Overview

Mine Type	Underground
Stage	Permitting
Commodities	Copper Zinc Lead Gold Silver
Mining Method	Mechanized Cut & Fill Drift & Slash Room-and-pillar
Backfill type	...
Mine Life	...
Snapshot	The La Plata project is a gold rich volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit that was the subject of small-scale mining from 1975-1981. Atico Mining is focused on completing a Feasibility Study and delivering all requirements to receive the environmental permit for the La Plata project. On May 19, 2022, Atico received approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment study for the project. On July 31, 2023, the Constitutional Court in Ecuador provisionally suspended Executive Decree No 754, which regulates environmental consultations. The La Plata Environmental Consultation Process (ECP) was put on pause. On November 17, 2023, the ECP resumed.

Deposit type

• VMS

Summary:

La Mina is mainly hosted by a sequence of predominantly basaltic to andesitic volcanics with a central felsic unit constituting the Eocene portion of the Macuchi Unit. The basalt-andesite volcanic sequence is in contact with a black shale unit to the west and a polymictic conglomerate to the east. The polymictic conglomerate is a much younger, unconformable unit covering in part the Macuchi Unit, and the black shales represent a conformable sedimentary sequence overlying the volcanic sequence.

With the exception of preferentially sulphide-replaced clasts, there are no primary sulphide textures at La Mina within the massive sulphide unit.

Well-developed planar layering in the sulphide bodies is tectonic in origin, with total textural destruction of primary features.

La Mina mineralization occurs at the contact between hanging wall basaltic to andesitic volcanics and the footwall andesitic rocks. The massive sulphide zone is usually conformably overlain by a narrow unit of jaspilitic exhalite which acts as a stratigraphic marker horizon.

Mineralization in the La Mina South and North Blocks occurs as massive to semi-massive lenses with thicknesses varying from several decimetres to a maximum of 12 meters, averaging 6 meters, with lateral extension that can reaches 100 meters. The mineralization occurs mainly as bedded layers and, to a lesser extent, as massive bodies with nondescript textures. Within a single sulphide zone, no geometrical zoning and no barite cap have been observed.

The main minerals in the sulphide horizons are chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite, bornite, and galena, with subordinate fahlore (tennantite), covellite, digenite, chalcocite, and native gold. Gangue minerals are barite and accessory amounts of quartz.

Mineralization at La Mina is defined as a gold-rich polymetallic volcanic-hosted massive sulphide (VHMS) deposit which shows similarities to Noranda / La Ronde / Kuroko type Cu–Pb–Zn (±Au, Ag) massive sulphide deposits. Mineralization generally occurs as massive to semi-massive sulphide lenses within a calc-alkaline bimodal arc succession.

At La Mina, the VHMS mineralized horizons are stratiform and internally highly deformed with no discernible sulphide zonation. There is often a low-grade stockwork immediately below, and sometimes above this horizon, and is a result of secondary shearing and sulphide and metal remobilization. Barite generally occurs within and peripheral to the VHMS and stockwork mineralisation. A laminar chert (siliceous and hematite-rich layer) generally occurs several metres above the VHMS horizon. This can be used as a marker horizon.

Typically, individual deposits are 1 to 2 Mt in size and there is potential for other deposits or other mineralized horizons within the same stratigraphic package. Several similarities of La Mina deposit to the Noranda-Kuroko style mineralization are:
- Occurrence within a bimodal volcanic sequence in a sub-aqueous environment with potential for more prospective stratigraphic levels on the property;
- Lenses of massive sulphide occur at a contact between andesite and dacite which represents a key exploration guide on the property; although the rocks at La Mina are more andesitic and basaltic, rather than dacitic; and,
- Barite as a gangue mineral within sulphide zones and red banded jasper marker horizon assist in determining location in stratigraphy relative to potential mineralization.

One aspect of the La Mina deposit is that it is relatively Au-rich, compared to typical Noranda / La Ronde / Kuroko Cu–Pb–Zn massive sulphide deposits. This may be due to a secondary porphyritic mineralizing event, partially overprinting the deposit. Further exploration and investigation are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Mining Methods

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Comminution

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Processing

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Production

Operational metrics

Personnel

Job Title	Name	Profile	Ref. Date
.......................	.......................		Feb 12, 2024
.......................	.......................		Feb 12, 2024

Total Workforce	Year
......	2019