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Brazil
Caraíba (MCSA) Operation (Deepening Inferred (Extension) Project, Pilar (Caraiba) Mine, Surubim Mine, Vermelhos Mine)

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 Location:
385 km NNW from Salvador, Brazil

  Address:
Fazenda Caraíba, s/n, distrito de Pilar
Jaguarari
Brazil
48967-000
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit & Underground
Commodities
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
  • Vertical Crater Retreat
  • Cemented backfill
  • Paste backfill
Production Start...
Mine Life20 years (as of Jan 1, 2022)
The regional MCSA operations include fully integrated processing operations and, currently, two active producing mining locations within the Curaçá Valley. The active operations include the Caraíba Complex (comprised of the underground Pilar Mine, integrated Caraíba Mill and the inactive solvent extraction electrowinning plant (“SX/EW Plant”)), and the underground Vermelhos Mine. The past producing operations include the open pit mines of R22 Mine, Surubim OP Mine as well as the historic mines of Angicos Mine and Suçuarana Mine”. Collectively the active and pastproducing mines comprise the “MCSA Mining Complex”.

The Surubim and C12 OP mines resume operations during 2022.


Owners

Source: p. 11
CompanyInterestOwnership
Ero Copper Corp. 99.6 % Indirect
Mineração Caraíba S.A. (operator) 100 % Direct
Ero Copper Corp directly holds approximately 99.6% of the voting shares of Mineração Caraíba S.A. (“MCSA” or “Mineração Caraíba”). MCSA holds a 100% interest in the Caraíba Operations.

Contractors

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Deposit Type

  • Magmatic


Summary:

The Pilar Mine is located in the southern part of the Caraíba Operations within the Curaçá Valley. The geology of the mine consists of a high-grade metamorphic terrain, composed of gneiss and migmatite of the Caraíba Complex that were intruded by mafic, ultramafic and late granitic rocks. The mafic and ultramafic intrusions are mainly composed of pyroxenite, norite, and gabbro. The melanorite is a term used for logging purpose to describe a host rock, either a gneiss, a gabbro or a norite, that is intruded by several mafic-ultramafic dykes that are too small individually to be logged separately. The gneiss and migmatites, together with some intrusive bodies are affected by various alteration assemblages including potassic (phlogopite and K-feldspar), sodic (albite), calcsilicate (diopside), carbonate, as well as epidote and lesser garnet. The alteration variably overprints the original texture of the rock units and it obliterates the gneissic foliation where the alteration is more intense. The phlogopite was generally developed later than the k-feldspar and the diopside alteration and is frequently associated with copper mineralization. Mineralization at the Pilar UG Mine is composed of copper sulphides in the form of chalcopyrite, bornite and rarely chalcocite that occur in four different styles: disseminated, veins, massive, and brecciated. Other sulphide minerals include millerite, pyrite and pyrrhotite. Magnetite is the dominant oxide mineral and occurs intergranular t ........


Mining Methods

  • Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
  • Vertical Crater Retreat
  • Cemented backfill
  • Paste backfill


Summary:

Mining operations within the Curaçá Valley are currently comprised of two core operations: the Pilar UG Mine and the Vermelhos UG Mine. Production from these two mines currently serves as primary feed for the Caraíba Mill with supplemental feed from the Surubim Mine. Ongoing development and exploration activities include: the continued advancement of the primary ramp and associated infrastructure of the Pilar and Vermelhos underground mines, the construction of the new external shaft to support the Deepening Project, as well as the completion of the Caraíba Mill expansion to 4.2Mtpa, expected to be completed by the end of 2023, in support of the LOM production plan.

Underground mining operations within the Pilar Mine have been active for approximately 34 years. The mine currently produces an average of 5,600 t/day and approximately 1,400 meters per month of development is expected starting in 2023 (average of 16k m/year) for the next 5 years.

The Pilar UG Mine is divided into eight main zones from a mine planning perspective: Deepening Project (or locally referred to as the Deepening Below L-965), Deepening Above L-965, Baraúna, MSBSouth, P1P2NE/R22UG, P1P2W, MSBW and, for 2022 mine planning, Project Honeypot & the Upper Areas.

The Pilar UG Mine has previously employed the following mining methods: Sublevel Stoping, VRM and Vertical Crater Retreat (“VCR”). VRM is the method currently employed, whereby ore is removed from the stope after it is ........


Crushing and Grinding
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Processing

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Summary:

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^ Guidance / Forecast.

Production:

CommodityUnits2023202220212020201920182017
Copper M lbs  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required6744
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate. ^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Operational Metrics:

Metrics202320222021202020192018
Annual processing capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required3.2 Mt
Tonnes processed  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required2,271,625 t2,424,592 t2,257,917 t
Daily processing capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required9,600 t
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required2,251,263 t2.46 Mt2.3 Mt
Total tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required3,254,964 t5,933,178 t
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Reserves at September 30, 2022:
Mineral reserves are based on a long-term copper price of US$3.30 per lb, and a USD:BRL foreign exchange rate of 5.29, except the underground portion of the Surubim Mine, which applied a copper price of US$2.75 per lb and a USD:BRL foreign exchange rate of 5.23.
Mineral resources for underground deposits were constrained using varying stope dimensions of up to 20m by 10m by 35m applying a 0.51% copper cut-off grade, as well as a 0.34% copper marginal cut-off grade. Mineral resources have been estimated using ordinary kriging inside 5m by 5m by 5m block sizes. Open-pit Mineral resource estimates are a 0.16% copper cut-off grade.

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven & Probable In-Situ (OP) 43,306 kt Copper 0.54 % 233.9 kt
Proven & Probable In-Situ (UG) 39,461 kt Copper 1.42 % 558.7 kt
Proven & Probable Total 82,767 kt Copper 0.96 % 792.6 kt
Measured & Indicated In-Situ (OP) 48,289 kt Copper 0.59 % 282.8 kt
Measured & Indicated In-Situ (UG) 69,613 kt Copper 1.46 % 1,018 kt
Measured & Indicated Total 117,901 kt Copper 1.1 % 1,301 kt
Inferred In-Situ (OP) 11,513 kt Copper 0.62 % 71.4 kt
Inferred In-Situ (UG) 35,888 kt Copper 1.15 % 411.4 kt
Inferred Total 47,400 kt Copper 1.02 % 482.8 kt

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2023202220212020201920182017
Credits (by-product) Copper USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required -0.11 / lb   -0.09 / lb  
C1 cash costs Copper USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 1.19 / lb†   1.45 / lb†  
^ Guidance / Forecast.
† Net of By-Product.
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Operating Costs:

Units20212020201920182017
OP mining costs ($/t mined) BRL 10.5  11.7  15.4  12.7  
UG mining costs ($/t mined) BRL  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Processing costs ($/t milled) BRL  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
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Financials:

Units2023202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD  ......  Subscription required
Growth Capital M USD  ......  Subscription required
Sustaining costs M USD  ......  Subscription required
Capital expenditures M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 184.7   115.4  
Gross profit M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 66.1   12.9  
Pre-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 12   -19.7  
After-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 10.1   -1.5  
EBITDA M USD 52.9  
Operating Cash Flow M USD 21.2  
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Pipelines and Water Supply
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Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameEmailProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 29, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 29, 2023
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....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 29, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 29, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 29, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 29, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 29, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 29, 2023
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Staff:

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2022
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2021
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2020
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2019
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2018
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2017

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Corporate Presentation 2023
Annual Information Form 2022
Annual Report 2022
Corporate Presentation 2022
Corporate Presentation 2022
Technical Report 2022
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Information Form 2018
Annual Report 2018
Management Discussion & Analysis 2018
Technical Report 2018
Annual Information Form 2017
Annual Report 2017
Technical Report 2017
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