Overview
Stage | Preliminary Economic Assessment |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Mine Life | 8 years (as of Jan 1, 2018) |
Source:
Company | Interest | Ownership |
|
|
Indirect
|
On February 16, 2023, AZARGA METALS CORP. ("Azarga Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV:AZR) announced the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Azarga Metals Limited, a BVI corporation pursuant to a share purchase agreement (the "SPA") with a non-sanctioned third-party buyer (the "Buyer"). The Buyer has agreed to pay consideration of US$1 for the project and US$74,999 for the assignment and assumption of the intercompany debt, as well as contingent consideration equal to half of the net proceeds paid to the Buyer from any subsequent third-party sale made by the Buyer (the "Contingent Consideration").
Contractors
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Summary:
The Unkur deposit is interpreted as a sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposit. This geological model is considered appropriate for the deposit because of the following observations:
• There is a clear stratigraphic control on copper mineralisation, which is confined to the upper part of the Lower Sakukanskaya subformation.
• Several sedimentary features (such as cross-bedding, wave rippling and desiccation cracks) imply a shallow and relatively low-energy depositional environment. This facies type is a key requirement for many models of other stratiform copper deposits.
• There is an absence of obvious igneous or structural first order controls on mineralisation. The faulting in the Project area generally appears to be postmineralisation.
• There is a simple copper mineral composition, which is characteristic of sandstone-hosted copper deposits.
The nearby Udokan copper deposit is also an example of a sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposit. Globally, other prominent examples of this deposit type are the Dzhezkazgan copper deposits in Kazakhstan, the Zambian copper belts, and the Kuperschiefer in Central Europe.
The main copper-bearing horizon (Zone 1) was initially identified and traced in the south-western limb of the Unkur syncline. It is confined to weakly metamorphosed deposits of the Lower Sakukanskaya subformation. Stratigraphically, the position of the copper-bearing horizon is 80 to 100 m above the base of the Saku ........
Summary:
The Unkur deposit extends approximately north-south over a strike length of 5.1 km and is composed of two steeply dipping veins of predominately leachable mineralogy. The veins vary in thickness from 7 m to 60 m apparent thickness and on average have a true width of approximately 15 m.
Although the strip ratio is relatively high at 10.4:1, the deposit is amenable to open pit mining to a depth of at least 300 m below the pit exit. The mining method selected is based on a conventional truck and shovel operation with 10 m high benches. Flitch mining will be adopted where selective mining is required.
A mining fleet of medium-sized equipment with 200 to 250 t excavators and 136 t dump trucks.
An initial pit design was created using Pit Shell 45 as a guide so as to maximise the Mineral Resource recovery. However, it was decided that this required a mining rate that was too high and a Small Pit case was selected for further analysis. This decision does not prohibit the option to expand the pit at a later date.
Using the output from NPVS as a guide, a final pit design for the Small Pit case was created using pit shell 39.
Mine Design Parameters:
- Bench Height - 10.0 m;
- Stack Height - 20.0 m (Double benching);
- Batter Angle (RECENT) - 50.0 degrees;
- Batter Angle (Other) - 65.0 degrees;
- OSA (RECENT) - 30.0 degrees;
- OSA (Other) - 45.0 degrees;
- Ramp Width - 25.0 m (Suitable for 150 t ........
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Projected Production:
Commodity | Units | Avg. Annual | LOM |
Copper
|
t
| 13,217 | 105,737 |
Silver
|
M oz
| ...... | ...... |
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Annual ore mining rate
| 2 Mt * |
Annual processing capacity
| 2.19 t * |
Stripping / waste ratio
| 10.7 * |
Waste tonnes, LOM
| 166,193 kt * |
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| 15,502 kt * |
Total tonnes mined, LOM
| 181,695 kt * |
Tonnes processed, LOM
| 16.9 Mt * |
* According to 2018 study.
Reserves at March 7, 2018:
A cut-off grade of 0.3% CuEq was applied for Mineral Resources.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Inferred
|
62 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.53 %
|
328,600 t
|
Inferred
|
62 Mt
|
Silver
|
38.6 g/t
|
76,881,000 oz
|
Inferred
|
62 Mt
|
Copper Equivalent
|
0.9 %
|
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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