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Argentina
Cerro Moro Mine

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 Location:
73 km E from Tres Cerros, Argentina

  Address:
Cuitn 30- 70838082-9 Estrada 1154/60, Puerto Deseado
Santa Cruz
Argentina
Phone  ...  Subscription required
WebsiteWeb
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit / Underground
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Bench & Fill
  • Longhole stoping
Processing
  • Gravity separation
  • Flotation
  • Counter current decantation (CCD)
  • Concentrate leach
  • Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
  • Merrill–Crowe
  • Cyanide (reagent)
Mine Life5 years (as of Jan 1, 2019)
Latest NewsYamana Gold Announces Discovery of New High-Grade Naty Zone at Cerro Moro and Significant High-Grade Results From New Exploration Drilling While Extending Exploration Program to Broader Cerro Moro     November 19, 2019


Owners

Source: p. 14
CompanyInterestOwnership
Yamana Gold Inc. 100 % Indirect

Deposit Type

  • Epithermal
  • Vein / narrow vein


Summary:

Gold-silver mineralization at Cerro Moro is associated with epithermal veins. Geological mapping and ArAr age dating on vein adularia have defined at least three episodes of veining, spread over 9 million years from 180 to 171 Ma. The different ages of veining tend to have different orientations and structural controls on highgrade shoots. The earlier pulses of veining (Michelle vein at 180 Ma, Esperanza at 175 Ma, and Gabriela at 178 Ma) are characterized by banded crystalline quartz veins with local adularia and low sulphide content.

These veins are generally poorly mineralized although they locally contain significant ore shoots. Grades are lower than in the younger pulse of mineralization and ore shoots terminate at shallow depths, suggesting significant erosion of the vein systems has taken place.

A second later pulse (171 Ma) consisting of black silica, is rich in base metal and silver sulphides and hosts high-grade mineralization, mainly in the Escondida-Zoe vein system. These high-grade veins consist of banded veins with white quartz, fine-grained black silica, and coarse sulphides including pyrite, pale-coloured sphalerite, galena, and acanthite as well as local electrum. The black silica is characterized by highly anomalous molybdenum.

Veining at Cerro Moro is complex and widespread. Veining varies from simple single veins to complex vein systems. Veins are typically steeply dipping to sub-vertical. Outcropping veins locally reach widths up to 4 m, whilst associated zones of quartz stringers and stockwork may reach widths in the order of 10 to 15 m. The strike length of individual veins is variable and ranges generally between 200 metres and 1 kilometre. Alteration has been identified by Terraspec using spectrometry and is typical of the low-sulphidation model, with broad haloes of white mica and less common kaolinite alteration around the mineralized veins.

Structural controls on veining at Cerro Moro vary with the age of the veins. The oldest veins at Cerro Moro strike north to northeast and mineralization is preferentially hosted in northeast-striking segments, especially in areas close to intersections with northwest or east-west structures, suggesting possible reactivation with emplacement of younger mineralization. A second episode of white quartz-adularia veining was emplaced along northwest-striking structures. These veins are widespread in the main mine area and host lower-grade but significant mineralization in the Gabriela and Esperanza-Nini areas. The mineralization in these veins extends to relatively shallow depths below the current surface and probably represent the roots of deeply eroded veins.

The third high-grade episode of sulphide-rich mineralization is also hosted along northwest-striking faults. The main Escondida fault is a large displacement south side-down fault. Mineralization is localized around east-west trending segments as well as in small east-west splays off the main structure. These observations, along with the stratigraphic displacement observed above, suggest a strong sinistral-normal oblique movement vector that controls mineralization.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Bench & Fill
  • Longhole stoping


Summary:

Cerro Moro consists of several open pit and underground mines which feed a single processing plant with a throughput capacity of approximately 1,000 tpd.

Production from mines located close to the Run of mine (ROM) pad is hauled directly from the mine. For mines located at greater distances, ore is hauled to a stockpile located close to the portal or pit and then hauled to the ROM pad in hauling campaigns.

Open pit operations are currently carried out by a contractor. The average production rate is of approximately 600 tpd of ore and 16,000 tpd waste. However, production from the open pits will gradually reduce as Cerro Moro transitions to increased production from the underground mines. There are typically two to four pits in operation at any one time. The open pit mining sequence consists of first pre-splitting both sides of the vein with holes spaced every 1 meter apart. Then, from the ramp access, waste polygons on the hangingwall side of the vein are mined to create a free face for the vein. Once the vein is fully exposed, the vein is blasted and mined separately to minimize dilution. Once the vein is completely extracted, the remaining waste polygons on the footwall are extracted.

Underground mining at Cerro Moro is carried out using longitidinal long-hole stoping methods.. Two variations of long-hole stoping will be employed; bench-and-fill (at Escondida, Martina, and Zoe), and uphole retreat (at Gabriela). Both methods involve ore development at regular level intervals. Stopes are formed by drilling blast holes between levels. After blasting, the broken ore is extracted from the lower level using conventional and remotely operated load-haul-dumps (LHDs).

Bench-and-fill is a bottom-up method, in which mining takes place on top of and adjacent to previously mined and filled stope voids. Once the maximum allowed stope span is reached, and after completion of ore extraction from the blasted stope, stopes are filled with loose rockfill with selective use of cemented rock fill. Uphole retreat is a top-down method, where the stope voids are left open and rock pillars are left between stopes to provide ground support.

The LOM consists in an integrated operation from open pits and underground stopes, in order to feed the 1,000 tpd mill. The LOM indicates mining for a total period of five years, with lower production in the last year.


Crushing and Grinding
Crusher / Mill TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
Ball mill 1

Summary:

The grinding circuit consists of a single-stage overflow ball mill operated in closed circuit with hydrocyclones, and a flash flotation cell (on cyclone underflow) to produce a cyclone overflow product with a grind of 80% passing 75 µm. A portion of the mill discharge stream is treated in a gravity circuit for removal of free gold and electrum, with the concentrate going to the refinery for further concentrating and smelting and the tails going back to the cyclones. The gravity circuit consists of a single high-capacity continuous centrifugal concentrator and a concentrating table.


Processing

  • Gravity separation
  • Flotation
  • Counter current decantation (CCD)
  • Concentrate leach
  • Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
  • Merrill–Crowe
  • Cyanide (reagent)

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

The processing plant at Cerro Moro is currently designed for a throughput of 1,000 tpd or 365,000 tpy on an operating basis of 92 percent availability. The design metal recoveries are 95% for gold and 93% for silver.

The principle processing stages are: crushing, milling, gravity concentration, flotation, leaching by agitation, countercurrent decant system to wash the pulp (CCD), precipitation with metallic zinc (Merrill-Crowe process), detoxification of the pulp to destroy the cyanide, refining, and tailings disposal. Ancillary processes are reagent preparation, water supply treated through a reverse osmosis plant, and reclaim water from the tailings dam.

There is a bulk rougher flotation with a single stage of cleaning. Concentrate thickening of combined flash flotation and conventional cleaner concentrate and regrinding produce a concentrate leach feed with P80 of 30 µm. The re-ground product of the concentrated thickener is sent to an intensive leach tank to ........

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter20192018
Gold Recovery Rate, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Gold Head Grade, g/t 10.815.9
Silver Recovery Rate, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Silver Head Grade, g/t 568.61725
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Production:

CommodityUnits20192018
Gold oz  ......  Subscription required92,793
Silver oz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Gold Equivalent oz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics20192018
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required210,644 t
Waste  ......  Subscription required6,416,534 t
Tonnes processed  ......  Subscription required199,602 t
Daily processing capacity  ......  Subscription required1,000 t
Annual processing capacity  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2018:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven 43 kt Gold 10.57 g/t 15 koz
Proven 43 kt Silver 620.7 g/t 857 koz
Probable 1,766 kt Gold 11.64 g/t 661 koz
Probable 1,766 kt Silver 653.3 g/t 37,102 koz
Proven & Probable 1,809 kt Gold 11.61 g/t 675 koz
Proven & Probable 1,809 kt Silver 652.6 g/t 37,959 koz
Measured 18 kt Gold 10.83 g/t 6 koz
Measured 18 kt Silver 1252.97 g/t 707 koz
Indicated 1,224 kt Gold 5.14 g/t 202 koz
Indicated 1,224 kt Silver 381.2 g/t 14,997 koz
Measured & Indicated 1,241 kt Gold 5.22 g/t 208 koz
Measured & Indicated 1,241 kt Silver 393.5 g/t 15,704 koz
Inferred 1,706 kt Gold 3.84 g/t 211 koz
Inferred 1,706 kt Silver 257.8 g/t 14,139 koz
Inferred 2,175 kt Gold 3.91 g/t 273 koz
Inferred 2,175 kt Silver 222.2 g/t 15,542 koz
Inferred 2,175 kt Gold Equivalent
Inferred 2,175 kt Silver Equivalent

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits20192018
Cash costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD  ......  Subscription required 629 / oz
Cash costs Silver USD 5.98 / oz
Cash costs Gold USD 479 / oz
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD  ......  Subscription required 848 / oz
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Silver USD 7.49 / oz
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold USD 600 / oz
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Financials:

Units20192018
Sustaining costs M USD  ......  Subscription required15  
Capital expenditures M USD  ......  Subscription required87.6  
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required126.8  
Operating Income M USD  ......  Subscription required11.6  
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 15, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 15, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 15, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Information Form 2018
Annual Report 2018
Corporate Presentation 2018
Press Release 2018
Management Discussion & Analysis 2017
Annual Report 2015
Preliminary Economic Assessment 2012
Technical Report 2007
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Yamana Gold Announces Discovery of New High-Grade Naty Zone at Cerro Moro and Significant High-Grade Results From New Exploration Drilling While Extending Exploration Program to Broader Cerro Moro November 19, 2019
Yamana Gold Declares Commercial Production at Cerro Moro June 26, 2018
Yamana Gold Announces First Gold and Silver Production at Cerro Moro May 16, 2018

Aerial view:

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