Overview
| Stage | Production |
| Mine Type | Open Pit |
| Commodities |
- Copper
- Gold
- Iron (magnetite)
|
| Mining Method |
|
| Production Start | ...  |
| Mine Life | 3 years (as of Jan 1, 2022) |
Guelb Moghrein consists of an open pit copper and gold deposit . Mining at Guelb Moghrein is conventional open cast mining using hydraulic excavators and mechanical drive haul trucks. Processing at Guelb Moghrein is by conventional SAG milling followed by flotation concentration.
Recommissioning of the CIL plant, together with construction of a re-pulping and scrubbing plant as well as additional CIL tailing ponds, has been approved. Orders are underway and commissioning is expected in the fourth quarter of 2023. |
Source:
p. 8, 57
The First Quantum Minerals Ltd. currently holds a 100% interest in Guelb Moghrein through its subsidiary, Mauritanian Copper Mines S.A.
Contractors
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Summary:
Guelb Moghrein mineralisation may be classed as a structurally modified iron ore copper gold (IOCG) deposit that is hosted in a coarse grained ferro-magnesian carbonate (FMC) unit. Copper and gold mineralisation is largely coincident with some evidence for elevated gold in the shallow mined out upper zones. The main sulphide minerals are chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite with magnetite becoming more abundant external to the sulphide bodies. The zones of mineralisation were strongly controlled by tectonic shearing and faulting which resulted in topographic expressions of the deposit in the form of two hills known as the Occidental and Oriental hills. Mineralisation below Occidental hill is considerably larger than that at Oriental, and dips by about 20 degrees to the south with a strike length close to 700 m and a dip extent of close to 1,000 m. The Occidental mineralised vertical width varies according to structural controls and ranges from a few meters to several 10’s of metres. The mineralisation below Oriental hill is limited to the shallow outcropping area of the hill and has an ellipsoid shape with a strike length of around 250 m and a width of about 100 m.
The FMC unit is the primary host of Guelb mineralisation and is comprised mainly of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite within the un-oxidised zone. Other minerals include iron-cobalt-nickel arsenides and bismuth-gold-silver-tellurides. Gold is largely coincident and associated with chalcopyrite.
A shallow (< ........
Summary:
Mining at Guelb Moghrein is conventional open cast mining using hydraulic excavators and mechanical drive haul trucks. Mining is owner operated, with fully equipped training facilities for operators and maintenance workshops. Maintenance of all mining equipment is supported by service technicians and engineers who are the original-equipment-manufacturer’s (OEM) personnel contracted to site.
Waste is trucked onto waste dumps in the vicinity of the open pit, while ore is trucked to the Process Plant for direct feeding into the primary crusher or onto the Run-of-Mine (ROM) Pad.
On average, sufficient ore is exposed in the pit for one to two months feed to the plant; stockpiling and rehandling is minimized to maintain high efficiencies.
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Production:
| Commodity | Product | Units | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|
Copper
|
Metal in copper conc.
|
t
| ...... ^ | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 28,137 | 28,791 |
|
Gold
|
Metal in copper conc.
|
oz
| ...... ^ | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... |
|
Iron (magnetite)
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| ...... ^ | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | |
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Operational Metrics:
| Metrics | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|
Annual processing capacity
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 4 Mt | | 4 Mt |
|
Ore tonnes mined
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 5,124 kt | 1,590 kt | 3,104 kt |
|
Waste
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 11,133 kt | 15,062 kt | 14,052 kt |
|
Tonnes processed
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 3,851 kt | 3,684 kt | 3,389 kt |
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Reserves at December 31, 2022:
Mineral Resources reported using 0.5% CuEq cut-off grade.
The Mineral Reserve estimate is based on a copper equivalent cut-off grade of 0.59% CuEq using the long term consensus price of $3.00/lb for copper and a gold price of $1,200/oz.
Low grade stockpiles are shown to be economic at the 0.59% CuEq cut-off grade.
| Category | OreType | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
|
Proven & Probable
|
Sulphide
|
3.5 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.59 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
Sulphide
|
3.5 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.56 g/t
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Stockpiles
|
12.3 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.97 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Sulphide
|
10.5 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.88 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Oxide
|
0.4 Mt
|
Copper
|
1.02 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Stockpiles
|
12.3 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.94 g/t
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Sulphide
|
10.5 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.67 g/t
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Oxide
|
0.4 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.11 g/t
|
|
Inferred
|
Sulphide
|
0.6 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.91 %
|
|
Inferred
|
Oxide
|
1.2 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.74 %
|
|
Inferred
|
Sulphide
|
0.6 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.67 g/t
|
|
Inferred
|
Oxide
|
1.2 Mt
|
Gold
|
2.52 g/t
|
Source:
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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