Project update: The results from experimental pads in the leaching process have confirmed adequate levels of copper recovery. Basic engineering study is finished and the Company continue to develop the project and engage in onsite environmental activities. The SX-EW plant EPCM project has been awarded to a contractor and has started. We expect production to begin in 2024 and mine life is estimated at 13 years.
El Arco - Baja California: This is a world-class copper deposit located in the central part of the Baja California peninsula with ore reserves of over 1,230 million tons with an average ore grade of 0.40% and 141 million tons of leach material with an average ore grade of 0.27%. The project includes an open-pit mine combining concentrator and SX-EW operations. Annual production is expected to total 190,000 tons of copper and 105,000 ounces of gold.
Project update: The Company has completed the environmental baseline study for the mine and industrial facilities and is reviewing the basic engineering analysis to request the environmental impact permits,
Peruvian Projects
Tia Maria - Arequipa: This greenfield project, located in Arequipa, Peru, will use state of the art SX-EW technology with the highest international environmental standards to produce 120,000 tons of SX- EW copper cathodes per year. The estimated capital budget for the project is $1.4 billion.
Southern Copper has been consistently working to promote the welfare of the population of the Islay province. As part of these efforts, we have implemented successful social programs in education, healthcare and productive development to improve the quality of life in the region. We have also promoted agricultural and livestock activities in the Tambo Valley and supported growth in manufacturing, fishing and tourism in Islay.
We reiterate our view that the initiation of construction activities at Tia Maria will generate significant economic opportunities for the Islay province and the Arequipa region. Given the current Peruvian economic situation, it is crucial to move ahead on projects that will stimulate a sustainable growth cycle. We will make it a priority to hire local labor to fill the 9,000 jobs that we expect to generate during Tia Maria’s construction. Additionally, from day one of our operations, we will generate significant contributions to revenues in the Arequipa region.
Los Chancas - Apurimac: This greenfield project, located in Apurimac, Peru, is a copper and molybdenum porphyry deposit. Current estimates of indicated copper mineral resources are 98 million tons of oxides with a copper content of 0.45% and 52 million tons of sulfides with a copper content of 0.59%. The Los Chancas project envisions an open-pit mine with a combined operation of concentrator and SX-EW processes to produce 130,000 tons of copper and 7,500 tons of molybdenum annually. The estimated capital investment is $2,600 million and the project is expected to begin operating in 2030. In 2022, we continued to engage in social and environmental improvements for the local communities and worked on the project’s environmental impact assessment.
Project update: As of December 31, 2022 part of the project´s land continued to be occupied by illegal miners, some of whom have irregularly registered their stakes in the "Integral Registry of Mining Formalization" (REINFO) The Company has filed criminal complaints and other legal remedies, which have annulled the claims of 70 illegal miners while 5 cases remain open.
Michiquillay Project - Cajamarca: In June 2018, Southern Copper signed a contract for the acquisition of the Michiquillay project in Cajamarca, Peru. Michiquillay is a world class mining project with inferred mineral resources of 2,288 million tons with an estimated copper grade of 0.43%. When developed, we expect Michiquillay to produce 225,000 tons of copper per year (along with by-products of molybdenum, gold and silver) for an initial mine life of more than 25 years and at a competitive cash-cost. We estimate an investment of approximately $2.5 billion will be required and expect production start-up by 2032. Michiquillay will become one of Peru´s largest copper mines and will create significant business opportunities in the Cajamarca region; generate new jobs for the local communities; and contribute with taxes and royalties to the local, regional and national governments.
