Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2028 |
The property comprising the Highland Valley Copper mine covers a surface area of approximately 50,000 hectares and is held pursuant to various mineral leases, mineral claims and Crown grants. Ore is mined from the Valley, Lornex and Highmont pits.
Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension project (HVC Mine Life Extension) explores the potential to extend the life of the Highland Valley Copper operations beyond 2040 through open pit pushbacks of the Valley, Lornex, Highmont and Bethlehem pits. HVC Mine Life Extension also contemplates modest concentrator upgrades which are expected to increase overall throughput by up to 10%. A feasibility study for HVC Mine Life Extension was completed in early October 2023 and a concurrent environmental assessment application under the Environmental Assessment Act (British Columbia) was submitted in October 2023. Planned work for 2024 includes engineering and design, construction planning and permitting activities. |
Source:
p. 24
Teck holds a 100% interest in the Highland Valley Copper mine through its wholly-owned subsidiary Teck Highland Valley Copper Partnership (“HVC”).
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Breccia pipe / Stockwork
- Porphyry
Summary:
The Teck Highland Valley Copper (THVC) mineralization is a typical porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit. It is characterized as a calc-alkalic copper-molybdenum type. These deposits are typically hosted in intrusive rocks, usually of granodioritic or quartz monzonitic composition. These deposits are often large, oval, inverse-haped deposits.
The dominant mineralization at the Highland Valley deposits is characterized by chalcopyrite, bornite, pyrite and molybdenite with minor specular hematite, magnetite and chalcocite.
Zoning of the mineralization is well developed at both the Valley and Lornex deposits. The zoning is concentric at the Valley mine and from the centre to the periphery of the deposit is typically bornite through chalcopyrite to a pyrite-dominated zone. At the Lornex deposit the zoning mimics the contours parallel to the large quartz porphyry dyke emplaced in the southern part of the deposit. Mineralization zoning at the Highmont deposit is not as well defined as the deposits to the north. Molybdenum and copper zoning is generally parallel but not coincident.
Molybdenite grades are much more variable than the copper grades at the Highland Valley deposits. At the Lornex deposit the molybdenite grades are associated with both the bornite and chalcopyrite zones but primarily with the chalcopyrite. Molybdenite values at the Valley mine are significantly lower and are found more closely associated with the margins of the deposit. At ........
Summary:
Highland Valley’s primary product is copper concentrate; it also produces molybdenum in concentrate. The property comprising the Highland Valley Copper mine covers a surface area of approximately 50,000 hectares.
The mine is an open pit operation with preliminary drilling and blasting. Ore is currently mined from the Valley, Lornex and Highmont pits. In all the pits, mining occurs in 15 metre benches.
Autonomous haulage trucks are successfully operating in the Lornex pit, with 28 autonomous haulage trucks now fully operational.
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Source:
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Reserves at December 31, 2023:
Reserve and resource estimates were prepared assuming long-term metal prices of US$3.25/lb copper, US$9.90/lb molybdenum, US$20.00/oz silver and US$1,500/oz gold and an exchange rate of CAD$1.25 per US$1.00. Reserves and resources were calculated using a net smelter return of US$5.33 per tonne, which is equivalent to a copper equivalent cut-off grade of 0.11% with a molybdenum factor of 1.7.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Recoverable Metal |
Proven
|
150,000 kt
|
Copper
|
0.26 %
|
|
Proven
|
150,000 kt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.007 %
|
|
Probable
|
113,100 kt
|
Copper
|
0.32 %
|
|
Probable
|
113,100 kt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.012 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
263,100 kt
|
Copper
|
0.3 %
|
660 kt
|
Proven & Probable
|
263,100 kt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.009 %
|
10 kt
|
Measured
|
594,700 kt
|
Copper
|
0.3 %
|
|
Measured
|
594,700 kt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.008 %
|
|
Indicated
|
519,700 kt
|
Copper
|
0.26 %
|
|
Indicated
|
519,700 kt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.01 %
|
|
Inferred
|
70,100 kt
|
Copper
|
0.22 %
|
|
Inferred
|
70,100 kt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.01 %
|
|
HME Type | Model | Quantity | Ref. Date | Source |
Drill
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Mar 6, 2013
|
p.99
|
Loader (FEL)
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Mar 6, 2013
|
p.99
|
Loader (FEL)
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Mar 6, 2013
|
p.99
|
Shovel (rope) - EV
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Mar 6, 2013
|
p.99
|
Shovel (rope) - EV
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Mar 6, 2013
|
p.99
|
Shovel (rope) - EV
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Mar 6, 2013
|
p.99
|
Shovel (rope) - EV
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Mar 6, 2013
|
p.99
|
Truck (haul)
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Jun 28, 2022
|
p.99
|
Truck (haul)
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Mar 6, 2013
|
p.99
|
Truck (haul) - AV
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
Jun 28, 2022
|
p.2
|
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EV - Electric
AV - Autonomous
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