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Colombia
Cerro Matoso Mine

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 Location:
40 km W from Caucasia, Colombia

  Address:
Km. 22 Carretera Sur Oriente
Montelibano
Colombia
234001
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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Nickel
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Calcining
  • Smelting
  • Crush & Screen plant
  • Rotary kiln & Electric furnace
Mine Life8.9 years (as of Jan 1, 2020)
Cerro Matoso open-cut mine is one of the largest nickel lateritic operations in the world.


Owners & OPERATOR

Source: p. 52, 134
CompanyInterestOwnershipInvestor's Info
South32 Limited 99.9 % Indirect
Cerro Matoso S.A. (operator) 100 % Direct
South32 owns 99.9 per cent of Cerro Matoso. Current and former employees own 0.02 per cent, with the balance of shares held in a reserve account following a buy-back.

Deposit Type

  • Laterite


Summary:

The ore deposit takes the form of a layered blanket on a 2500 x 1700 m oval shaped hill that rises some 200 m above the surrounding countryside. The thickness of the ore varies from a few up to more than 100 m. The lateritic profile is as folllows, from the surface to the bedrock:

1) Canga - up to more than 20 m thick, comprising a hard ferruginous crust of lateritic soil cemented by hydrated iron oxide covering a large aprt of the deposit, and having a low Ni content;
2) Laterite - comprising an amorphous, reddish-brown, soft soil made up of hydrated iron and aluminium oxides, with generally <1.5% Ni;
3) Saprolite - partially weathered clays that retain the texture and appearance of the peridotite bedrock. Two types of saprolite are recognised, namely a). a brown coloured variety, and b). a green variety which has a higher Ni content and ferrous:ferric iron ratio, found below the canga capping. Overall the saprolite averages >3% Ni;
4) Saprolitised peridotite - composed of fractured bedrock with soft, enriched weathered margins to the fractures and joint planes, sometimes containing garnierite;
5) Silica boxwork - occuring a veins of chalcedony and quartz on fractures within the peridotite bedrock - essentially barren at surface, but reaching ore grade in the lower sections of the deposit.

The original peridotite had a high magnesia and silica content, with the balance being predominantly iron and 0.2 to 0.3% nickel. Magnesia, silica and nickelwere dissolved during weathering and re-deposited lower in the weathering profile, while iron and aluminium remained near the surface as relatively insoluble hydrated oxides. Nickel maxima in the profile correspondes to a zone of 15 to 25% MgO. The ore comprises a zone of saprolite and saprolitised peridotite. The footwall is un-weathered peridotite.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

Due to the lateral extent of the orebody and the trend of Ni grade lowering with depth, the Cerro Matoso pit has generally been mined in a “top-down” method – which is appropriate for this style of orebody. The mining method is traditional truck-and shovel utilising shovel, excavator and front end loaders (FELs) as required for both primary digging and stockpile rehandle. The excavator in backhoe configuration is the primary loading unit in ore, while shovels and FELs are used in bulkier materials or stockpile reclaim.

Mining activities include removal of any growth medium (topsoil), free-digging, drilling, blasting, loading, hauling and mining support activities. Approximately 10% of the material mined is classed as free-dig (not requiring blasting). Approximately 12% of the ore can be sent directly to the crusher. The remaining ore is sent to the ROM fingers or the off-specification stockpiles near the waste dump, and later rehandled to the crusher as required to achieve the required blend.


Crushing and Grinding

Ore mined is blended with ore from stockpiles before it is passed through a two-stage crushing sequence. The two stages of crushing reduce the size from a nominal minus 600 mm to minus 50 mm.


Processing

  • Calcining
  • Smelting
  • Crush & Screen plant
  • Rotary kiln & Electric furnace

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

Cerro Matoso is a major producer of nickel contained in ferronickel which is used to make stainless steel. Ore mined is blended with ore from stockpiles, which is then dried in rotary kilns and smelted in two electric arc furnaces where ferronickel is produced.

Description
After crushing, the ore is mixed and homogenised before it is partially dried in two rotary driers. An upgrading process is then undertaken whereby lower nickel grade is removed. After the upgrading process, the dried ore is then blended with a reductant agent (locally bought coal) and calcined in two rotary kilns.

Calcined ore is then transferred to two 75 MW electric furnaces where ferronickel is tapped at around 1,460° C. The crude metal is transported to the refinery where impurities are removed. The refined metal is granulated and packed.

Cerro Matoso has a water management system which allows it to recycle 95 per cent of the water used in operations. The remaining 5 per c ........

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter202020192018201720162015
Nickel Head Grade, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1.591.541.67

Production:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Nickel kt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required44363740
All production numbers are expressed as payable metal.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202020192018201720162015
Tonnes processed  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required2,561 kdmt2,699 kdmt2,629 kdmt
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required4,447 kwmt6,009 kwmt6,321 kwmt
Annual processing capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required3 Mt
^ Guidance / Forecast.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at June 30, 2020:
Cut-off grade
Ore Reserves: Laterite - 0.6% Ni; SP - 0.6% Ni.
Mineral Resources: Laterite - 0.6% Ni; SP - 0.6% Ni; MNR-Ore (Slag Stockpile in Metal Nickel Recovery Process) - 0.12% Ni.

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGrade
Proven Stockpiles 8.8 Mt Nickel 1.1 %
Proven Laterite 9.5 Mt Nickel 1.2 %
Probable Stockpiles 7.1 Mt Nickel 1.1 %
Probable Laterite 4 Mt Nickel 1 %
Proven & Probable Stockpiles 16 Mt Nickel 1.1 %
Proven & Probable Laterite 14 Mt Nickel 1.2 %
Measured Stockpiles 13 Mt Nickel 1.1 %
Measured Laterite 43 Mt Nickel 1.2 %
Measured Slag stockpile 17 Mt Nickel 0.2 %
Indicated Stockpiles 30 Mt Nickel 0.8 %
Indicated Laterite 153 Mt Nickel 0.9 %
Inferred Laterite 51 Mt Nickel 0.8 %
Total Resource Stockpiles 43 Mt Nickel 0.9 %
Total Resource Laterite 247 Mt Nickel 0.9 %
Total Resource Slag stockpile 17 Mt Nickel 0.2 %

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Cash costs (sold) Nickel USD  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 3.67 / lb 3.77 / lb 4.08 / lb 5.14 / lb
^ Guidance / Forecast.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operating Costs:

Units20202019201820142013
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD 120132129204215

Financials:

Units202120202019201820172016
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD  ......  Subscription required
Sustaining costs M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required22  14   18  
Capital expenditures M USD
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required559  377   333  
EBIT M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required120  -16   -88  
EBITDA M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required209  74   2  
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment as of March 11, 2015:
HME TypeModelQuantity
Dozer (crawler) ....................... Subscription required 8
Drill ....................... Subscription required 1
Drill ....................... Subscription required 1
Excavator ....................... Subscription required 1
Excavator ....................... Subscription required 2
Grader ....................... Subscription required 3
Loader (FEL) ....................... Subscription required 3
Loader (FEL) ....................... Subscription required 1
Shovel ....................... Subscription required 1
Shovel ....................... Subscription required 1
Truck (dump) ....................... Subscription required 14
Truck (dump) ....................... Subscription required 5
Truck (water) ....................... Subscription required 1
Truck (water) ....................... Subscription required 1
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 25, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 25, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 25, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 25, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 25, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 25, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2019
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2018

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Report 2018
Annual Report 2017
Annual Report 2016
Other 2015
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Aerial view:

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