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)
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