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El Abra

Prospect in Antofagasta, Chile with commodities Copper, Molybdenum
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10157931
MRDS ID TC40328
MAS/MILS ID 3370050002
Record type Site
Current site name El Abra
Alternate or previous names El Abra Northwest Prospect, Veta Maria, Arturo Prat Prospect, Conchi Viejo Prospect, Huantajoya Prospect, General Baquedano Prospect
Related records 10099525

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -68.83371, -21.92175 (WGS84)
Elevation 4000
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Antofagasta(province)

Chile(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Chile Antofagasta

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Molybdenum Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Antlerite Unknown
Atacamite Unknown
Biotite Unknown
Bornite Unknown
Brochantite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Chrysocolla Unknown
Feldspar Unknown
Molybdenite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Tourmaline Unknown
Feldspar Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -68.83371, -21.92175
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 500M
    Length 1450M
    Width 850M
    Depth to top 30M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STOCKWORK
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #2 MASSIVE
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 POTASSIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 SERICITIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #3 PROPYLITIC
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Date of Last Modification 800428
  • Area 300HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 300
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1500
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1996
Milling method Leach-Solvent-Extract-Electrowin

Mining district

District name El Abra

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights State Lease
Type of mineral rights Minerals Only

Land status

Ownership category State

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Sociedad Contractual Minera El Abra (Cma)
    Home office Chile
    Year 1994
    First year 1994
  • Type Owner
    Owner Cyprus Amax Minerals Co.
    Interest 51
    Home office Colorado
    Year 1994
    First year 1994
  • Type Owner
    Owner Corporacion Del Cobre De Chile (Codelco-Chile)
    Interest 49
    Home office Chile
    Year 1994

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1977
    Indicated 1368000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1368000000mt ore
    Total resources 1368000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.59 wt-pct Copper Major 1977
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1983
    Indicated 1178000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1178000000mt ore
    Total resources 1178000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.58 wt-pct Copper Major 1983
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1983
    Indicated 190000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 190000000mt ore
    Total resources 190000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.66 wt-pct Copper Major 1983
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Indicated 406000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 406000000mt ore
    Total resources 406000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.73 wt-pct Copper Major 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Indicated 1122000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1122000000mt ore
    Total resources 1122000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.63 wt-pct Copper Major 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1994
    Demonstrated 500000000mt ore
    Total resources 500000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.58 wt-pct Copper Major 1994
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Demonstrated 797000000mt ore
    Total resources 797000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.54 wt-pct Copper Major 1995

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • CYPRUS AMAX INC. WAS THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER FOR 51% OF EL ABRA AT A BID OF $US 404 M (LATER NEGOTIATED TO $US 330 M DUE TO LOWER THAN REPORTED ORE GRADES). ESTIMATED $US 1 BILLION WILL BE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE 225,000 MT CATHODE COPPER BY 1997. LATEST ESTIMATE OF THE OXIDE DEPOSIT IS 500M MT @ O.58% CU (AFTER 13.4% REDUCTION FROM OFFICIAL GRADE OF 0.67% CU) DEMONSTRATED RESOURCE INCLUDES APPROX. 600M MT SULFIDE MATERIAL
  • THE CU GRADE FOR OXIDE ORE IS IN TERMS OF ACID SOLUBLE CU.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method BENCH (BERM)
    Percent Waste Rock 57
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 15
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 15
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 40
    Capacity 30000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 40000000
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1986

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    WORLD MINING, 1/83, P. 86.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINING JOURNAL, 5/20/83, P.338.

  • Reserve-Resource

    METALS WEEK, 5/30/94, P.1,7.

  • Reserve-Resource

    SUTULOV, A. CHILEAN COPPER RESOURCES SAID TO BE WORLD'S

  • Reserve-Resource

    LARGEST, AMERICAN METAL MARKET, AUG.4,1977, P.18.

  • Reserve-Resource

    CYPRUS AMAX MINERALS CO., 1994 10-K, P.2,5.

  • Deposit

    LOWELL,D., THREE NEW PORPHRY CU DEPOSITS FOR CHILE, MIN.

  • Deposit

    ENG., V.26, NO.11, NOV. 1974, PP 23-24.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, MARCH 24, 1978, P.214.

  • Deposit

    PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE, MARCH 15,1978, EL ABRA MINE, CORP.

  • Deposit

    NACIONAL DEL COBRE DE CHILE (CODELCO-CHILE), HUERFANOS

  • Deposit

    1189 8TH FLOOR, SANTIAGO, CHILE. COPY ON FILE AT U.S.

  • Deposit

    BUREAU OF MINES IN DENVER,CO.

  • Deposit

    AMBRUS, J., GEOLOGY OF THE EL ABRA PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSIT,

  • Deposit

    CHILE, ECON. GEOL., V. 72, 1977, PP.1062-1085.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, EL ABRA WILL BE NEXT BIG MINE, NOV. 1974, P.42

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, V.175, NO.2, 2/74, P.73.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK, SEPT. 16, 1974, P.6.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, MAY, 1976.

  • Deposit

    METALS SOURCEBOOK, ITEM B1832, MARCH 11, 1974.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, MAY 1978, P.484.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, JUNE 1977, P.70.

  • Deposit

    METALS SOURCEBOOK, ITEM B1832, MARCH 11,1974.

  • Deposit

    MINING ENGINEERING, CHILEAN COPPER AWAITS FOREIGN INVEST-

  • Deposit

    MENT, OCT.,1979, P. 1428.

  • Deposit

    PRIVATE STUDY.

  • Deposit

    DEPOSIT PROFILE REPORT, GOLDER ASSOCIATES, FEB. 1980, UNDER

  • Deposit

    CONTRACT WITH USBM.

  • Deposit

    INTERNATIONAL MOLYBDENUM ENCYCLOPEDIA, 1778-1978, A. SUTULOV

  • Deposit

    ,ED., INTERMET PUBLS., SANTIAGO CHILE, 1978, PP.73-74.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT WILL BOOST ZAMBIA'S

  • Deposit

    COPPER OUTPUT, FEB. 1974, PP.100-103.

  • Deposit

    LEWIS,F.M., AND BHAPPU,R. B., ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF

  • Deposit

    AVAILABLE PROCESSESS FOR TREATING OXIDE COPPER ORES,

  • Deposit

    INTL. JOURNAL OF MINERAL PROCESSING,3,1976, PP.133-150.

  • Deposit

    MINING ENGINEERING, 4/92, P.308,309.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS', 6/26/93, P.9.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 7/23/93, P.2,3.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, 7/93, P.10A.

  • Deposit

    MINING RECORD, 8/25/93, P.21.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 9/24/93, P.207.

  • Deposit

    CYPRUS MINERALS CO., NEWS RELEASE, 10/11/93, 1P

  • Deposit

    CANEY, DEREK J., CYPRUS LAC WINS EL ABRA BID, AMERICAN METAL

  • Deposit

    MARKET, 10/12/93, P.2,16.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS', 10/16/93, P.9.

  • Deposit

    MINING RECORD, 10/20/93, P.23.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 10/22/93, P.1,2.

  • Deposit

    METAL BULLETIN, 10/25/93, P.19.

  • Deposit

    CANEY, DEREK J., EL ABRA WINNERS MAP DEVELOPMENT, AMERICAN

  • Deposit

    METAL MARKET, 10/27/93, P.5.

  • Deposit

    CHILE ECONOMIC REPORT, 10/93, P.6,7.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS', 10/30/93, P.10.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 11/93, P.20,91.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 6/18/93, P.460.

  • Deposit

    METAL BULLETIN, 6/24/93, P.7.

  • Deposit

    CANEY, DEREK J., BHP, MAGMA EYE CODELCO PROJECT, AMERICAN

  • Deposit

    METAL MARKET, 6/25/93, P.5.

  • Deposit

    METAL BULLETIN, 7/5/93, P.5.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 7/9/93, P.20.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 7/9/93, P.7,8.

  • Deposit

    METAL BULLETIN, 7/15/93, P.7.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK, 7/19/93, P.7.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, 8/93, P.105.

  • Deposit

    METAL BULLETIN, 9/23/93, P.5.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK, 9/27/93, P.3.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK, 10/11/93, P.9.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK, 12/13/93, P.8.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, 1/94, P.28.

  • Deposit

    CANEY, DEREK J., ASSAYS DELAY EL ABRA DEAL, AMERICAN METAL

  • Deposit

    MARKET, 2/10/93, P.16.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 2/11/94, P.103.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK, 2/14/94, P.1,7.

  • Deposit

    CHILE ECONOMIC REPORT, JAN/FEB 1994, P.6.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 3/4/94, P.3.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK, 4/25/94, P.4.

  • Deposit

    CANEY, DEREK J., CODELCO SEES EL ABRA DEAL AS FIRM, AMERICAN

  • Deposit

    METAL MARKET, 3/8/94, P.2.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 4/29/94, P.3.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 4/22/94, P.285,286.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 4/29/94, P.6,7.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS', 4/30/94, P.11.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, 5/94, P.8B.

  • Deposit

    CANEY, DEREK J., CODELCO APPROVES NEW EL ABRA BID SUBMITTED

  • Deposit

    BY CYPRUS AMAX, AMERICAN METAL MARKET, 5/27/94, P.1.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, 6/94, P.5B,6B.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 5/20/94, P.369.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK, 6/6/94, P.6,7.

  • Deposit

    AME MINING WEEKLY, 6/10/94, P.2.

  • Deposit

    AME MINING WEEKLY, 6/3/94, P.2.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS', 6/4/94, P.10.

  • Deposit

    MINING RECORD, 6/8/94, P.57.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 6/10/94, P.425.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, 7/94, P.9B.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS', 7/9/94, P.22.

  • Deposit

    NORTHERN MINER, 9/27/93, P.12.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 2/18/94, P.1.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN METAL MARKET, 4/20/94, P.2.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN METAL MARKET, 4/25/94, P.1,20.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN METAL MARKET, 4/28/94, P.5.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN METAL MARKET, 4/29/94, P.1.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN METAL MARKET, 6/1/94, P.1,16.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 6/1/94, P.6,7.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 7/29/94, P.2,3.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 8/15/94, P.2.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 8/31/94, P.4.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, 11/94, P.4A-11A.

  • Deposit

    CODELCO- CHILE, 1994 ANNUAL REPORT, P.58-60.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, #668, 2/95, P.8B.

  • Deposit

    CYPRUS AMAX MINERALS CO., NEWS RELEASE, 6/16/95, 4PP.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, V 14/N 10, 6/30/95, P.5,6.

  • Deposit

    MINING RECORD, V 106/N 28, 7/12/95, P.7.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, #673, 7/95, P.10B.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EL ABRA DEPOSIT IN ACTUALITY WILL DEPEND GREATLY ON THE AVAILABILITY OF WATER. THIS ECONOM- IC ANALYSIS IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT OTHER MINING OPERATIONS WILL HAVE ALL WATER SUPPLIES IN THE AREA TIED- UP AND A DESALINIZATION PLANT WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSTRUCT- ED AT TOCOPILLA AND PIPED 160 KM ENE TO EL ABRA. A MINIMUM COST OF WATER(DELIVERED TO THE MILL) OF $2.00 PER THOUSAND GALLONS HAS BEEN USED IN THE ANALYSIS(ADDED TO MILL OP COSTS). MAKE-UP WATER REQUIREMENTS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 8 CU M / MT ORE FOR THE VAT LEACH AND 3.2 CU M /MT ORE FOR THE FLOTATION MILL. THERE IS NO RECOVERABLE AU & AG GRADES IN ORE (NO MENTION IN LITERATURE OR FROM OTHER SOURCES). AS FOR MOLY, IT HAS BEEN MENTIONED THAT THE AVERAGE MO GRADE IN OVERALL RESERVES DOES NOT REACH 0.01% MO, HOWEVER THERE IS 30,000,000 MT AT A GRADE OF 0.035%. FOR THIS STUDY COPPER (OXIDE AND SULFIDE) WAS CONSIDERED AS THE ONLY RECOVERABLE COMMODITY. DEPOSIT LOCATED ON S SLOPE OF CERRO PAJONAL, ABOUT 50 KM NNE OF CHUQUICAMATA.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 11-MAR-97 Porter, Kenneth E. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Operator history (post-MRDS)

MRDS records operators as of each record's last update (≤ 2019). Some of the operators listed here have since changed hands or dissolved:

  • Cyprus Amax Minerals Co. — now part of Subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan (2007)
    Formed by merger of Cyprus Minerals and AMAX in 1993; acquired by Phelps Dodge in 1999; Phelps Dodge acquired by Freeport-McMoRan in 2007.

Curated by qvyshift.com from publicly-reported M&A activity (SEC filings, press releases, USGS Mineral Yearbooks). Not authoritative — verify against primary sources before relying on it. The MSHA panel above is the current authoritative source for actively-permitted mines.

Maps centered on this site