Name of the Mine
MATSA Copper Operations.

Location  
Huelva province of south-western Spain, in the northern portion of the Iberian Pyrite Belt.

Mine Owner/s  
Sandfire Resources.

Brief Description  
MATSA is a substantial polymetallic mine and comprises three underground mines – Aguas Teñidas, Magdalena and Sotiel – as well as a central processing facility.

Brief History  
Sandfire completed the acquisition of MATSA on February 1, 2022.

Primary Metals/Minerals  
Copper, zinc and lead concentrates.

Secondary Metals/Minerals  
Silver.

Geology/Mineralisation  
The MATSA Copper Operations deposits are all interpreted as volcanogenic massive sulphide, or VMS, in a well-established mineralised belt known as the Iberian Pyrite Belt.

The deposits that comprise the project have been categorised as Kuroko type VMS deposits, based on their mineralogy, geological setting and geometry/size.

The deposits at Aguas Teñidas and Magdalena mines also have stockwork sulphide zones in the footwall, which can be quite extensive and are characterised primarily by pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralisation.

Reserves  
Total proven and probable reserves as at April 30, 2022, were estimated at 37.1-million tonnes grading 1.6% copper, 2.6% zinc, 0.8% lead and 36.1 g/t silver.

Resources  
Total measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources as at December 31, 2021, were estimated at 147.2-million tonnes grading 1.4% copper, 3% zinc, 1% lead and 39.6 g/t silver.

Mining Method  
Underground, using a combination of longitudinal and transverse open stoping. 

Major Infrastructure/Equipment  
The mine has a 4.7-million-tonne-a-year central processing facility using conventional crushing, grinding and flotation processes.

Prospects  
Sandfire is working towards an optimised five-year plan for the MATSA Copper Operations underpinned by a safety improvement plan, a programme to improve mine productivity and expand throughput beyond 4.7-million tonnes a year, near mine mineral resource extensions at existing mines, as well as an expansive exploration programme.

Contact Details
Sandfire Resources
Tel +61 8 6430 3800
Email admin@sandfire.com.au.

Sources
Sandfire Resources. Website: https://www.sandfire.com.au/.
Sandfire Resources. 2022 Annual Report.
Sandfire Resources. 37Mt Ore Reserve cements foundation for long-term growth at Sandfire’s MATSA Copper Operations (July 28, 2022).