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Toquepala

Producer in Tacna, Peru with commodities Copper, Molybdenum, 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. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10206863
MRDS ID W002039
MAS/MILS ID 3330430001
Record type Site
Current site name Toquepala
Related records 10068788

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -71.36629, -17.29768 (WGS84)
Elevation 3413
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Tacna(province)

Peru(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Peru Tacna

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Molybdenum Secondary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Sericite Unknown
Tourmaline Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -71.36629, -17.29768
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 50M
    Length 3000M
    Width 2000M
    Area 500HA
    Depth to top 120M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 BRECCIA FILL
    Shape of Orebody #1 PIPELIKE
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #2 DOMELIKE
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 ADV ARGILLIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 SERICITIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #3 PROPYLITIC
    Minimum Depth to Top 40
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 500
    Date of Last Modification 810731

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1908
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1960
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Toquepala

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 Southern Peru Copper Corp. (SPCC)
    Home office Peru
    Year 1995
  • Type Owner
    Owner Asarco (American Smelting And Refining Co.)
    Interest 63
    Home office New York
    Year 1995
  • Type Owner
    Owner Marmon Group Inc.
    Interest 20.7
    Year 1995
  • Type Owner
    Owner Phelps Dodge Overseas Corp
    Interest 16.3
    Home office Arizona
    Year 1995

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Demonstrated 228640000mt ore
    Total resources 228640000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Molybdenum Mo 0.03 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 1992
    Copper Cu 0.85 wt-pct Copper Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Demonstrated 212282000mt ore
    Total resources 212282000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.851 wt-pct Copper Major 1993
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1994
    Demonstrated 197300000mt ore
    Total resources 197300000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.85 wt-pct Copper Major 1994
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Demonstrated 193791000mt ore
    Total resources 193791000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Molybdenum Mo 0.06 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 1995
    Copper Cu 0.78 wt-pct Copper Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Demonstrated 503809000mt ore
    Total resources 503809000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.2 wt-pct Copper Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1994
    Demonstrated 197300000mt ore
    Total resources 197300000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.85 wt-pct Copper Major 1994

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 500HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method BENCH (BERM)
    Percent Waste Rock 80
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 0
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 15
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 37
    Capacity 48700
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 0
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 310
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1987

Comments on the workings information

  • THE AREA IS A DESERT AND ANY LARGE SCALE DISTURBANCE WOULD BE CONSIDERABLE. THE EMPLACEMENT OF A MAJOR MINE AND POP- ULATION CENTER OF 15,000 PEOPLE HAS CAUSED PROBLEMS. WATER, POWER AND SUPPLIES HAVE TO BE BROUGHT LONG DISTANCES, CAUSING FURTHER DISTURBANCES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    SOUTHERN PERU COPPER CORP, 1989 ANNUAL REPORT P.9.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ASARCO INC., 1993 10-K, P.A15-A19.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ASARCO INC., 1991 ANNUAL REPORT, P.33,35.

  • Reserve-Resource

    SOUTHERN PERU COPPER CORP., 1992 ANNUAL REPORT, P.9.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ASARCO INC., 1994 10-K, P.A18,20,21.

  • Deposit

    TOQUEPALA: A BRIEF HISTORY, PP 48-51.

  • Deposit

    TRANS. AIME, VOL 211, P. 262-266.

  • Deposit

    PURSER, W. F., 1971, METAL-MINING IN PERU PAST AND PRESENT:

  • Deposit

    PRAEGER, NEW YORK, 339 PGS.

  • Deposit

    SCOTT, O., 1974, CUAJONE AND TOQUEPALA, IN ANDEAN-PERUVIAN

  • Deposit

    TIMES, VOL. 34, NO. 1764, P. 47.

  • Deposit

    ANDEAN TIMES, 1974, MISC. INFO.: LIMA, PERU: 10/74, VOL. 34,

  • Deposit

    NO. 1763.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL; 1974, P.258.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, TOQUEPALA: PERU'S FIRST

  • Deposit

    MAJOR COPPER COMPLEX, 11/79, P.125-128.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, THE TOQUEPALA OREBODY, 4/60.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN MINING CONGRESS JOURNAL, HOW THE TOQUEPALA PROJECT

  • Deposit

    RUNS, VOL. 55, 1969.

  • Deposit

    SHIRLEY/CAMPBELL/DEJONG - RECOVERY OF MOLYBDENITE AT

  • Deposit

    TOQUEPALA, MINING ENGINEERING, VOL.19, 1967, 7 PAGES.

  • Deposit

    BARUA, VICTOR R., EL PROYECTO DE TOQUEPALA, MINERIA,

  • Deposit

    SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1957, PP 204-208.

  • Deposit

    ROTHER, EBERHARD G. 20 ANOS DE TRABAJO EN LA MINA DE

  • Deposit

    TOQUEPALA, SOUTHERN PERU COPPER CORPORATION, 1976, PP 1-16

  • Deposit

    SOUTHERN PERU COPPER CORPORATION, LA MINA DE TOQUEPALA, 3 PP

  • Deposit

    MINING ENGINEERING, TOQUEPALA, NOVEMBER 1969, PP 79-83.

  • Deposit

    ASPECTOS DE LA GEOLOGIA DE TOQUEPALA, 6 PAGES

  • Deposit

    MINING WORLD, HOW SOUTHERN PERU STRIPPED 20,000,000 TONS OF

  • Deposit

    TOQUEPALA WASTE IN FIRST YEAR, VOL.19, 1957, PP 50-52.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, TOQUEPALA IS ONE OF THE

  • Deposit

    WORLD'S MOST PROSPEROUS COPPER OPERATIONS, 11/84, P.61-63.

  • Deposit

    MCNEILL, HARRY L. & CHARLES S. BEECH, COMMINUTION AT SAN

  • Deposit

    MANUEL AND TOQUEPALA, INT'L MINING, 12/85, PG. 15-20

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, 11/80, P. 493

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 2/88 P. 70.

  • Deposit

    INTERNATIONAL MINING, 4/88, P. 100.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 2/29/88 V7N4 P.5

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, 12/80, P.64.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, 2/82, P.66.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, 9/81, P.75,76.

  • Deposit

    MINER NEWSPAPER, AUG. 17-30, 1981, P.38.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 4/82, P.11,13.

  • Deposit

    PRODUCTION COST UPDATE, VOL. II/ NO. 2, 6/30/84, P.9.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 1/83, P.13.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING EQUIPMENT, 2/88, P.3.

  • Deposit

    MINERALS FOR EXPORT, NO.7, 12/89-1/90, P.7.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN METAL MARKET, 12/4/91, P.2.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS', 12/7/91, P.8.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 12/6/91, P.413.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 1/92, P.14.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS', 1/4/92, P.13.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, 1/92, P.19A.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, SUPPLEMENT, 1/22/93, P.4,5.

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, V 12/N 8, 5/31/93, P.7.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, 6/93, P.19B.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 5/21/93, P.365.

  • Deposit

    MINING RECORD, 3/2/94, P.15.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN METAL MARKET, 3/25/94, P.5.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS', 3/26/94, P.11.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK, 3/28/94, P.6.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 5/94, P.322.

  • Deposit

    DILLARD, GARY, LAST OF BIG 4 COPPER FIRMS INVESTS DOWN

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    SOUTHERN PERU COPPER CORP., MEMORIA '93, P.26-28.

  • Deposit

    MINING RECORD, V 106/N 14, 4/12/95, P.1.

  • Deposit

    SOUTHERN PERU COPPER CORP., MEMORIA '94, P.23-27.

  • Deposit

    PHELPS DODGE CORP., 1994 10-K, P.9,13,14.

  • Deposit

    PHELPS DODGE CORP., 1994 ANNUAL REPORT, P.18.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-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:

  • Asarco (American Smelting And Refining Co.) — acquired by Asarco LLC, subsidiary of Grupo México (2009)
    American Smelting and Refining Co. Filed Chapter 11 in 2005; acquired out of bankruptcy by Grupo México in 2009.

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