Mining Intelligence and News
Chile

Farellon Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Drift & Fill
Production Start... Lock
SnapshotAltiplano has extracted ore at Farellon since Q1 2018. Proceeds from the sale of mineralized material are credited to exploration and evaluation properties. The decision to commence production on the Farellon deposit is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves.

July 31st, 2023 – Altiplano Metals Inc. is pleased to report it has completed the commissioning stage at the El Peñón processing plant located near the town of La Serena, Chile and has entered the startup phase.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Altiplano Metals Inc. 100 % Indirect
Altiplano Chile Ltda (operator) 100 % Direct
Altiplano Metals has a 100% interest in the Farellon project.

Deposit type

  • IOCG
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

Deposit types found in the La Serena region of northern Chile include massive magnetite, Manto-Style copper-(silver), iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits, and copper-gold veins potentially related to porphyry systems. These deposits are found within the early-Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous rocks, and appear to be formed through regional faulting and extension and localized structural systems. Review of the historic literature and a site visit completed by the authors determined that the primary exploration target for the Farellon project is copper-gold veins as each comprise high-grade structures with these metals.

The Farellon area lies in the contact zone between regional granodiorite and diorite bodies to the west and north respectively, as well as Cretaceous-aged formations of stratified rocks including volcaniclastic sediments, tuffs, limestones and sandstones. The proximity of the intrusive bodies produced contact metamorphism (hornfels) and metasomatism, resulting in areas of skarnification and strong silicification (Denmark, 2008).

The intrusions and subsequent movement produced a complex structural system. The dominant fractures in the stratified rocks and intrusive rocks are orientated between 50o (northeast) and 75o (east-northeast).

Secondary fracturing is mainly in an east-west orientation, with sporadic downdropping of the rocks to the south (Denmark, 2008).

While the geological map shows much of the Farellon Project area underlain by volcanic rocks at surface, much of the area is actually covered with a thin veneer of volcanic rocks. The main host rocks to the Farellon copper-gold vein structures are altered granodiorite with the vein structures on the property trending mostly 75o eastnortheast.

Copper +/- gold vein mineralization on the Farellon Property is found within discrete and laterally continuous east-northeast trending vein systems predominantly in the Cretaceous granite to granodiorite unit. There are three main veins structures that can be traced along strike for 1 to 2 km, the Farellon, Laura and Rosario veins. Mineralization within the Farellon vein structure consists of copper +/- gold, with grades of the reported historic mining averaging on the order of 2.5% Cu and 0.5 g/t Au. The Farellon area veins historically are known for their high-grade copper values.

In the Farellon area, the high temperature mineralized solutions, likely emanated from local proximal granitoid intrusive bodies resulting in fracture infill veining within both the intrusive bodies as well as the stratified rock units. The mineralization includes mainly copper (+/- gold), with mainly chalcopyrite, bornite along with significant hematite and magnetite, with minor pyrite and gangue minerals that include actinolite, quartz and apatite (Denmark, 2008). Strong epidote alteration can be seen in the wall rocks and in the veins. The hematite and magnetite content of the veins is often sufficient enough to be produced as an iron by-product by the local miners.

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

CommodityUnits20222021202020192018
Copper lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,020,614594,860
All production numbers are expressed as payable metal.

Operational metrics

Metrics20222021202020192018
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe26,621 t30,452 t
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe24,945 t18,346 t

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Financials

Units20222021202020192018
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2   1.3  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneEmailProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 29, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 29, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 20, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 10, 2018

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