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Peru

Lagunas Norte Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeStockpile
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotAt the Lagunas Norte mine, there is no active mining, only ore rehandling from stockpiles.

On April 3, 2023, Boroo Pte. Ltd. announced that it has achieved a significant milestone in the construction and startup of the planned strategic Carbonaceous Material Optimization Project (CMOP). Phase 1 of the project has been safely commissioned and is producing material to be stacked and leached in the existing stockpiles.

This project will allow Boroo to unlock signifi cant potential at Lagunas Norte. Around 15 million tonnes of gold-bearing materials that were stockpiled historically over the years can, with CMOP, be processed and monetized.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Minera Boroo Misquichilca S.A. (operator) 100 % Direct
Boroo Pte Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The Lagunas Norte Mine is owned by Boroo Pte Ltd through Minera Boroo Misquichilca.

Deposit type

  • Epithermal
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

Lagunas Norte differs from many other large high- sulphidation epithermal gold deposits of the Andes in that a majority of the known resource is contained within Cretaceous siliciclastic sedimentary rocks, and a relatively small portion is within the Tertiary volcanic sequence that is the primary host elsewhere (e.g., Yanacocha, Pierina). The main host rock sequence at Lagunas Norte consists of quartz sandstones and subordinate interlayered mudstone, siltstone, and carbon-rich siltstone, correlated with the Lower Cretaceous Chimú Formation (Lewis, 2002).

The Lagunas Norte mineralization occurs in the southeast portion of the Alto Chicama property. The mineralization is finely disseminated and is hosted mostly by siliclastic sedimentary strata.

The mineralization within the present pit extends for approximately two kilometres in the north-northwest direction by approximately two kilometres in the east-northeast direction and for more than 200 m vertically.

Mineralization is the result of multiple volcanic and hydrothermal events. It is hosted in both the Tertiary volcanics of the Calipuy Group and the underlying Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Chimú Formation. The alteration associated with the mineralization is typical of a highsulphidation epithermal environment, characterized by silica (SiO 2 ), surrounded by alunite [KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6], dickite [Al2Si2O5(OH)4] and pyrophyllite [Al2Si4O10(OH)2]. Trace elements typically associated with these deposits include copper, arsenic, barium, bismuth, zinc, lead, and variable amounts of mercury (Silberman and Berger, 1985). The deposit has very low concentrations of carbonate minerals or other potentially acid neutralizing minerals.

There are both stratigraphic and structural controls on the mineralization. Mineralizing fluids ascended along the main fault systems and migrated laterally along stratigraphic contacts in both the sedimentary and volcanic rocks. At least two stages of sulphide mineralization are recognized. The sulphide assemblage comprises mainly pyrite (FeS2) with lesser amounts of enargite (Cu3AsS4) and occurs as replacement structures, veins, and disseminations in volcanic breccias and highly fractured and locally brecciated Chimú sandstones. Most of the mineralization (75%) occurs as oxide material, with approximately 25% occurring as sulphide material. Supergene oxidation has altered a large part of the sulphide assemblage to iron oxides and, to a lesser extent, sulphates. The extent of this oxidation ranges from a few metres to more than 300 m below surface. Approximately 90% of the mineralization is contained within the Chimú sediments and the balance is hosted in the Calipuy volcanic rocks.

The gold grade times thickness contours clearly show the Lagunas Norte deposit is approximately two kilometres by one kilometre wide.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

Production in 2022 is shown for July 2021 - June 2022.
CommodityUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Gold koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe107245387435560
Silver koz 939
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.

Operational metrics

Metrics20192018201720162015
Stripping / waste ratio 4.17 2.21 0.91 1.5 1.2
Ore tonnes mined 2,396 kt9,774 kt17,201 kt
Waste 9,992 kt21,583 kt15,658 kt
Total tonnes mined 12,388 kt31,357 kt32,859 kt40,847 kt49,126 kt
Tonnes processed 2,693 kt8,837 kt17,874 kt17,253 kt21,880 kt
Daily mining rate 112 kt135 kt
Daily processing rate 47.1 kt59.9 kt

Production Costs

CommodityUnits201920182017
Cash costs Gold USD 499 / oz   446 / oz  
Cash costs Gold USD 844 / oz **   448 / oz **   405 / oz **  
Total cash costs Gold USD 931 / oz  
Total cash costs Gold USD 879 / oz **  
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold USD 1,185 / oz   687 / oz   524 / oz  
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold USD 1,133 / oz **   636 / oz **   483 / oz **  
All-in costs Gold USD 1,183 / oz   696 / oz   538 / oz  
All-in costs Gold USD 1,131 / oz **   644 / oz **   497 / oz **  
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency2019201820172016
OP mining costs ($/t mined) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Financials

Units201920182017
Capital expenditures M USD 11   22   25  
Sustaining costs M USD 20   20  
Revenue M USD 332   514  
EBITDA M USD 33   327  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
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EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
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Aerial view:

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