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Las Torres Grupo Guanajuato

Plant in Guanajuato, Mexico with commodities Gold, Silver
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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. Production statistics
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10182567
MAS/MILS ID 2010170017
Record type Site
Current site name Las Torres Grupo Guanajuato
Alternate or previous names Torres-Cedros Mine, Las Torres

Comments on the site names

  • OTHER NAME: TORRES CEDROS MINE. OWNERS: MINAS PENOLES;

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -101.25598, 21.01745 (WGS84)
Elevation 2325
Location accuracy 500(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pima(county)

Arizona(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Mexico Guanajuato

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Secondary
Silver Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Acanthite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Electrum Unknown
Galena Unknown
Gold Unknown
Silver Unknown
Sphalerite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -101.25598, 21.01745
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N15W
    Dip 55W
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 5
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 STOCKWORK
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N15W:55W
    Date of Last Modification 920701

Comments on the geologic information

  • SILVER MINERALS ARE ARGENTITE(AG2S), ACANTHITE(AG2S), AGUILARITE(AG4SSE), AND NAUMANNITE (AG2SE). NATIVE GOLD AND ELECTRUM ARE ALSO FOUND. CHALCOPYRITE (CUFES2), PYRITE (FES2), GALENA (PBS), AND SPHALERITE (ZNS) ARE RARE.
  • THERE ARE 3 KNOWN MAIN NORTHWEST STRIKING VEIN AND STOCKWORK SYSTEMS AT THE LAS TORRES DISTRICT; SIERRA, VETA MADRE, AND LA LUZ. VEINS ARE QUARTZ, ADULARIA, AND CALCITE. THE 3 MAIN VEIN SYSTEMS ALL DIP 45 TO 65 DEGREES SOUTHWEST.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1968
Mining method Filled Stopes - Horiz Cut and Fill W/Waste Rock
Year of first production 1976
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Flotation
Milling method Flotation

Comments on exploration

  • EXPLORATION BY DIAMOND DRILL BEGAN IN 1968. IT IS ASSUMED THAT EXPLORATION CONTINUES, TO MAINTAIN RESERVES/RESOURCES.

Mining district

District name Guanajuato District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Private Lease

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Cia. Minera Las Torres, S. A. De C. V.
    Home office Mexico
    Year 1991
  • Type Owner
    Owner Industrias Penole, S. A. De C. V.
    Interest 100
    Home office Mexico
    Year 1991
  • Type Owner
    Owner Negociacion Minera Santa Lucia, S. A. De C. V.
    Home office Mexico
    Year 1991
  • Type Owner
    Owner Industrias Penoles, S. A. De C. V.
    Interest 100
    Home office Mexico
    Year 1991

Comments on the ownership information

  • CORONA; AMAX OPERATOR: COMPANIA MINERA LAS TORRES S.A.

Production statistics

  • Year 1985
    Description Cebada Mine 483 Mt Ore/Day
  • Year 1985
    Description Peregrina Mine. 765 Mt Ore/Day
  • Year 1985
    Description Cedros Mine. 1405 Mt Ore/Day
  • Year 1985
    Description Torres Mine. 2437 Mt Ore/Day

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Indicated 1355300mt ore
    Demonstrated 1355300mt ore
    Total resources 1355300mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 207 g/mt Silver Major 1986
    Gold Au 2.14 g/mt Gold Minor 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Indicated 530400mt ore
    Demonstrated 530400mt ore
    Total resources 530400mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 284 g/mt Silver Major 1986
    Gold Au 3.49 g/mt Gold Minor 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Indicated 349100mt ore
    Demonstrated 349100mt ore
    Total resources 349100mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 497 g/mt Silver Major 1986
    Gold Au 4.88 g/mt Gold Minor 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Indicated 229100mt ore
    Demonstrated 229100mt ore
    Total resources 229100mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 207 g/mt Silver Major 1986
    Gold Au 1.78 g/mt Gold Minor 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Indicated 3660000mt ore
    Demonstrated 3660000mt ore
    Total resources 3660000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 222.9 g/mt Silver Major 1993
    Gold Au 3.46 g/mt Gold Minor 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • QUANITITY DATA SET RESOURCES; Q1C1-TORRES-CEDROS; Q1C2-PEREGRINA Q1C3-CEBADA; Q1C4-BOLANITOS; Q1C5 IS THE TOTAL.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 550M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method HORIZ CUT & FILL W/TAILINGS 10-60
    Percent Waste Rock 33
    Percent Recovery 90
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK FISSURED WITH MODERATE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. OTHER
    Number of Shafts 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    2nd Condition of Workings OPEN
    3rd Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 2000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1976

Comments on other economic factors

  • RECOVERY OF A HIGH PROPORTION OF THE GOLD AND SILVER CONTENT OF THE ORE (95% AND 90% RESPECTIVELY) IS ACHIEVED BY A RELATIVELY SIMPLE FLOTATION PROCESS TO SEPARATE METALLIC SULPHIDES. SOME NATIVE SILVER IS LOST, BUT THE NATIVE GOLD SEPARATES WITH THE PYRITE. THE PLANT HAS A MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF 2,400 TONNE/DAY WITH AN INPUT FEED RATE OF 183 TONNE/HOUR MAXIMUM. ORE FROM THE SATELLITE MINES IS DELIVERED BY TRUCK TO 3 450 TONNE BINS, WHILE THE ORE FROM THE TORRES-CEDROS MINE GUANAJUATO SHAFT DISCHARGES DIRECTLY INTO 2 600 TONNE BINS, FEEDERS BELOW EACH OF THE BINS DISCHARGE ONTO BELT CONVEYERS: THE FEED RATES OF BOTH THE SATELLITE MINE ORE AND THE TORRES-CEDROS ORE ARE MEASURED FOR CONTROL PURPOSES BY BELT WEIGHERS. THE NOMINAL INPUT FEED SIZE IS MINUS 15 CM. THE CRUSHING CIRCUIT CONSISTS OF A SYMONS STANDARD 5.5 FT. DIAMETER CONE CRUSHER FOLLOWED BY A PAIR OF PARALLEL 16 FT. LONG BY 6 FT. WIDE ALLIS-CHALMERS VIBRATORY SCREENS PASSING 1.3 CM. OVERSIZE IS RECRUSHED IN A 5.5 FT. SHORT-HEAD CONE CRUSHER IN CLOSED CIRCUIT. THE PRODUCT FROM THE CRUSHING/SCREENING CIRCUIT IS 48% MINUS 0.95 CM. THE CRUSHED ORE IS WEIGHED AND SAMPLED BEFORE PASSING TO SIX 550 TONNE CAPACITY MILL FEED BINS BIA A JOY TRAVELLING TRIPPER: THIS STORAGE ALLOWS ABOUT ONE AND ONE-HALF DAYS MILL OPERATION IF INPUT FROM THE MINES ARE DISRUPTED. ORE IS DRAWN FROM THE MILL FEED BINS AT A CONTROLLED RATE AND IS GROUND IN A NORDBERG BALL MILL, 19.5 FT. LONG BY 15 FT. DIAMETER, TO 27% MINUS 200 MESH. FOUR KREBS D20B CYCLONES SEPARATE OVERSIZE UNDERFLOW AND RETURN IT FOR REGRINDING: THE FINAL PRODUCT IS 63% MINUS 200 MESH. THE FLOTATION FEED PULP IS STORED IN A DISTRIBUTOR BEFORE BEING TREATED IN A BANK OF 5 AGITAIR 12A PRIMARY ROUGHER CELLS AND THEN A BANK OF 5 SIMILAR SECONDARY CELLS. THE TAILINGS FROM THESE CELLS ARE PUMPED TO A CIRCUIT OF FOUR CYCLONES TO REMOVE SAND FOR USE AS BACKFILL IN THE MINE. THE OVERFLOW FROM THESE CYCLONES PASSES TO A 150 FT DIAMETER BY 15 FT. THICKENER. THE OVERFLOW FROM THIS IS PIPED TO MILL WATER CONTROL AND SUPPLY TANKS, WHILE THE UNDERFLOW IS PUMPED TO A TAILINGS DAM AT LA CORONELA, A NEARBY VALLEY SITE. THE CONCENTRATE OBTAINED FROM THE ROUGHER FLOTATION CELLS IS THICKENED IN A 40 FT. DIAMETER BY 8 FT. TANK AND THEN REGROUND IN A 5 FT. BY 8.5 FT. ALLIS-CHALMERS BALL MILL, WITH TWO D10B CYCLONES IN CLOSED CIRCUIT, TO PROVIDE A PRODUCT 98% MINUS 200 MESH. THIS IS TREATED IN A BANK OF 12 DENVER DR-21 CLEANER CELLS; THE CONCENTRATE FROM THESE IS RECLEANED IN A BANK OF 8 DENVER 18-SP CELLS. THE TAILINGS FROM THE RE-CLEANERS ARE RETURNED TO JOIN THE FEED FROM THE REGRIND CYCLONES TO THE FIRST RECLEANER BANK, WHILE THE CONCENTRATE IS PUMPED TO A 25 FT DIAMETER BY 8 FT. HIGH THICKENER. THE UNDERFLOW FROM THIS IS PUMPED VIA TWO D4B CYCLONES TO AN EIMCO 6 FT. DIAMETER FOUR DISC FILTER, FROM WHICH THE FILTER CAKE DROPS DIRECTLY THROUGH A GRID OF BARS INTO A LOCKED STORAGE BASEMENT. FROM THIS IT IS LOADED INTO LOCKED TRANSPORT TRUCKS FOR CARRIAGE TO THE INDUSTRIAS PENOLES SA SMELTER AT TORREON, COAHUILA.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    MINING MAGAZINE, SILVER MINING AT LAS TORRES, JANUARY, 1979,

  • Geology

    PP 110-123.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINA MEXICANAS, TOMO 1, 1986, CHAPTER V, GUANAJUATO, MEXICO.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINING MAGAZINE, SILVER DEVELOPMENTS MOVE AHEAD IN MEXICO:

  • Reserve-Resource

    JUNE 1976, P. 497.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINING MAGAZINE, NEW MINES AND EXPANSIONS BOOST MEXICAN

  • Reserve-Resource

    SILVER OUTPUT: FEBRUARY 1976, P. 115-121.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW, JUNE 1976, P. 335.

  • Reserve-Resource

    1977 E/MJ INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF MINING AND MINERAL

  • Reserve-Resource

    PROCESSING OPERATIONS, NEW YORK, MCGRAW-HILL, 1977,

  • Reserve-Resource

    P. 312.

  • Reserve-Resource

    1978 E/MJ INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF MINING AND MINERAL

  • Reserve-Resource

    PROCESSING OPERATIONS, NEW YORK, MCGRAW-HILL, 1978,

  • Reserve-Resource

    P. 313-314.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINA MEXICANAS, TOMO 1, 1986, CHAPTER V, GUANAJUATO, MEXICO,

  • Reserve-Resource

    PAGE 104.

  • Reserve-Resource

    AME MINERAL ECONOMICS QUARTERLY MINE ANALYSIS, JUNE 1993,

  • Reserve-Resource

    P. 31, 44.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, VOL. 140, NO. 1, JANUARY 1979, 55 P.

  • Deposit

    1976 E/MJ INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF MINING AND MINERAL

  • Deposit

    PROCESSING OPERATIONS, NEW YORK, MCGRAW-HILL, 1976,

  • Deposit

    P. 254.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SILVER MINING IN THE LAS TORRES DISTRICT HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT CONTINUOUSLY FOR MORE THAN 400 YEARS. TOTAL PRODUCTION HAS NOT BEEN RECORDED, BUT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED TO BE MORE THAN 1 BILLION OUNCES OF SILVER AND 4 MILLION OUNCES OF GOLD. FORMERLY LISTED UNDER 2010210021. LAS TORRES IS ONE OF FOUR MIN ES IN THE GUANAJUATO GROUP. THE NUMBERS REFLECT THOSE OF THE EN TIRE GUANJUATO GROUP, AS THEY DID IN THE 1986 IC. 6/27/97--CONFIRMED AS PRODUCER BY JAVIER MOYA AT U.S. EMBASSY IN MEXICO.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 27-JUN-1997 Peterson, Gary R. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

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