Overview
| Stage | Production |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
- Longitudinal open stoping
- Cut & Fill
- Longhole open stoping
- Transverse open stoping
- Paste backfill
- Backfill
|
| Production Start | ...  |
| Mine Life | 2030 |
The Cozamin Mine is an underground mining operation. Cozamin Mine concentrate production is primarily copper with significant by-product silver, lesser amounts of byproduct zinc and lead concentrate and small amounts of by-product gold credits.
Construction of the new paste backfill plant was completed late in 2022 and is ramping up in 2023. Approximately half of the filtered tailings will be combined with cement to form a paste and pumped underground to be used as mine backfill, allowing for increased copper ore extraction. |
Source:
p. 16
| Company | Interest | Ownership |
|
Capstone Gold, S.A. De C.V.
(operator)
|
100 %
|
Direct
|
|
Capstone Copper Corp.
|
100 %
|
Indirect
|
Capstone owns 100% of Cozamin through its subsidiaries Capstone Gold S.A. de C.V. (Capstone Gold; 99.9% ownership) and Capstone Mexico Mining Corp. (0.01% ownership).
On March 23, 2022, Capstone Mining and Mantos Copper completed the business combination announced on November 30th, 2021. The resulting company was renamed Capstone Copper Corp. (“Capstone Copper”, or “Capstone”). Capstone’s shares continue to be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “CS”.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Vein / narrow vein
- Epithermal
Summary:
Deposit Types
All mineralization at Cozamin occurs in veins, and fracture-controlled systems of veinlets. Currently mined mineralization at Cozamin is best described as an intermediate sulphidation system. The copper-rich intermediate sulphidation mineralization is an early phase that is enveloped, overprinted or brecciated by zinc-rich intermediate sulphidation mineralization. The copper veins are inferred to be higher temperature, have significantly fewer vugs and can be massive pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite with little gangue. Zinc-rich veins also tend to be sulphide rich, like the copper-rich ones, but with slightly more gangue. Well-banded quartz, or quartzcarbonate veins are inferred to be lower temperature and best classified as low sulphidation. They often have open space filling textures with quartz druse vug linings and typically gold and silver rich with lesser base metals and are generally not being mined today, but were historically important.
This transition from intermediate sulphidation copper-dominant mineralization to intermediate sulphidation zinc-dominant mineralization is thought to be the result of an evolving, telescoped hydrothermal system. Blocks or fragments of massive chalcopyrite-pyrite-pyrrhotite mineralization enveloped by zinc-dominant mineralization are observed in drill core and in mine workings. This telescoping system is closely associated with the district’s largest center of rhyolite flow domes which may be the shallow expression of a h ........
Mining Methods
- Longitudinal open stoping
- Cut & Fill
- Longhole open stoping
- Transverse open stoping
- Paste backfill
- Backfill
Summary:
The Cozamin Mine is entirely mined using underground mining methods. The mine has been operated by Capstone since 2006 and has almost exclusively employed the longitudinal long-hole open stoping (LHOS) mining method for bulk ore extraction over the period. As an operating mine with experience in the LHOS method, the procedures, mine designs, and all required mining equipment and infrastructure required to support the extraction of ore are well understood. A primary component of this Technical Report is to describe the introduction of paste backfill, with delivery of paste underground planned in 2023. With the introduction of paste backfill, rib pillars between longhole stopes will be eliminated. Two variations of longhole stoping will be employed: transverse longhole stoping for ore widths greater than 7 meters and longitudinal longhole stoping for widths less than 7 meters wide. This will maximize the recovery of the reserves for the longhole stoping methods. A primary consideration of this mine plan is to ensure that all waste generated from mining operations remains underground, and this will be achieved by disposing of the waste in the cut and fill stopes, and secondary transverse longhole stopes. The cut and fill mining method will be used in the upper areas of the mine which are closer to the neighboring communities to minimize disturbances caused during blasting operations.
Mining Method and Design
The Cozamin mineral reserve estimate is comprised of several mining me ........
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Reserves at January 1, 2023:
The Mineral Reserve is reported at or above a blended cut-off of US$60.54/t NSR for long-hole stoping and US$65.55/t NSR for cut-and-fill mining.
The Mineral Resource is reported above a net smelter return of US$59/t.
| Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
|
Probable
|
10,210 kt
|
Copper
|
1.65 %
|
168 kt
|
|
Probable
|
10,210 kt
|
Silver
|
43.44 g/t
|
14,258 koz
|
|
Probable
|
10,210 kt
|
Zinc
|
0.54 %
|
55 kt
|
|
Probable
|
10,210 kt
|
Lead
|
0.29 %
|
29 kt
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
19,664 kt
|
Copper
|
1.58 %
|
311 kt
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
19,664 kt
|
Silver
|
46.9 g/t
|
29,662 koz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
19,664 kt
|
Zinc
|
1.08 %
|
212 kt
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
19,664 kt
|
Lead
|
0.41 %
|
81 kt
|
|
Inferred
|
12,283 kt
|
Copper
|
0.72 %
|
88 kt
|
|
Inferred
|
12,283 kt
|
Silver
|
38.3 g/t
|
15,123 koz
|
|
Inferred
|
12,283 kt
|
Zinc
|
1.97 %
|
242 kt
|
|
Inferred
|
12,283 kt
|
Lead
|
0.83 %
|
102 kt
|
Source:
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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