Mining Intelligence and News
Argentina

Alumbrera Mine

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StageReclamation
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Copper
  • Molybdenum
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotThe copper-gold Alumbrera mine was one of the largest open-pit mines in South America. It operated from 1997 until 2018, after which it was closed due to resource depletion.

In 2020, the infrastructure of the Alumbrera mine was integrated with the Agua Rica deposit, forming the MARA project (Minera Agua Rica Alumbrera). This integration enabled the use of existing facilities to process ore from Agua Rica, significantly reducing capital expenditures and the environmental impact of the project.

After the closure of the mine in 2018, environmental reclamation work on the site was initiated. Glencore is implementing its own tailings management system in accordance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), specifically for the Alumbrera tailings storage facility.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Glencore plc. 100 % Indirect
Glencore holds 100% ownership of the Minera Agua Rica Alumbrera (MARA) project.

Alumbrera mine has been a part of the MARA Project since 2020.

Deposit type

  • Porphyry

Summary:

The Bajo de la Alumbrera porphyry Cu-Au deposit, Argentina, is in the eastern Andes, near the north edge of a region of reverse fault-bound basement uplifts that overlie a low-angle segment of the subduction zone.

The deposit is centered on a closely spaced cluster of small felsic porphyry stocks and dikes, emplaced into andesites during seven phases of intrusion. Dikes of several phases define a radial pattern. Most of the porphyries are very similar to one another, with phenocrysts of plagioclase, hornblende, biotite, and quartz, in a matrix of fine grained quartz, K-feldspar, and minor plagioclase, biotite, and magnetite. Individual porphyries are distinguished mainly on the basis of intrusive contact relationships.

Highest Cu-Au grades are associated with abundant quartz veins, secondary K-feldspar, ±magnetite, ±biotite, ±anhydrite, in the earliest porphyry (P2), and adjacent andesite. P2-related mineralization is truncated by porphyries of the second phase of ore-related intrusions (Early P3 and Quartz-eye porphyry), which contain similar but generally less intense mineralization and alteration. Porphyries of the next phase (Late P3) truncate mineralization associated with earlier phases and are weakly mineralized with Cu-Au, sparse quartz veins, and secondary biotite. The still later Northwest porphyries truncate most Cu-Au, quartz veins, and potassic alteration, and themselves contain only traces of such mineralization and partially biotitized hornblende. Postmineral porphyries, the youngest, truncate all such mineralization and alteration, and none of their hornblende is biotitized. Los Amarillos porphyry and igneous breccia, along the western periphery of the porphyry cluster, is between P2 and Early P3 in age but shows little relationship to mineralization.

A low-grade core zone consists in large part of barren K-feldspar-magnetite alteration and quartz veins in Early P3 porphyry, and in part consists of later barren porphyry, so is mostly younger than the Cu-Au deposited with P2 porphyry.

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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Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnits2018201720162015
Gold Metal in conc./ doré koz 120188256196
Copper Metal in concentrate kt 17338262
Silver Metal in conc./ doré koz 156306748498

Operational metrics

Metrics20162015
Stripping ratio 0.8 1.2
Ore tonnes mined 33,512 kt37,939 kt
Waste 25,275 kt45,651 kt
Tonnes milled 34,664 kt33,069 kt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 11, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 11, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 11, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2008

Aerial view:

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