Boleo Project, Mexico

The Boleo project advanced stage copper/cobalt/zinc/manganese development located Baja California Sur Mexico. Discovered 1800s property consists 25 concessions covering 20,490.9ha 24 contiguous.

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

The property staked Baja 1992. mid-1990s optioned International Curator. Baja acquired 2001. company currently owns 70% stake mine. remaining stake held Korean syndicate industrial companies.

The project currently construction phase. Baja secured financing $823m debt September 2010 $184m equity November 2010 development mine. Production 2013. mine estimated 23 years.

Reserves

The mine contains estimated 265Mt measured indicated copper cobalt zinc manganese resources 165Mt inferred resources. proven probable reserves estimated 70Mt.

"Baja secured financing $823m debt September 2010."

Geology

The deposit lies within Miocene aged El Boleo Formation within coarse clastic sedimentary rocks. rocks lie unconformably Comondú Volcanics andesitic rocks belonging middle Miocene age. andesitic rocks underlain Cretaceous aged granodiorite.

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

The deposit hosts seven mineralised units mantos designated 0 1 2 3AA 3A 3 4. Towards east mantos dip gently.

The position mantos represents step-like caused faulting throughout deposit. mantos clay-rich 1m thick laminated basal zones lie beneath 20m thick intra-basin slump.

Five coarsening upward sedimentation cycles represent near-shore shallow marine basins deltaic deposition characterise El Boleo Formation. lowermost limestone bearing measuring 1m 5m thickness. occurs steep paleo-surfaces banding parallel its base. hosts cherty lenses non-diagnostic fossil fragments.

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

The limestone overlain extensive 80m thick gypsum deposit. flat shallow dipping dome mound structures. laminated massive rarely brecaciated textures.

A cyclic succession 270m thick clastic beds forms stratigraphic sequence. cycles range 20m 140m thickness earliest cycle being thickest. includes basal mud volcanic ash horizon hosts mantos. mantos covered progressively coarser material maroon coloured tuffaceous claystone siltstone feldspathic sandstone pebbly sandstone eventually cobble boulder orthoconglomerates.

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

The upper regionally eroded section formation unconformably overlain barren fossil-rich similar sedimentary sequences Pliocene Pleistocene aged delta beach deposits namely Gloria Infierno Santa Rosalía Formations. Boleo basin hosted within sub-basins Santa Rosalía basin. El Boleo basin comprises El Boleo overlying formations.

Mineralisation

Each mantos distinct terms copper-cobalt ratio relative zinc manganese carbonate concentrations. Mineralisation finely disseminated slump breccias 20m thick intervals.

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

Ore minerals include pyrite chalcocite chalcopyrite bornite covellite carrolite sphalerite categorised primary Cu-Fe-Zn (Copper-Iron-Zinc) sulphides; chrysocolla malachite azurite smithsonite cryptomelane pyrolusite rare cobalt minerals boleite pseudoboleite cumengite classified secondary Cu-Zn-Mn (Copper-Zinc-Manganese) minerals.

Mining processing

Ore mined underground pit methods. Room-and-pillar using continuous miners proposed.

"The proposed processing operate 3.1Mt/y."

The proposed processing operate 3.1Mt/y. crush mill water. followed atmospheric leaching stream elevated temperatures. ensure recovery oxide sulphide minerals leach circuit include oxidative reductive leach.

Separation leached metals leach slurry counter current decantation washing circuit.

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

The dissolved metals recovered wash solution concentrated independent solvent extraction circuits electrowinning circuits fluid drying operation high-quality copper cobalt metal cathode zinc sulphate monohydrate crystals.

Direct solvent extraction technology used solvent extraction circuit separate Mn Co Zn process solution.

---

<< Athabasca Oil Sands, Canada Boliden Area Operations (BAO) Gold Mines, Sweden >>