The Fenix Gold Project consists of an open pit mine which will be developed using conventional drill and blast techniques, with a truck and excavator configuration. The mining rate was determined based on the processing rate, which is primarily a function of the available process feedwater.
The Fenix Gold Project will be mined at an annual rate of 7.3 Mt of ore per year with an overall stripping ratio of 0.8.
The mining rate has been determined based on the processing rate, primarily a function of the available water. The water supply will be delivered to site by a fleet of trucks from Copiapó. The water supply rate was determined primarily by assessing the practical and sustainable limit to the number of trucks that can make the continual cycle from Copiapó to the mine.
The design includes a ramp width of 14 m, which follows Chilean mining regulations. The final pit is divided into sectors, namely: Fenix North, Fenix Central A, Fenix Central B and Fenix South.
The Fenix Gold Project is mined in nine phases. Rio2 designed the mining phases based on concentric pit shells resulting from the optimization process. The designs consider a minimum mining width of 40 m for each phase, which allows an excavator and truck to work safely.
The first two years were scheduled on a monthly basis, followed by two years with a quarterly outlook and from year five onwards, on an annual basis. The primary objective of the mining sequenc ........