920182017201620152014
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required1,189 kt1,247 kt1,337 kt1,292 kt1,303 kt
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2019:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven 772 kt Gold 8.3 g/t 207 koz
Proven 772 kt Silver 82.6 g/t 2,049 koz
Probable 4,279 kt Gold 8.3 g/t 1,146 koz
Probable 4,279 kt Silver 100.2 g/t 13,789 koz
Proven & Probable 5,051 kt Gold 8.3 g/t 1,353 koz
Proven & Probable 5,051 kt Silver 97.5 g/t 15,838 koz
Measured 260 kt Gold 9.7 g/t 82 koz
Measured 260 kt Silver 135.6 g/t 1,135 koz
Indicated 1,685 kt Gold 7.6 g/t 414 koz
Indicated 1,685 kt Silver 102 g/t 5,526 koz
Measured & Indicated 1,945 kt Gold 7.9 g/t 496 koz
Measured & Indicated 1,945 kt Silver 106.5 g/t 6,661 koz
Inferred 1,520 kt Gold 10 g/t 489 koz
Inferred 1,520 kt Silver 135.4 g/t 6,615 koz

Financials:

Units201920182017201620152014
Capital expenditures M USD  ......  Subscription required47.8  43.9   74.4   41.4   57.2  
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment as of March 31, 2015:
HME TypeModelQuantity
Cable bolter ....................... Subscription required 2
Drill ....................... Subscription required 6
Drill (long hole) ....................... Subscription required 4
Loader ....................... Subscription required 3
Loader ....................... Subscription required 5
Loader ....................... Subscription required 7
Rock bolter ....................... Subscription required 7
Truck (underground) ....................... Subscription required 13
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 31, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 31, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 31, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Information Form 2018
Financial Review 2018
Management Discussion & Analysis 2018
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2018
Annual Information Form 2017
Management Discussion & Analysis 2017
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2017
Annual Report 2016
Technical Report 2015
Annual Report 2014
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Aerial view:

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