Two types of mineralized deposits are recognized at the La Arena property – high sulfidation epithermal gold deposits (La Arena mine) and porphyry-hosted copper-gold deposits (La Arena II project).

In porphyry deposits, the sulfide ore minerals are dominantly structurally-controlled, with most mineralization occurring as close-spaced and cross-cutting vein stockwork, vein arrays, fractures, breccias and disseminations. In the hypogene portions of copper porphyry deposits, the copper occurs predominantly as chalcopyrite; other important copper ore minerals may include bornite and enargite. Supergene copper mineralization is generally dominated by chalcocite and lesser covellite.

Porphyry-hosted Copper-Gold Mineralization
Copper-gold mineralization is associated with phyllic (quartz-sericite) and potassic (secondary biotite + magnetite + potassium feldspar) alterations, which is dominated principally by pyrite and chalcopyrite with lesser amounts of bornite, covellite, chalcocite and molybdenite. Mineral zoning from surface downwards below the oxidized cap is typically about 40 to 50 meters for the zone of secondary enrichment (chalcocite + covellite ± copper oxides) and ten to 40 meters for the mixed oxide-sulfide transitional zone (chalcocite + chalcopyrite ± covellite). The top of the primary sulfide mineralized zone (chalcopyrite ± bornite) which predominates at La Arena is typically located at depths in excess of 100 meters from the surface.

the La Arena II Project open pit to be mined by conventional drill, blast, truck and shovel methods. The mining fleet will consist of 320 tonne class haul trucks, 55 m3 electric cable shovels and 20 m3 wheel loaders. Blasthole drilling will be performed by diesel powered rotary single pass track drills. Rubber tired dozers will take care of cleanup near the shovels. Haul road and dump maintenance will be performed by a fleet of motor graders, track dozers and water trucks.

The design bench height is 16 meters. Double benching will be applied with a catch bench 10.5 meters wide in sediment rock type and 9.5 meters in the porphyry rock type. Inter-ramp wall angles will be 47.8° in sediments and 48.8° in porphyry.

Ramps are designed to be 34 meters wide including berms and ditches with a driving width of 27 meters. The crusher and mill facility will be located between the pit and the leach/tailings facility at the 3495 m elevation.

The crest of the pit ranges from 3578 m elevation on the west side to 3274 m elevation on the east side. The pit bottom elevation is 2476 m. The overall final pit dimensions are 2440 m in length by 2120 m wide.

The La Arena II Project open pit will be developed in three stages. The first stage was designed to deliver the majority of the oxide material to the leach pad earlier in the mine life and at the same time deliver 80,000 tonnes per day to the mill.

The mine plan was developed to deliver ........

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