• Data Access
  • Your Email  
  • Your Email  
Keep me signed in.
Forgot your password?
Close
  • Forgot Your Password?
  • Enter the email you signed up with and we'll email it to you.
  • Your Email  
Close
Back
MDO
Mining Data Solutions
  • Home
  • Database
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Sign In
Chile
La Coipa Mine

This page is not tailored to
devices with screen width under 750 px.
 Location:
120 km NE from Copiapo, Chile

  Project Contacts:
Los Carrera 6651
Copiapo
Chile
Phone  ...  Subscription required
Fax+ 56(52) 523425
WebsiteWeb
Additional Resources for Suppliers & Investors
Drill results over 30 g/t Au
Stay on top of recent discoveries.
Search drill results by commodity and grade.
Largest mines in the Americas
Mining and mill throughput capaciites.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Deepest underground mines
Shaft depth and mill throughput data.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Heavy mobile equipment
HME type, model, size and quantity.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Permitting and construction projects
Projects at the permitting or construction stage. Full profiles of select projects.
Mines with remote camps
Camp size, mine location and contacts.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Mines & projects in Chile
A list of country's mines and projects.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

Thank you for browsing through mine profiles compiled by the Mining Data Online team.

Would you like to subcribe or schedule a Demo?
  • Name:
     
  • Company:
     
  • Position:
     
  • Phone:
  • Email:
  • Message:

Overview

StageRestarting
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
  • Carbon in leach (CIL)
  • Merrill–Crowe
  • Cyanide (reagent)
Mine Life2024
In February 2020, Kinross completed and approved a feasibility study to restart operations at La
Coipa by mining the Phase 7 deposit.


Owners

Source: p. 62
CompanyInterestOwnership
Kinross Gold Corp. 100 % Indirect
Compania Minera Mantos de Oro 100 % Direct
The La Coipa mine, located approximately 1,000 kilometres north of Santiago in Chile’s Region 3 (Atacama), consists of five deposits (notable deposits being Ladera Farellon, Coipa Norte, Brecha Norte, Can Can, and Puren), which are owned by Compania Minera Mantos de Oro (“MDO”), a Chilean subsidiary of Kinross, except for Puren which is owned through a joint venture between MDO and Codelco Chile, with participation interests of 65% and 35%, respectively.

Deposit Type

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


Summary:

The La Coipa mine consists of five deposits (notable deposits being Ladera-Farellon, Coipa Norte, Brecha Norte, Can Can, and Puren). Until October 2013, La Coipa operated two pits (Ladera-Farellon and Can Can).

The deposits in the La Coipa district are typical of high-sulphidation epithermal systems produced by volcanism-related hydrothermal activity at shallow depths and low temperatures. Deposition normally takes place within 1 km of the surface in the temperature range of 50°C to 200°C, although temperatures up to 400°C are not uncommon. Most deposits occur as siliceous vein fillings, irregular branching fissures, stockworks, breccia pipes, vesicle fillings and disseminations. The fissures have a direct connection with the surface, which allowed the ore-bearing fluids to flow with comparative ease. In many cases the deposits are related directly to deep seated intrusive bodies; it is typical for most ores to be in or near areas of Tertiary volcanism. The country rocks located near epithermal veins are commonly extensively altered. Relatively high porosity and open-channel permeability allow fluids to circulate in the wall rocks for great distances. Favourable temperature gradients promote reactions between cool host rocks and warm to hot invading solutions. As a result, wall-rock alteration is both widespread and conspicuous. Among the principal alteration products are chlorite, sericite, alunite, zeolites, clays, adularia, silica and pyrite.

The mineralization at La Coipa displays intense zoning and is characterized by an upper zone of secondary Ag enrichment, intermediate levels of Au-Ag in the oxidized zone and primary Au-Cu mineralization in the lower reduced zone. In the Au-Ag zone, mineralization forms disseminated and structurally controlled deposits. Disseminated deposits occur within both the volcanic and the sedimentary basement rocks, closely associated with silicic and advanced argillic alteration. Structurally controlled deposits typically formed at lower elevations, but still occur within the precious metal zone. They are often hosted by basement metamorphic rocks (lutites and sandstones) and often display higher grades. Different controls on the mineralization are consistent with what has been observed at the deeper levels of Cu-Au mineralization at Ladera-Farellon and Can-Can. Grades of up to 4% Cu is common in veins and manto like bodies.

The mineralogy of the precious metals mineralization within the oxidized and enrichment zone consists mainly of cerargyrite, native Au, native Ag and electrum with minimal embolite, iodargyrite and argentojarosite. Within the sulphide zone, enargite and native Au are the dominant minerals, but variable amounts of chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite, mineralization tenantite-tetrahedrite, sphalerite and galena are also present. In general these sulphides appear as fine veinlets in weakly altered black shales.

Gold mineralization is found generally in association with powdery alunite, distributed along stockwork fractures varying from 50 µm to fractions of a micron. Jarosite and scorodite are common minerals in gold-bearing alunitic stockworks. Gold is normally in the native state, although electrum is detected locally.

High gold values in the eastern portion of Coipa Norte are in direct association with advanced argillic alteration. Higher silver grades accompanied by little or no gold, especially those in western Coipa Norte, are associated mainly with silicification and less commonly with advanced argillic assemblages.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

Until October 2013, La Coipa operated two pits (Ladera-Farellon and Can Can).Mining was carried out with front-end loaders, diesel rotary drills and 150-tonne trucks.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
  • Carbon in leach (CIL)
  • Merrill–Crowe
  • Cyanide (reagent)

Source: Subscription required

Summary:

Crushed ore is processed in a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill followed by two ball mills. Following grinding, the slurry is thickened, and the thickened pulp (56% solid) is leached with cyanide in a series of eight carbon-in-leach (CIL) tanks. Pregnant solution from the leach circuit flows to the refinery, where a Merrill-Crowe process is used to extract the precious metals from solution, ultimately producing doré ingots as the final product.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2012Avg. LOM
Gold Equivalent Head Grade, g/t 0.752.9
Silver Recovery Rate, %  ......  Subscription required
Silver Head Grade, g/t 46.3
Gold Equivalent Recovery Rate, %  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Projected Production:

CommodityUnits20132012LOM
Gold Equivalent koz 162179690
Silver koz  ......  Subscription required
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics2011
Stripping / waste ratio  ......  Subscription required
Tonnes processed, LOM  ......  Subscription required
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required2,137 kt
Tonnes processed  ......  Subscription required4,278 kt
* According to 2020 study.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2019:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven 368 kt Gold 0.5 g/t 5 koz
Proven 368 kt Silver 55.8 g/t 659 koz
Probable 14,398 kt Gold 1.6 g/t 763 koz
Probable 14,398 kt Silver 79.8 g/t 36,946 koz
Proven & Probable 14,766 kt Gold 1.6 g/t 768 koz
Proven & Probable 14,766 kt Silver 79.2 g/t 37,605 koz
Measured 2,611 kt Gold 2.2 g/t 186 koz
Measured 2,611 kt Silver 37.8 g/t 3,174 koz
Indicated 13,388 kt Gold 1.8 g/t 769 koz
Indicated 13,388 kt Silver 55.4 g/t 23,828 koz
Measured & Indicated 15,999 kt Gold 1.9 g/t 955 koz
Measured & Indicated 15,999 kt Silver 52.5 g/t 27,002 koz
Inferred 2,084 kt Gold 1.5 g/t 101 koz
Inferred 2,084 kt Silver 43.1 g/t 2,890 koz

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnitsAverage20142013
Cash costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD  ......  Subscription required * 1,245 / oz 815 / oz
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD  ......  Subscription required *
Assumed price Silver USD  ......  Subscription required *
Assumed price Gold USD  ......  Subscription required *
* According to 2020 study / presentation.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operating Costs:

Units2020
OP mining costs ($/t mined) USD 2.66 *
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ......  Subscription required
* According to 2020 study.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Financials:

Units2020
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD  ......  Subscription required
Capital expenditures M USD
Revenue M USD
Operating Income M USD
Gross profit M USD
Subscription required - Subscription is required

2020 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscription required
Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscription required
After-tax NPV @ 5% $M USD  ......  Subscription required
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 24, 2020
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 2018
................................... Subscription required 2018
Annual Information Form 2017
Annual Information Form 2016
Annual Report 2016
Press Release 2015
Press Release 2015
Annual Report 2014
Annual Report 2012
Technical Report 2003
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Aerial view:

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2020 MDO Data Online Inc.