Name
Minera Don Nicolás (MDN).
Location
Santa Cruz, Argentina.
Mine Owner/s
Cerrado Gold.
Brief Description
MDN is an openpit gold mine with an associated carbon-in-leach gold recovery plant.
The MDN project area comprises two main mining areas, La Paloma and Martinetas, which is also the location of the process plant and tailing impoundment area.
Currently, the operation is mining from the Coyote, Cerro Oro and Sulfuro pits at more than 1 000 t/d.
Optimisation is being conducted on the mining and milling operation.
Brief History
Construction of the operation was completed in 2017. Ramp-up continued until late 2019.
Primary Metals/Minerals
Gold.
Secondary Metals/Minerals
Silver.
Geology/Mineralisation
The La Paloma and Martineta mining areas are about 40 km apart, but share broad similarities. Each area is hosted within rhyolitic to andesitic volcaniclastic lithologies, which are interpreted to be flat to shallow dipping.
There is limited outcrop on the property, but overburden cover is generally less than 5 m and bedrock can generally be easily accessed by trenching. Gold and silver deposits occur as low sulphidation, epithermal mineralisation within subvertically oriented quartz-breccia veins.
Reserves
Not stated.
Resources
The project has measured and indicated resources of 1.13-million tonnes grading at 5.49 g/t gold and 8.37 g/t silver. Inferred mineral resources are estimated 4.66-million tonnes grading at 2.33 g/t gold and 4.78 g/t silver.
Mining Method
Conventional openpit.
Major Infrastructure and Equipment
Mined material is processed through a traditional crushing and grinding circuit followed by a carbon-in-leach circuit for gold recovery. The rated capacity of the plant is 1 000 t/d; however, higher rates of up to 1 200 t/d have been achieved.
Power for the plant and other services is provided by five 1 MVA gas-fired generators, of which two are on standby. A diesel backup generator is also available to supply critical needs.
Prospects
The project has significant exploration potential, with a land package of more than 333 400 ha; the mine’s underground potential has been only marginally explored.
Contact Details
Cerrado Gold
Email info@cerradogold.com
Website https://www.cerradogold.com
Sources:
Cerrado Gold. Independent technical report for the Minera Don Nicolás gold project, Santa Cruz, Argentina (August 2020).
Cerrado Gold. Website https://www.cerradogold.com (accessed February 22, 2022).
Cerrado Gold. Corporate presentation: A junior producer developing the world’s lowest-cost gold project (February 2022).