Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Tailings |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 2023 |
In 2021, the Las Cruces mine transitioned from open-pit mining to re-processing of high-grade tailings, which is expected to continue until the third quarter of 2023 while work on the Las Cruces Underground Project advances. The proposed underground project involves supplementing the existing copper facilities at Las Cruces with new processing capacity for zinc, silver and lead.
The water concession license was granted in March 2023 and all licenses and permits are now in place for approval of the project. The technical and study work on the polymetallic refinery project are expected to continue with all permits required to carry out the project now granted. |
Latest News | Commission approves €26.7 million Spanish measure to support the upgrade of Cobre Las Cruces' refinery August 9, 2023 |
Source:
p. 49
Cobre Las Cruces S.A. is the owner and operator of the Cobre Las Cruces mine in Spain. Cobre Las Cruces S.A. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the First Quantum Minerals Ltd.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- VMS
- Breccia pipe / Stockwork
- Tailings
Summary:
The Las Cruces deposit is located within the Iberian Pyrite Belt and classed as a Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VHMS) deposit. VHMS mineralisation results from precipitation of metals associated with circulating hydrothermal fluids in volcanically active sub-marine areas. The metals precipitate as sulphides (pyrite/phyrrohtite with variable base metal sulphides such as chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena) and are inter-layered to varying degrees with volcanic sediments.
The Las Cruces deposit, as per many other VHMS deposits, is characterised by a dipping massive sulphide horizon underlain by a stockwork vein system which are both hosted within shales and felsic volcanics. However, at Las Cruces, post deposition tectonism uplifted the deposit, exposing it to erosion and weathering with partial oxidation of some of the primary sulphides. This resulted in a copper leached gossan, which retained the relatively immobile gold and silver and overly the secondary sulphide horizons. The zones of primary sulphide mineralisation are the source of the current gossan and secondary sulphide zones and are key horizons for defining continuous volumes of similar geology and metal tenor. The zones of gossan, secondary sulphide, primary sulphide and stockwork are used as key domains for Mineral Resource estimation.
Mineralisation is characterised by a notable iron oxide gossan which occurs directly above a welldeveloped, flat lying secondary sulphide zone followed by a ........

Summary:
Mining of the secondary orebody in the open pit was completed in August 2020. In 2022 the work mainly focused on rehabilitation activities and mining the tailings installation.
Since early 2009, Cobre Las Cruces (CLC) operations have mined and processed 14.9 million tonnes of secondary sulfide reserves at 5.12% copper grade from its open pit operation. The available secondary sulfide Mineral Reserve is now depleted. In addition, available stockpiles have 5.0 million tonnes of PPS mineralisation with a copper grade of 1.19%, a zinc grade of 2.21% and a lead grade of 1.63%. There are 2.7 million tonnes of gossan mineralisation stockpiles at 2.58 g/t gold grade. CLC has been in operation for twelve years with all six phases of open pit mining now complete.
The CLC secondary sulfide copper reserves were depleted by end of February 2021. Process performance has been successful and designed copper recoveries were improved upon from several plant modifications developed by CLC. During 2019, CLC committed to extending its activity by re-processing tailings from the secondary copper ore operation. Laboratory test work was completed on old tailings with Cu grades above 1%. Metallurgical performance for copper recovery and consumables were good enough to consider this material amenable for leaching processing in the existing facilities. An economic evaluation was followed by copper cathode production from selected old tailings. An estimated 6.3 million tonnes of t ........

Source:
Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Production:
Commodity | Units | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Copper
|
t
| ...... ^ | ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  | 70,738 | 73,664 |
All production numbers are expressed as cathode.
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Annual production capacity
| ......  | ......  | 72,000 t of copper cathode | 72,000 t of copper cathode | | |
Tonnes processed
| ......  | ......  | 1,462 kt | 1,354 kt | 1,544 kt | 1,619 kt |
Ore tonnes mined
| ......  | ......  | 821 kt | 897 kt | 1,682 kt | 2,422 kt |
Waste OP
| ......  | ......  | 1,134 kt | 2,884 kt | 14,936 kt | 14,589 kt |
Total tonnes mined
| ......  | ......  | 1,955 kt | | | |
Annual processing capacity
| ......  | ......  | | 1.6 Mt | | |
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Reserves at December 31, 2021:
As of December 31, 2022, there were no changes in the reported Mineral Resources and Reserves at Las Cruces compared to December 31, 2021.
Mineral Resources at Las Cruces are based upon a 1% TCu and CuEq cut-off grade.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Measured
|
19.2 Mt
|
Copper
|
1.49 %
|
Indicated
|
25.7 Mt
|
Copper
|
1.1 %
|
Indicated
|
25.7 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.27 g/t
|
Measured & Indicated
|
44.9 Mt
|
Copper
|
1.27 %
|
Measured & Indicated
|
44.9 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.15 g/t
|
Inferred
|
7.1 Mt
|
Copper
|
1.23 %
|
Pipelines and Water Supply
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