
| Key Data | |
|---|---|
| Producer of | Copper and gold |
| Location | Catamarca Province, Argentina |
| Ownership | Xstrata plc (50% operating interest), Wheaton River Minerals (37.5%) |
| Geology type | Copper porphyry |
| Mineral type | Chalcocite and chalcopyrite |
| Reserve base | Proven 360Mt @ 0.46% Cu, 0.51g/t Au |
| Annual production | 187,300t of copper and 579,300oz of gold (2005) |
| Mining method | Open pit |
| Processing method | Crushing, SAG and ball milling, conventional rougher and Jameson cell cleaner flotation |
| Employment | 862 employees, plus 392 contractors (2001) |
| Key equipment (open pit) | Bucyrus-Erie BE495 mining shovels, LeTourneau L-1800 electric-drive wheel loaders, Caterpillar 793B haul trucks |
| Key equipment (concentrator) | Svedala mills, Geho slurry pumps, Larox dewatering station |
| Prime contractors | Plant - Fluor Daniel/SADE Ingenieria y Construcciones SA Electrical reticulation - GEC Alsthom Australia Pipeline construction - PSI-JRI Ingenieria |
| Featured Suppliers | |
| Cytec Industries - Leading-Edge Chemistry for the Global Mining Community | |
| FLSmidth Dorr-Oliver Eimco - Flotation, Agglomeration and Filtering | |
| Flygt - Reliable Fluid Handling Solutions for the Mining Industry | |
| Grindex - Submersible Drainage, Sludge and Slurry Pumps | |
| REMA TIP TOP - Conveyor Belt Maintenance, Wear and Corrosion Protection | |
| Voith Turbo - Start-Up Components | |
