Toquepala mine
The Toquepala mine is a large porphyry copper mine in the Tacna Province, Tacna Department, Peru. The mine is an open-pit mine producing copper, molybdenum, rhenium and silver with minor gold and zinc.[1][2]
The Toquepala mine and the Ilo smelter were opened in 1960 by Southern Peru Copper Corporation, then a subsidiary of ASARCO. A Solvent extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) facility was added in 1995. [3] ASARCO's stake in Southern Peru Copper, now 54.2%, passed to Grupo Mexico, when that company purchased ASARCO in 1999. [4] The mine and smelter are now operated by Southern Copper Corporation, a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico.
In 2009, Toquepala produced about 127,000 tons of copper in sulfide concentrates, all smelted at Ilo, with a copper recovery of 97.4%. Toquepala also produced 38,000 tons of copper cathodes from the SX/EW plant. [5]
As of the end of 2009, Toquepala reported about 13 million tons of copper contained in proven and probable ore reserves, at an average grade of 0.47% Cu. The projected stripping ratio for this ore is about 2.6:1. [6]
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.mindat.org/loc-25368.html Mindat deposit info
- ^ http://www.mineralmundi.com/toquepala-mine-10068788.htm Toquepala Mine
- ^ Asarco company history
- ^ SPCC company history
- ^ SEC Form 10-K for 2009, p. 43-46
- ^ SEC Form 10-K for 2009, p.70
External links [edit]
- Toquepala mine and plant, at Southern Copper Corporation
- SPCC company history
- Peru's Largest Mining Company, March 2009
Coordinates: 17°14′42″S 70°36′50″W / 17.24500°S 70.61389°W
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