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Turkiye

Cayeli Mine

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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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Deposit type

  • VMS
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork

Summary:

The main Çayeli mineralisation is located along the contact between a hanging wall of pyroclastics (tuffs) and basalts, and a footwall of rhyolite and felsic pyroclastic rocks. Hydrothermal alteration related to the formation of the deposit is restricted to the footwall stratigraphy and is in the form of clay (argillite) and chlorite.

The Çayeli mineralisation is a typical example of a volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) style of deposit. VMS deposits form at or near the sea floor, where circulating hydrothermal fluids in association with submarine volcanism are quenched through mixing with sea water and or pore waters in near seafloor lithologies.

As is typical with volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits, the Çayeli mineralisation is zoned in terms of Cu and Zn tenor. The lower grade Cu stockwork volumes are located adjacent to massive sulphide zones with relatively minimal overlap. A similar pattern is evident in the Zn mineralisation, however, the proportion of Zn rich stockwork in either orebody is relatively small.

The Çayeli mineralisation is characterised by two main styles, i.e., massive sulphides and associated stockwork mineralisation. The key economic elements are Cu and Zn and to a lesser degree Ag as a byproduct.

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.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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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

CommodityUnits202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Copper t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 16,706  19,896  16,523  25,330  24,304 
Zinc t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 5,252  4,091  3,326  8,062  19,808 
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 916 kt 1,007 kt 943 kt 1,285 kt 1,229 kt
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1,350,000 t 1,350,000 t 1,350,000 t
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 930 kt 1,000 kt 941 kt 1,267 kt 1,233 kt
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 54,000 m3 82,000 m3 79,000 m3
Annual mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Production Costs

CommodityUnits202520242023202220212020201920182017
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Copper USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1.65 / lb **   1.48 / lb **   1.75 / lb **  
C1 cash costs Copper USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  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
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  ....  Subscribe 95   100   98  
Gross profit M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  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  ....  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
...... Subscription required 2024
...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021
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...... Subscription required 2019
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...... Subscription required 2016
...... Subscription required 2015

Aerial view:

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