Avicaya

Plant in La Paz, Bolivia with commodity Tin
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. Ownership information
  11. Production statistics
  12. Workings at the site
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10280059
MAS/MILS ID 3350200100
Record type Site
Current site name Avicaya
Alternate or previous names Abelli Y Cia.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -66.88277, -18.51433 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

La Paz(province)

Bolivia(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Bolivia La Paz

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Tin Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cassiterite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -66.88277, -18.51433

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 1M
    Length 450M
    Width 290M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control CONTACT ZONE
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Date of Last Modification 860829

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1800
Mining method Open Stope - Overhand
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Gravity
Milling method Gravity

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Empresa Minera Avicaya Ltda
    Interest 100
    Year 1983

Comments on the ownership information

  • DEPOSIT FOUND END 19TH CENTURY WORKED BY ABELLI FAMILY 1965 WR GRACE & CO PURCHASED COMPANY & FORMED THE AVICAYA CO. 1971 COMPANY PURCHASED BY BOLIVIAN CAPITAL & FORMED EMPRESA MINERA AVICAYA LTDA.

Production statistics

  • Year 1967
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 39552 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 39552mt
  • Year 1968
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 57267 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 57267mt
  • Year 1969
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 56955 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 56955mt
  • Year 1970
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 60660 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 60660mt
  • Year 1971
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 62256 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 62256mt
  • Year 1972
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 71845 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 71845mt
  • Year 1973
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 73286 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 73286mt
  • Year 1974
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 67677 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 67677mt
  • Year 1975
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 71072 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 71072mt
  • Year 1976
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 71721 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 71721mt
  • Year 1977
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 89037 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 89037mt
  • Year 1978
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 81733 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 81733mt
  • Year 1979
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 83431 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 83431mt
  • Year 1980
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 90368 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 90368mt
  • Year 1981
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 101927 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 101927mt
  • Year 1982
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 76832 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 76832mt
  • Year 1983
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 76800 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 76800mt
  • Year 1988
    Period 1984 Thru 1988
    Description 76800 Mt/Yr Ore 1984 Thru 1988 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 76800mt
  • Year 1990
    Period 1989 Thru 1990
    Description 40000 Mt/Yr Ore 1989 Thru 1990 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 40000mt
  • Year 1991
    Description Mt/Yr Ore 38000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Tin Tin 38000mt

Comments on the production information

  • A $805.00 SMELTING COST AND A $12.85 MILLING COST PER TONNE ARE INCURRED IN THE PRODUCTION OF PRODUCT A. THERE ARE NO BY-PRODUCTS OR SECONDARY MINERALS OF ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL ECONOMIC VALUE PRODUCED.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • MINING AND CONC. OF SN ORES FROM SULPHIDE TYPE VEINS. 200 TPD TREATMENT PLANT IN OPERATION.
  • 81,000 MT RESERVES 1-89 CONFIRMED BY CRU STUDY.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OVERHAND 10-38
    Percent Recovery 95
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING WHEN DRY
    Mine Support Chars. TIMBER
    Number of Shafts 1
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 256
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 27
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1983

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE PROPERTY IS MINED IN TWO DIFFERENT SECTIONS: . - CHUALLA SECTION: 20 LEVELS STRIKE: N30E DIP: 25-60 DEGREES SW PRINCIPAL VEINS: SAN FRANCISCO, NORTE S. FRANCISCO, SUD, DIKE, SAN LUIS, RAMO SAN LUIS, CARMEN AND ESMERALDA. VEIN WIDTH: APPROXIMATELY 40 CM, HIGH TIN CONTENT. - MINCHIN SECTION: 15 LEVELS STRIKE: N30E DIP: 50-75 DEGREES EAST PRINCIPAL VEINS: PORVENIR, RAMO PORVENIR, CRISTINA, SALVADORA, SAN JOSE, ARANCIBIA AND MANTO AZUL. VEIN WIDTH: AVERAGING 1.5 M, LOWER TIN CONTENT THAN CHUALLA SECTION.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    FOX, D.J., TIN MINING IN BOLIVIA, MINING MAGAZINE, 1972.

  • Deposit

    TAYLOR, R.G., GEOLOGY OF TIN DEPOSITS, P. 493, ELSEVIER

  • Deposit

    PUBLISHING CO., 1979.

  • Deposit

    VARIOUS COMPANY AND PRIVATE BOLIVIAN SOURCES.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 03-FEB-1995 Sabin, A. E. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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