Name: El Abra mine.
Location: The project is located in Chile’s El Loa province, Region II.
Controlling Company: Freeport-McMoRan (51%); Corporación Nacional del Cobre Chile (49%).
Brief Description: El Abra is an openpit mining complex.
Brief History: Mining operations began at the site in 1996.
Products: Copper.
Geology/Mineralisation: El Abra is a porphyry copper deposit that has sulphide and oxide mineralization. The predominant primary sulphide copper minerals are bornite and chalcopyrite. There is a minor amount of secondary sulphide mineralisation as chalcocite. The oxide copper minerals are chrysocolla and pseudomalachite. There are lesser amounts of copper-bearing clays and tenorite.
Reserves: Total proven and probable reserves as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 394-million metric tons grading 0.44% copper.
Mining Method: Openpit.
Major Infrastructure and Equipment: The El Abra operation includes a solution extraction/electrowinning facility with a capacity of 500-million pounds of copper cathode per year, a 125 000-metric-ton-a-day crushed leach circuit and a similar-sized run-of-mine leaching operation.
Prospects: Exploration results at El Abra show a significant sulphide resource, which could potentially support a major mill project similar to facilities recently built at Cerro Verde. Freeport continues to evaluate a major expansion at El Abra to process additional sulphide material and to achieve higher recoveries. Future investments will depend on technical studies, which are being advanced, economic factors and market conditions.
Contact Person: Director – investor relations David Joint.
Contact Details:
Freeport-McMoRan
Tel +1 602 366 8400
Email ir@fmi.com