Mining Technology - Minera Yanacocha Newmont Gold Minera Gold Mine - Peru

Mining Technology - The Website for the Mining Industry Current Projects Minera Yanacocha MINERA YANACOCHA
Some 45 km from Cajamarca in northern Peru, at an altitude of 4,700 m, Minera Yanacocha operates a complex of four gold mines and a processing facility. Not only was this the first significant foreign investment in Peruvian mining for 20 years, but the project was undertaken in an area where guerillas were active, so the operation had to be heavily protected without antagonising local residents. The first gold was poured in August 1993 and by 1996 Yanacocha was producing over 800,000 oz/y. Subsequent further investment enabled the company to produce 1.66 Moz in 1999. The operation is Latin Americas largest gold producer. Following claim-staking by Cedimin, a joint venture between Frances BRGM and Perus Buenaventura group, US-based Newmont Mining entered into an exploration agreement with Cedimin in 1984. Minera Yanacocha was established by BRGM Peru, Cia. Minas de Buenaventura, Newmont Gold Co. and the International Finance Corp. Newmont manages the project. Subsequent disputed changes relating to the BRGM holding give Newmont Gold a 51.35% stake and Buenaventura 44.65%, with the IFC retaining 5%. GEOLOGY AND RESERVES The Yanacocha gold district is a 10 by 4 km zone of altered rocks within a belt of Tertiary volcanics that extends the whole length of Peru. Andesitic domes and dome complexes have been silicified and leached by epithermal gold-bearing solutions in at least nine distinct deposits. The mineralised sequences, which can also contain significant amounts of silver, are flanked by extensive argillitic alteration and subsequent events have created

Click To Some 45 km from Expand Cajamarca in northern Peru, at an altitude of 4,700 m, Minera Yanacocha operates a Some 45 km from complex of four gold Cajamarca in northern mines andanprocessing Peru, at a altitude of 4,700 m, Minera facility. This was the first Yanacocha operates a significant foreign complex of four gold investment in Peruvian mines and a mining for 20 years. The processing facility. mine is located infirst This was the the significant foreign Peruvian Andes at an investment 14,000 feet elevation of in Peruvian mining for 20 years. above sea level. The mine is located in
the Peruvian Andes at an elevation of 14,000 feet above sea level.

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Mining Technology - Minera Yanacocha Newmont Gold Minera Gold Mine - Peru

siliceous breccia pipes with localised high gold grades. By the end of 1998, proven and probable reserves had grown to 20.1 Moz gold, in 621.9 Mt of ore averaging 1.1 g/t. Minera Yanacocha continues to explore the concession and reported a 60% increase in reserves to 32.9 Moz at the end of 1999. Newmont also included silver in the reserves for the first time 356 Moz. MINING First production came from the Carachugo pit, mining at the Maqui Maqui deposit started in 1994, the San Jose Sur pit began during first-quarter 1996 and Cerro Yanacocha was opened in 1997. A fifth pit should start production during 2000. Drilling, using Ingersoll-Rand DM45E and Atlas Copco machines, and blasting are the responsibility of Minera Yanacocha. The ore is transported 2.5 km or more to the leach pads by the German contracting company Ed. Zublin, using wheeled loaders and 85 tcapacity trucks, and is heaped by stackers. ORE PROCESSING Since the Carachugo ore is porous, run-of-mine ore can be heap-leached without crushing. The initial heap was cyanide leached at a rate of 10 litres/h/m2 into a 16,000m3 pond and the solution treated in a Merrill Crowe plant. The EPCM project manager for this facility was Minproc International. A second leach pad is loaded from Maqui Maqui and San Jose ore, and a third was added for the Cerro Yanacocha expansion, together with a second Merrill Crowe plant. Cyanide solutions are rendered harmless by the Inco process. After recovery, the contained metal is smelted and cast as 400 oz dor bars containing 75% gold and 20% silver. The UK-based refiner Johnson Matthey is responsible for shipping the bars.

contracting company Ed. Zublin, using wheeled loaders and 85 t-capacity trucks, and is heaped by stackers.

Click To A Haul Truck, part of the Expand Minera Yanacocha fleet. The ore is transported 2.5 km or more to the leach pads by the German A Haul Truck, part of contracting company Ed. the Minera Yanacocha Zublin, using wheeled fleet. The ore is transported t-capacity loaders and 852.5 km or more and is heaped by trucks,to the leach pads by the German stackers.

Click To Since the Carachugo ore Expand is porous, run-of-mine ore can be heap-leached without crushing. The initial heap was cyanide Since the Carachugo leached at a rate of 10 ore is porous, run-oflitres/h/m<SUP>2</ mine ore can be heapSUP> into a without leached crushing. The initial 16,000m<SUP>3</SUP> heap the cyanide pond andwas solution leached at a rate of 10 treated in a Merrill litres/h/m2 into a Crowe plant. 16,000m3 pond and the
solution treated in a

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Mining Technology - Minera Yanacocha Newmont Gold Minera Gold Mine - Peru

PRODUCTION With gold prices depressed, Newmont Gold increased production at the low-cost Peruvian operation in 1998, whilst cutting back output in North America. Total Minera Yanacocha mine output in 1998 was 63.05 Mt. Of this total 38.22 Mt was ore, produced as follows: Carachuga 11.88 Mt, Maqui Maqui 11.34 Mt, Yanacocha 10.50 Mt and San Jose 4.49 Mt of ore. The company leached 38.22 Mt of ore averaging 1.7 g/t to yield 1,335,800 oz of gold. Newmont opted to maximise profitability in this way again in 1999 and Yanacocha produced 1.66 Moz gold at a cash cost of US$103/oz.

Merrill Crowe plant.

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Mining Technology - Minera Yanacocha Newmont Gold Minera Gold Mine - Peru

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