Name of the Project
Vizcachitas copper/molybdenum project.

Location
The project is located about 150 km north-east from Santiago, Chile.

Project Owner/s
Los Andes Copper.

Project Description
A preliminary economic assessment (PEA) on the project has highlighted its strong financial viability.

The project has measured and indicated resources estimated at 1.28-billion tonnes, with a 0.45% copper equivalent grade and 0.40% copper grade (at 0.25% copper cutoff grade).

Envisaged is an openpit mine, and a concentrator plant that produces copper and molybdenum concentrates. The PEA evaluated three cases with mill throughputs of 55 000 t/d, 110 000 t/d and 200 000 t/d.

The 110 000 t/d case has been recommended to advance to the prefeasibility study (PFS).

The project has an estimated 45-year mine life.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $1.8-billion and an internal rate of return of 20.77%, with a payback of 5.4 years from initial construction and 3.4 years from initial operations.

Capital Expenditure
Initial capital expenditure is estimated at $1.87-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Los Andes Copper has announced that it will be able to increase its copper and molybdenum recoveries from the Vizcachitas project, after it managed to optimise rougher flotation conditions during metallurgical testwork.

The testwork forms part of the ongoing prefeasibility study (PFS) for the project.

The improved formula results from the current PFS testwork further enhance project economics.

“The testwork has confirmed the use of high-pressure grinding roll technology and validated the use of dry-stacked tailings. These technologies put the Vizcachitas project at the forefront of the environmentally responsible practices being adopted for the future of sustainable mining globally,” executive chairperson Fernando Porcil has said.

During 2019, as part of initial testwork for the PFS, a sample from previous testwork that represents the upper zone of the orebody was sent to testing company SGS Minerals facilities for a rougher flotation assessment.

The results of this assessment show that copper and molybdenum rougher recoveries, compared with the 2019 PEA formula, were improved by 3% and 6% respectively.

This improvement was achieved by refining the flotation formula: decreasing the potential of hydrogen level, lowering the solids percentage of the slurry and adding a stronger frother.

The ongoing PFS metallurgical testwork in 2020 has confirmed these improvements.

A new composite sample from the first 12 years of the mine plan was tested using the PEA and PFS flotation formulas.

The PFS formula shows an improved rougher recovery of 2.8% for copper and 7.8% for molybdenum over the PEA formulas.

Key Contracts , Suppliers and Consultants
Tetra Tech Chile (PEA).

Contact Details for Project Information
Los Andes Copper, email info@losandescopper.com.