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Chile
Los Bronces Mine

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 Location:
47 km NE from Santiago, Chile

  Regional Office:
Isidora Goyenechea, Torre Titanium, piso 47, Las Condes
Santiago
Chile
2800
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Flotation
  • ROM/dump leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
Mine Life35 years (as of Jan 1, 2019)


Owners

Source: p. 31
CompanyInterestOwnership
Mitsubishi Materials Corp. 20.4 % Indirect
Anglo American plc. 50.1 % Indirect
50.1% Anglo; 29.5% Codelco and Mitsui JV; 20.4% Mitsubishi.

Deposit Type

  • Porphyry
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork
  • Hydrothermal


Summary:

The Los Bronces deposit is part of the Miocene Pliocene Río Blanco – Los Bronces porphyry copper system with mineralisation extends 9km from North to South and 3km from East to West. The deposit is open at depth and laterally.

The main ore body is a complex assemblage of hypogene copper-molybdenum sulphide breccia hosted mineralisation that was subsequently overprinted by surface-related supergene processes. The hypogene sulphide mineralisation shows a close relationship with the intrusion of porphyry dykes and sills, development of large-scale alteration zones, vein development, and breccia emplacement. The ore body is related to at least seven hydrothermal breccia pipes forming a large elliptic body of 2km in length, 0.7km wide and 1.0km in depth. The shape of the breccia system is ‘funnel-like’, characterised by sharp contacts with the host rocks in the upper part of the column and transitional at depths.

The host rocks are the volcanic sequence of the Farellones Formation and the plutonic rocks of the San Francisco Batholith which intrude the Farellones Formation. Copper mineralisation is associated with the emplacement of a complex system of porphyry intrusions (quartz monzonites and quartz monzodiorites) and hydrothermal breccias. Early copper and molybdenum mineralisation is hosted in the porphyry stock, in high-grade breccia bodies and is disseminated throughout the bordering country rocks.

Breccia-hosted mineralisation is typically a blend of mineralisation inherited from the source rock and hosted in the breccia clasts and sulphides disseminated in the breccia matrix, or in the case of the matrix-poor Donoso breccia, rimming the clasts. Breccia mineralisation is dominated by pyrite- chalcopyrite.

The early copper and molybdenum mineralisation is overprinted by later structurally controlled and erratic Copper-Arsenic (enargite) mineralisation confined locally to parts of the deposit. On a regional scale the main breccia complex is oriented 10°N to 15°W, with a distance of 9km between the two largest known breccias bodies. Late porphyries and a diatreme complex postdate the mineralisation event.

Uplift and erosion of the Andean cordillera eventually exposed the deposit to surface, where meteoric waters played an important role in remobilising and enriching copper in the higher parts of the deposit. Supergene surface waters penetrated and opened the rock fractures and breccia matrix chemically altering and leaching minerals. Leached copper was redeposited as secondary copper sulphides, mainly chalcocite (Cu2S) with minor covellite (CuS) in the chemically reducing environment below the water table. This is the supergene (secondary) material that is extracted via leaching and SX/EW processes. This copper enrichment process was favoured by the porous nature of the breccia bodies, particularly that of Infiernillo to the south, where secondary sulphides are found at depths of 600m. However, the degree of enrichment decreases gradually giving way in depth to hypogene (primary) copper minerals (chalcopyrite – CuFeS2) which is recovered via flotation at Las Tórtolas.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Flotation
  • ROM/dump leach
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

The bulk of the copper and molybdenum rich Los Bronces ore, is crushed and milled by two plants, Los Bronces and Confluencia. The resultant slurry is then transported through a pipeline to the Las Tórtolas flotation plant located 35km north of Santiago where copper and molybdenum concentrates are produced. A proportion of lower grade ore is place on dump leach pads from which copper cathodes are produced via leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX/EW) processes at the San Francisco plant.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter201920182017201620152014
Copper Head Grade, % 0.830.760.710.670.920.78

Production:

CommodityProductUnits201920182017201620152014
Copper Cathode t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required38,30036,00035,00036,200
Copper Metal in concentrate t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required270,000271,200366,700368,300
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics201920182017201620152014
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required51,109,700 t50,258,500 t57,666,200 t
Tonnes processed  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required47,697,000 t45,396,900 t54,147,700 t
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2019:

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven Mill / Sulphide 797.8 Mt Copper 0.6 % 4,787 kt
Proven Mill / Sulphide 797.8 Mt Molybdenum 0.015 % 120 kt
Proven Leach Pad 501.4 Mt Copper 0.27 % 1,354 kt
Probable Mill / Sulphide 567.5 Mt Copper 0.5 % 2,838 kt
Probable Mill / Sulphide 567.5 Mt Molybdenum 0.015 % 205 kt
Probable Leach Pad 129.5 Mt Copper 0.3 % 388 kt
Proven & Probable Mill / Sulphide 1,365 Mt Copper 0.56 % 7,624 kt
Proven & Probable Mill / Sulphide 1,365 Mt Molybdenum 0.015 % 205 kt
Proven & Probable Leach Pad 630.9 Mt Copper 0.28 % 1,742 kt
Measured & Indicated Mill / Sulphide 2,318 Mt Copper 0.44 % 10,238 kt
Measured & Indicated Mill / Sulphide 2,318 Mt Molybdenum 0.009 % 199 kt
Measured & Indicated In-Situ (UG) 467 Mt Copper 1.46 % 6,835 kt
Measured & Indicated In-Situ (UG) 467 Mt Molybdenum 0.025 % 117 kt
Inferred Mill / Sulphide 1,233 Mt Copper 0.44 % 5,484 kt
Inferred Mill / Sulphide 1,233 Mt Molybdenum 0.012 % 149 kt
Inferred Leach Pad 6.8 Mt Copper 0.25 % 17 kt
Inferred In-Situ (UG) 3,495 Mt Copper 1.1 % 38,442 kt
Inferred In-Situ (UG) 3,495 Mt Molybdenum 0.019 % 664 kt

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits201920182017201620152014
C1 cash costs Copper USD  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required† 1.69 / lb† 1.56 / lb† 1.49 / lb† 1.54 / lb†
† Net of By-Product.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Financials:

Units201920182017201620152014
Capital expenditures M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 228   199  
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 1,852   2,497  
EBIT M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 240  
EBITDA M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 622   1,173  
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 28, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 28, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 28, 2020
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2018
................................... Subscription required 2018
Annual Report 2017
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2017
Annual Report 2016
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2016
Annual Report 2015
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2015
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2015
Corporate Presentation 2009
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Aerial view:

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