Bajo de la Alumbrera Copper and Gold Mine, Argentina

The Bajo de la Alumbrera (Alumbrera) copper-gold mine Argentina owned operated Minera Alumbrera (MAA). commenced commercial operation February 1998. mine located Catamarca province 1,100km Buenos Aires altitude 2,500m.

SBM VSI5X Impact Crusher, VSI Impact Crusher, PE Jaw Crusher, JCE Jaw Crusher

The Argentine state- provincially-owned company Yacimientos Mineros de Agua de Dionisio (YMAD) title deposit awarded international tender Alumbrera concession International Musto Exploration 1992. Minera Alumbrera formed 1994 MIM Holdings bought 50% operating interest. 1995 Ltd Rio Algom acquired shares International Musto 25% holding MAA. Pre-production capital expenditure totalled $1.2bn capital expenditures 1998 1999 financial years $198m $17m respectively. Royalty payments Catamarca province commenced 1998. YMAD earning 20% net proceeds (before tax) project capital plus repaid.

In 2003 years Rio Tinto acquired Ltd Billiton (now BHP Billiton) bought Rio Algom companies sold holdings Canadian company Wheaton Minerals MIM acquired Xstrata. 2005 Xstrata opened office Chile initially manage Alumbrera company's Las Bambas copper project Peru.

SBM VSI Impact Crusher, PE Jaw Crusher, JCE Jaw Crusher, Symons Cone Crusher

Geology reserves

The Bajo de la Alumbrera deposit classic copper-gold porphyry. Porphyritic dacite intrudes volcanic andesite chalcopyrite being copper mineral. Near-surface weathered material overlies primary sulphide. June 2009 mine's reserve totalled 338Mt proven grading 0.4% copper 0.39g/t 0.013% Molybdenum. plus 10Mt probable reserves grading 0.33% copper 0.3g/t 0.015% Molybdenum.

Minign processing

"In 2005 Xstrata Copper announced US$165m project raise plant’s capacity 26Mt/y 40Mt/y."

The measures 1.8km 1.8km. Pre-stripping involved removal 25Mt initial strip ratio 1.4:1.

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conventional: drilling machines blasting loading Bucyrus 495-B shovels 43m³ buckets; haulage 50 Caterpillar 218t-capacity trucks; support LeTourneau L-1800 electric wheeled loaders. haul trucks arrived 2004.

The concentrator initially designed treat 80,000 85,000t/d yielding 700,000t/y copper concentrate. Design recovery rates 91% copper 70% gold.

Run-of-mine handled 8,400t/h Svedala gyratory crusher feeds coarse stockpile. SAG ball mills – supplied Svedala – supply via sizing hydrocyclones either gold gravity separation doré metal system flotation section. latter comprises 100m³ rougher cells regrinding mill Jameson cell cleaner scavenger flotation.

SBM JCE Jaw Crusher, Symons Cone Crusher, Hydraulic Cone Crusher, Spring Cone Crusher

During 2001–02 concentrator capacity expanded 30% maintain metal-in-concentrate output 190,000t/y copper 600,000oz/y gold. pebble circuit additional grinding capacity installed.

In 2004 MAA commissioned third flotation circuit 2005 Xstrata Copper announced $15.5m expansion raise plant’s capacity 37Mt/y 40Mt/y orde Tucuman filtration Cruz del Norte. Concentrates pipelined 316km thickening 63% solids Cruz del Norte plant. de-watering Larox pressure filters railed Puerta Alumbrera constructed Krupp F?rdertechnik Parana River. expansion commissioned November 2006 35 days ahead original schedule.

SBM Symons Cone Crusher, Hydraulic Cone Crusher, Spring Cone Crusher, Jaw Crusher Mobile Crusher

A project molybdenum flotation approved July 2006. Construction completed quarter 2007 cost $16m. besides existing Alumbrera concentrator produced its molybdenum concentrate quarter 2008.

Commissioning molybdenum 2008. 2008 produced 450t molybdenum. July 2009 flotation circuit commissioned.

SBM Hydraulic Cone Crusher, Spring Cone Crusher, Jaw Crusher Mobile Crusher, Cone Crusher Mobile Crusher

Production

Mining consistently reached target rates quarter 1999. calendar 2008 Alumbrera produced 28Mt ore grading average 0.50% copper 0.55g/t gold.. operation treated 37Mt 156,893t copper-in-concentrates plus total 60,484oz doré 443,919oz concentrate.

More 50% concentrate sold long-term contracts doré refined USA.

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