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Turkiye

Cayeli Mine

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Cayeli Mine

Location: 6.4 km SE from Cayeli, Turkiye

Address:

Madenli Beldesi, 53200 Madenli
Cayeli
Turkiye
53200

Contacts:

Additional Resources for Suppliers & Investors

Categories

Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Zinc
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Transverse stoping
  • Longitudinal stoping
  • Cut & Fill
  • Longhole stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Çayeli mine is an underground copper and zinc operation in north eastern Turkey. Çayeli is the largest underground base metals mine in Turkey.

Copper and zinc production includes production from the South Orebody, which received mining approval in January 2025. First stope production is expected in the first quarter of 2025. An updated NI 43-101 Technical Report on Reserves and Resources is expected to be filed during the first half of 2025.

At currently projected processing throughput rates, the remaining life of mine using current reserves is approximately 3 years. Ongoing diamond core drilling in south ore body is expected to increase reserves and has the potential to extend the life by an additional 10 years.
Latest NewsFirst Quantum Minerals announces sale of Çayeli Mine     March 12, 2026

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
First Quantum Minerals Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Cayeli Bakir Isletmeleri A.S. (operator) 100 % Direct
Çayeli Bakir Isletmeleri A.S. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the First Quantum Minerals Ltd and is incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Turkey. Its main asset is the Çayeli copper and zinc mine.

On March 12, 2026, First Quantum Minerals Ltd. announces that it has entered into a binding agreement to sell the Çayeli mine o Cengiz Insaat, a company controlled by Cengiz Holding.

The Transaction is subject to certain customary conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close during the second or third quarter of 2026.

Contractors

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SourceSource

Deposit type

  • VMS
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork

Summary:

Çayeli is a Cretaceous-age volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit that has a known strike length of over 600 metres, extends to a depth of at least 600 metres and varies in thickness from a few metres to 80 metres, averaging about 20 metres. The average dip is 65° to the north northwest.

The deposit is at the contact between altered footwall felsic volcanic flows and pyroclastic and hanging wall mafic volcanic rocks. It consists of massive and stockwork sulphides. The mineralization includes pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite and smaller amounts of galena, dolomite and barite.

The massive sulphide ore is classified into yellow ore, which is copper-rich and zinc-poor; black ore, which is zinc-rich and copper-poor; and clastic ore, which contains copper, zinc and precious metals. In this ore, the sphalerite contains intergrowths and inclusions of chalcopyrite and requires batch processing through the mill.

Ore types which contain either secondary copper minerals or bornite are segregated and processed separately.

Stockwork ore, containing pyrite and chalcopyrite in veins, occurs stratigraphically below the massive sulphide ores.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Water usage

Parameter20242023202220212020
Fresh water 88 ML105 ML91 ML90 ML97 ML
Groundwater 4,802 ML4,414 ML4,134 ML4,350 ML3,875 ML
Brackish water 217 ML234 ML226 ML256 ML244 ML

Commodity Production

CommodityUnits20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Copper t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe16,706 19,896 16,523 25,330 24,304 
Zinc t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5,252 4,091 3,326 8,062 19,808 
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,350,000 t1,350,000 t1,350,000 t
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe930 kt1,000 kt941 kt1,267 kt1,233 kt
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe54,000 m382,000 m379,000 m3
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe916 kt1,007 kt943 kt1,285 kt1,229 kt
Annual mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20242023202220212020201920182017
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Copper USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1.65 / lb **   1.48 / lb **   1.75 / lb **  
C1 cash costs Copper USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1.35 / lb **   1.21 / lb **   1.5 / lb **  
C3 fully allocated costs Copper USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2.16 / lb **   2.03 / lb **   2.37 / lb **  
** Net of By-Product.

Mine Financials

Units202520242023202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD  ....  Subscribe
Sustaining costs M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Capital expenditures M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 6   6   5  
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 95   100   98  
Gross profit M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 22   23   16  
Operating Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 28   24   17  
EBITDA M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 55   51   43  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2025

Workforce

Total WorkforceYear
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Aerial view:

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