Industria Proyecto: Mining

The Lobo Marte project is a gold deposit located in the Maricunga strip 160 kilometers east of Copiapó, at an altitude of approximately 4,200 meters above sea level. In 2009 the project was acquired by Kinross Gold Corporation. According to the Scoping Study completed in 2019, the project has over 7 million ounces of gold, measured and indicated mineral resources and grading 1.2 grams per tonne. The Scoping Study contemplates that the project will commence production upon completion of the operational life of the La Coipa project. The project is currently estimated to cost USD 1,000 MM, with a construction schedule of approximately three years after project approval.

Its objective is to remove arsenic and other impurities from copper concentrates, called complexes, from Codelco’s deposits in Codelco’s Northern District, particularly from the subway Chuquicamata project and the Ministro Hales Division.

The project considers the use of autoclave technology, which is characterized by oxidation at high pressure and temperature, producing a solution rich in copper and a stable arsenic residue. The estimated investment for the project is US$324 million and it will have a treatment capacity of 200 thousand tons of concentrates per year, which will produce around 60 thousand tons of fine copper as cathodes.