• Data Access
  • Your Email  
  • Your Email  
Keep me signed in.
Forgot your password?
Close
  • Forgot Your Password?
  • Enter the email you signed up with and we'll email it to you.
  • Your Email  
Close
Back
MDO
Mining Data Solutions
  • Home
  • Database
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Sign In
Guatemala
Escobal Mine

This page is not tailored to
devices with screen width under 750 px.
 Location:
40 km SE from Guatemala City, Guatemala

  Regional Office:
Boulevard Los Proceres, 18 Calle 24-69, zona 10, Centro Corporativo Zona Pradera, Torre 4, Nivel 14,
Guatemala
Guatemala
Phone  ...  Subscription required
WebsiteWeb
Additional Resources for Suppliers & Investors
Drill results over 30 g/t Au
Stay on top of recent discoveries.
Search drill results by commodity and grade.
Largest mines in the Americas
Mining and mill throughput capaciites.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Deepest underground mines
Shaft depth and mill throughput data.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Heavy mobile equipment
HME type, model, size and quantity.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Permitting and construction projects
Projects at the permitting or construction stage. Full profiles of select projects.
Mines with remote camps
Camp size, mine location and contacts.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Mines & projects in Guatemala
A list of country's mines and projects.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Fleet
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

Thank you for browsing through mine profiles compiled by the Mining Data Online team.

Would you like to subcribe or schedule a Demo?
  • Name:
     
  • Company:
     
  • Position:
     
  • Phone:
  • Email:
  • Message:

Overview

StatusCare and Maintenance
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Silver
  • Gold
  • Lead
  • Zinc
Mining Method
  • Longhole stoping
  • Transverse stoping
  • Longitudinal stoping
  • Paste backfill
Processing
  • Flotation
Mine Life2033
Escobal is one of the world’s largest primary silver deposits containing an estimated 264 million ounces of silver reserves. Operations are currently suspended while the government of Guatemala completes an International Labour Organization (ILO) 169 consultation process.


Owners & OPERATOR

Source: p. 19
CompanyInterestOwnership
Pan American Silver Corp. 100 % Indirect
Minera San Rafael S.A. (operator) 100 % Direct
Tahoe Resources Inc. (Tahoe or the Company), through its wholly owned subsidiary, Minera San Rafael, S.A. (MSR), owns and operates the Escobal mine in Guatemala.

Deposit Type

  • Epithermal
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork
  • Vein / narrow vein


Summary:

The Escobal deposit formed in an intermediate-sulfidation epithermal quartz vein system of probable Upper Miocene to Lower Pliocene age. These deposits are commonly included in the low-sulfidation epithermal class of deposits. Distinguishing characteristics of an “intermediate sulfidation” environment include mineral assemblages indicating a sulfidation state between those of high and low sulfidation types, relatively high total sulfide content of 5 to 10 percent, low-iron “blond” sphalerite, presence of silver sulfosalts, and association with andesitic to dacitic volcanics. Magmatic- associated fluids are implied.

Epithermal deposits form as high-temperature mineralizing fluids rise along structural pathways and deposit quartz and precious- and base-metal minerals in open spaces in response to boiling, which is usually coincident to a release of pressure within the hydrothermal system. This quartz and metal deposition, followed by resealing of the system, is repeated over the life of the hydrothermal system resulting in crosscutting and overprinted breccia and vein textures. Typically, the largest and highest grade deposits are associated with long hydrothermal systems marked by complex overlapping veins.

These deposits are strongly structurally controlled. Mineralizing fluids are directed along structural pathways with high- grade “ore shoots” typically concentrated in open dilatant zones. These dilatant zones commonly form where inflections occur vertically and laterally along the vein.

Metal deposition and zoning in epithermal deposits are related to the level of boiling. Typically, precious metals deposit at or near the boiling level while base metals precipitate below. Boiling may occur at different levels as the hydrothermal system evolves producing an overprint of various episodes.

The Escobal deposit occurs in a similar geologic setting with host rocks, vein characteristics and mineralogy typical of other intermediate-sulfidation systems. Specific definitive features include banded, cockscomb, and drusy vein textures; massive, stockwork and breccia veins; intermediate argillic and quartz-sericite alteration; appreciable base- metal and silver-sulfosalt mineralogy, and associated arsenic and antimony.

Economic mineralization at Escobal comprises silver, gold, lead, and zinc hosted within quartz veins, stockwork zones and hydrothermal breccias. The deposit predominantly comprises sulfide mineralization. Silver, lead, and zinc sulfide mineralization predominates in the Central and West zones though elevated gold values also occur at depth in the Central Zone. In the East Zone, gold-rich mineralization is associated with the upper mixed sulfide-oxide horizon. Silver mineralization in all zones shows a close association with galena and low-iron sphalerite.

A petrographic study of vein samples indicated a fairly simple and consistent paragenesis. Stage I veining consists of banded to massive chalcedony intercalated with quartz and carbonate. This is the volumetrically-dominant vein event and contains the bulk of sulfide minerals. Volumetrically lesser Stage II consists of sulfide-bearing granular chalcedony. Various episodes of post-sulfide quartz, and late barren calcite veining locally cut and/or overprint the main banded vein.


Mining Methods

  • Longhole stoping
  • Transverse stoping
  • Longitudinal stoping
  • Paste backfill


Summary:

Active mining areas in the Escobal mine are accessed through two main portals, called the East and West portals. These two primary declines provide access to the Central Zone. A third primary ramp is being driven into the East Zone from the Central Zone. Access ramps are driven from the main ramp system to establish sublevel footwall laterals driven parallel to the vein in transverse mining areas on 25 m vertical intervals, with stopes accessed from the footwall laterals. In longitudinal mining area, development is done on vein also on 25 m vertical intervals.

Production from the Escobal mine is achieved via longhole stoping methods. Two variations of this mining method are utilized. Where the vein dimension across the strike is less than 15 m, longitudinal longhole stoping is applied. This method consists of driving horizontal drifts, spaced 25 m vertically, along the strike of the vein and then blasting the ore vertically from the upper level (“over-cut”) to the lower level (“under-cut”).

Breaking slots are established at the extreme ends of the stope to provide a void space for production blasting. These breaking slots are excavated utilizing Cubex drills equipped with V-30 blind bore reaming heads to bore a 30-inch diameter raise between the upper-cut and under cut for each stope. Once the breaking slots are complete, the stope faces retreat towards the accesses by drilling holes between the over-cut and under-cut, charging the holes with explosives, and blasting a ring or row of holes at the end of the stope.

This process continues until the maximum hydraulic radius or design limit of the opening along strike is reached, at which time longhole mining ceases and the void is filled with paste backfill.

In areas where the horizontal vein width exceeds 15 m, measured perpendicular to the strike of the vein, stopes are developed perpendicular to the strike of the vein. This is commonly known as transverse longhole stoping. In this case, 5 m wide by 5 m high footwall laterals are developed approximately 20 m to the south of and parallel to the vein. Access to the footwall laterals is from the primary declines. Five (5) m wide by 5 m high over-cut and under-cut drifts are developed from the south side of the vein to the north side of the vein spaced 25 m vertically. The south side of the vein is typically the footwall but due to local variations in vein geometry can sometimes become the hanging wall.

In the same manner as the longitudinal stopes, breaking slots are established at the extreme ends of the stope to provide a void space for production blasting. Once the breaking slots are complete, the stope faces retreat towards the accesses by drilling holes between the over- cut and under-cut, charging the holes with explosives, and blasting a ring or row of holes at the end of the stope.

The transverse mining method allows for multiple stopes to be in production along strike simultaneously on any given sublevel. Stopes along strike are split into primary stopes and secondary stopes. Each primary stope is separated along strike by a secondary stope.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Flotation

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

Ore from the Escobal mine is treated using conventional differential flotation processes producing lead concentrates with high precious metal (silver+gold) grades and zinc concentrates with a lesser precious metal component.

The original design basis for the processing facility is 3,500 tonnes of ore per day (t/d) or 1.28 million tonnes per year; though the installed crushing, grinding, flotation and concentrate processing components were sized for the contemplated increased throughput rate of 4,500 t/d.

The ore is picked up by a front-end loader and dumped into the crusher feed hopper, where it passes through a stationary grizzly to a variable speed vibrating grizzly for initial separation, with oversized material going to the primary crusher and undersized material by-passing the primary crusher.

Material from the vibrating grizzly feeder drops into the primary crusher feed chute that feeds directly into the primary crusher. The ore is crushed to 80 ........

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2017201620152014
Silver Recovery Rate, % 868786.386.7
Silver Head Grade, g/t 507477487585
Gold Recovery Rate, % 606062.864
Gold Head Grade, g/t 0.330.350.390.42
Lead Recovery Rate, % 868787.589
Lead Head Grade, % 0.710.720.770.93
Zinc Recovery Rate, % 767977.475.2
Zinc Head Grade, % 1.161.191.271.43

Production:

CommodityProductUnits2017201620152014
Silver Metal in concentrate koz 9,69221,18920,40220,302
Gold Metal in concentrate koz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Lead Metal in concentrate M lbs  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Lead Concentrate kt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Zinc Metal in concentrate M lbs  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Zinc Concentrate kt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Silver Payable metal koz 19,27319,250
Gold Payable metal koz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Lead Payable metal M lbs  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Zinc Payable metal M lbs  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required

Operational Metrics:

Metrics2017201620152014
Tonnes milled 688 t1,594 kt1,508 kt1,245,730 t
Daily milling rate 4,352 t4,356 t4,133 t
Daily milling capacity 4,500 t4,500 t4,500 t
Daily ore mining rate 4,500 t

Reserves at June 30, 2019:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven 2.5 Mt Silver 486 g/t 39.5 M oz
Proven 2.5 Mt Gold 0.42 g/t 34.2 koz
Proven 2.5 Mt Lead 1.02 % 25.7 kt
Proven 2.5 Mt Zinc 1.75 % 44.4 kt
Probable 22.1 Mt Silver 316 g/t 225 M oz
Probable 22.1 Mt Gold 0.34 g/t 243.8 koz
Probable 22.1 Mt Lead 0.77 % 169.9 kt
Probable 22.1 Mt Zinc 1.25 % 275.7 kt
Measured 2.3 Mt Silver 251 g/t 18.6 M oz
Measured 2.3 Mt Gold 0.23 g/t 16.7 koz
Measured 2.3 Mt Lead 0.31 %
Measured 2.3 Mt Zinc 0.59 %
Indicated 14.2 Mt Silver 201 g/t 91.6 M oz
Indicated 14.2 Mt Gold 0.2 g/t 93 koz
Indicated 14.2 Mt Lead 0.38 %
Indicated 14.2 Mt Zinc 0.66 %
Inferred 1.9 Mt Silver 180 g/t 10.7 M oz
Inferred 1.9 Mt Gold 0.9 g/t 53.7 koz
Inferred 1.9 Mt Lead 0.22 %
Inferred 1.9 Mt Zinc 0.42 %

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2017201620152014
Total cash costs Silver USD 9.22 / oz 8.44 / oz 8.75 / oz 8.97 / oz
Total cash costs Silver USD 6.15 / oz† 5.84 / oz† 6.16 / oz† 6.37 / oz†
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Silver USD 8.91 / oz† 8.06 / oz† 9.11 / oz† 9.15 / oz†
† Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs:

Units2017
UG mining costs ($/t milled) USD 42.4
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ......  Subscription required
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Financials:

Units2017201620152014
Capital expenditures M USD 22.9   30.1   34.7   41.2  
Sustaining costs M USD 22.9   27   29.7  
Revenue M USD 192.51   355.81   323.92   350.26  
Operating Income M USD 62.3   155.31   132.97   158.8  
After-tax Income M USD 72.8   90.8  


Heavy Mobile Equipment as of November 5, 2014:
HME TypeModelQuantity
ANFO Loader 2
Cable bolter ....................... Subscription required 3
Concrete sprayer 2
Deck & Boom Trucks 3
Drill (long hole) ....................... Subscription required 3
Drill (long hole) ....................... Subscription required 5
Grader ....................... Subscription required 1
Jumbo ....................... Subscription required 10
Jumbo ....................... Subscription required 7
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) ....................... Subscription required 3
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) ....................... Subscription required 6
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required 12
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 17, 2020
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

EmployeesYear
Subscription required 2017
Subscription required 2016
Subscription required 2015

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
Management Discussion & Analysis 2018
Press Release 2018
Annual Information Form 2017
Financial Review 2017
Management Discussion & Analysis 2017
Annual Information Form 2016
Corporate Presentation 2016
Other 2016
Annual Information Form 2015
Financial Review 2015
Management Discussion & Analysis 2015
Feasibility Study Report 2014
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Aerial view:

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2020 MDO Data Online Inc.