La Cascadas

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

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10304247
MAS/MILS ID 3370470004
Record type Site
Current site name La Cascadas
Alternate or previous names Sagasca, Cascada Sur

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -69.34123, -20.1684 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Tarapaca(province)

Chile(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Chile Tarapaca

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -69.34123, -20.1684

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 30M
    Length 1000M
    Width 300M
    Depth to top 110M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 STOCKWORK
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 REPLACEMENT
    Primary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 100
    Date of Last Modification 800829

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1970
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Solvent Extraction-Electrowin
Milling method Leach-Solvent-Extract-Electrowin

Mining district

District name Sagasca

Mineral rights holdings

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

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Soc. Minera La Cascada Ltda. (Smlc)
    Home office Chile
    Year 1989
  • Type Owner
    Owner Soc. Minera Pudahuel Ltda.(Smp)
    Interest 100
    Home office Chile
    Year 1989

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Measured 11000000mt ore
    Indicated 11000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 22000000mt ore
    Inferred 16000000mt ore
    Total resources 38000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.75 wt-pct Copper Major 1980
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Indicated 2500000mt ore
    Demonstrated 2500000mt ore
    Total resources 2500000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.55 wt-pct Copper Major 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Indicated 3900000mt ore
    Demonstrated 3900000mt ore
    Total resources 3900000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.55 wt-pct Copper Major 1989

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVE GRADE IS A CID SOLUBLE CU GRADE. REPORTED RESERVES IN ALL ARTICLES FROM 1969 THRU 1979 HAVE BEEN 16,000,000 MT. REPORTED RESERVE AT ACQUISITION(1980) WAS 11,000,000 MT.
  • RESERVE EST. IS FOR CASCADA SUR UNDERGROUND DEPOSIT. EST. 3 YR. LIFE STATED IN U.S. EMBASSY TRIP RPT. 8/29/88(END 88)

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 75
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 100
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 10
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 40
    Capacity 3600
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 6.12
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 310
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1980

Comments on other economic factors

  • HISTORICAL MILL RECOVERY HAS BEEN AROUND 60 TO 70 % OF ACID SOLUBLE CU.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TRIP REPORT:

  • Reserve-Resource

    LA CASCADA COPPER MINE AND CONCENTRATION PLANT, LA CASCADA

  • Reserve-Resource

    IQUIQUI PROVINCE, FIRST REGION, 8/29/88, 10 PP.

  • Deposit

    ENG AND MIN J V 170 NO 8 P 126

  • Deposit

    MIN ENG VOL 21 NO 5 P 10

  • Deposit

    ENG AND MIN J VOL 170 NO 4 P 170

  • Deposit

    SUTULOV, A., 1974, NORMALIZATION OF CU PRODCTN IS KEY TO CHI

  • Deposit

    DRIVE FOR ECON. RECOV.: ENG. AND MIN. J., 175:2:72-76.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, 1972, MINES ACCOUNTING FOR 90 PCT OF ALL OUTPUT:

  • Deposit

    MAG., 131:9:95-211

  • Deposit

    SUTULOV, A., 1975, EL COBRE CHILENO: CODELCO PUBS., SANTIAGO

  • Deposit

    METALS SOURCEBOOK 10/8/73 ITEM (4646)

  • Deposit

    ENG.AND MIN. JOURNAL, JULY 1980, P.52.

  • Deposit

    DMA SERIES 1501 MAP, SHEET SF19-2,SCALE 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    PROCESSES FOR TREATING OXIDE -COPPER ORE, INTERNATIONAL

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    JAPAN METALJOURNAL, FEB. 7,1977, P.2.

  • Deposit

    JAPAN METAL JOURNAL, APRIL 4, 1977, PP.2-3.

  • Deposit

    ENG.&MIN. JOURNAL, APRIL,1969,V. 170, NO.4, P.170.

  • Deposit

    ENG.&MIN. JOURNAL, AUGUST,1969,V.170,NO.8.P.126.

  • Deposit

    MINING ENGINEERING, MAY 1969,P.10.

  • Deposit

    FORBES, JUNE 15,1977, PP.56-61

  • Deposit

    JAPAN METAL JOURNAL, JULY 18, 1978, P.5.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, JANUARY, 1976.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 7/80, P.52.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 2/81, P.31.

  • Deposit

    SUTALOV, ALEXANDER, UNPUBLISHED REPORT ON CONTRACT WITH USBM

  • Deposit

    1986, P.39,40.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK REPORT, MINERALS FOR CHILE FOR 1988,

  • Deposit

    P.17.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SOC. MINERA PUDAHUEL(SMP)BOUGHT SAGASCA IN 1980 AFTER CONTINENTAL COPPER DECLARED BANKRUPTCY IN JULY OF 1978. PURCHASE PRICE $37 MILLION, NEW OWNERS PLAN TO INVEST 5 MILLION TO UPGRADE EQUIPMENT AND RAISE MINE PRODUCTION FROM CURRENT 2500 MTPD TO 3600 MTPD. THE WATER SUPPLY COMES FROM TWO WELLS AT QUEBRADA JUAN DE MORALES ABOUT 25 KILOMETERS EAST OF SAGASCA. PLANT REQUIRES 5000 CU-METERS WATER A DAY. THE ELECTRICAL POWER REQUIREMENTS OF ABOUT 2,000 KILO- WATTS ARE MET BY A 66 KILLOVOLT POWER LINE FROM IQUIQUE. CONCS. TRUCKED 150 KILOMETERS TO IQUIQUE, THEN SHIPPED TO JAPAN FOR SMELTING SINCE SMP PROPOSES 5 MILLION TO UPGRADE EQUIPMENT 4 MILLION WAS APPLIED TO THE MINE AND 1 MILLION TO THE MILL

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 11-MAR-97 Grey U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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