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Canada

Highland Valley Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Molybdenum
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe 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.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Teck Resources Ltd. 100 % Indirect
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 Highmont, molybdenite zones are sub-parallel to the Gnawed Mountain porphyry.

Ore is mined from the Valley, Lornex and Highmont pits. The pits are located in the Guichon batholith, which hosts all of the orebodies located in the area. The host rocks of the Valley deposit are mainly porphyritic quartz monzonites and granodiorites of the Bethsaida phase of the batholith. These rocks are medium-to-coarse-grained with large phenocrysts of quartz and biotite. The rocks of the deposit were subjected to hydrothermal alteration, extensive quartz veining, quartz-sericite veining, and silicification. Bornite, chalcopyrite and molybdenum were introduced with the quartz and quartz- sericite veins and typically fill angular openings in them. Accessory minerals consist of hornblende, magnetite, hematite, sphene, apatite and zircon. Pre-mineral porphyry and aplite dykes intrude the host rocks of the deposit.

The Lornex orebody occurs in Skeena quartz diorite host rock, intruded by younger pre-mineral quartz porphyry and aplite dykes. The Skeena quartz diorite is an intermediate phase of the Guichon batholith and is generally a medium-to-coarse grained equigranular rock distinguished by interstitial quartz and moderate ferromagnesian minerals. The sulphide ore is primarily fracture fillings of chalcopyrite, bornite and molybdenite with minor pyrite, magnetite, sphalerite and galena.

The Highmont deposit is entirely hosted within the Skeena granodiorite and the Gnawed Mountain Composite Dyke (GMCD) that has traditionally been described as a multiphase intrusion. The Bethsaida phase of the batholith occurs 750 metres southwest of the deposit, with historical logged intercepts of Bethsaida within the deposit interpreted to be phases of the GMCD. The lithology of dykes in Highmont is less constrained than the Valley-Lornex deposit. Copper mineralization occurs dominantly as chalcopyrite or bornite within quartz and white mica veins and to a lesser degree as breccia infill. The generalized sulphide distribution indicates a roughly concentric distribution of bornite- chalcopyrite and pyrite centered in the east of the deposit and extending northwest along the contacts of the GMCD.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Copper kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe12110193119151
Molybdenum M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe6.68.79.35.43.4
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe145,000 t145,000 t145,000 t145,000 t145,000 t
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe109,912 kt112,037 kt118,766 kt115,369 kt116,231 kt
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe51,581 kt51,888 kt52,285 kt49,499 kt47,257 kt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Financials

Units20242023202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures (planned) M CAD  ....  Subscribe
Revenue M CAD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1,005   941   733  
Gross profit M CAD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 196   164   18  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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EV - Electric
AV - Autonomous

Personnel

Mine Management

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