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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Chelopech

Producer in Sofiya, Bulgaria with commodities Arsenic, Copper, Sulfur
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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. Ownership information
  11. Production statistics
  12. Workings at the site
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10134214
MAS/MILS ID 4870350002
Record type Site
Current site name Chelopech

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 24.08512, 42.49868 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Sofiya(province)

Bulgaria(country)

Geographic areas

Country State
Bulgaria Sofiya

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Copper Primary
Sulfur Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Enargite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Tennantite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 24.08512, 42.49868
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 275M
    Length 225M
    Width 75M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 4
    Type of Orebody #1 SHEAR ZONE
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Shape of Orebody #2 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Date of Last Modification 940324

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1950
Milling method Flotation

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Polimet
    Interest 100
    Home office Bulgaria
    Year 1990
  • Type Operator
    Owner Chelopech
    Interest 100
    Home office Bulgaria
    Year 1990

Production statistics

  • Year 1984
    Description Cu Production (Est) 100000 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Copper Copper 1000000mt
  • Year 1984
    Description Ore Throughput (Est) 500000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1985
    Description Cu Production (Est) 100000 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Copper Copper 100000mt
  • Year 1985
    Description Ore Throughput (Est) 500000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1986
    Description Cu Production (Est) 100000 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Copper Copper 100000mt
  • Year 1986
    Description Ore Throughput (Est) 500000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1987
    Description Cu Production (Est) 100000 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Copper Copper 100000mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Ore Throughput (Est) 500000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1988
    Description Cu Production (Est) 100000 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Copper Copper 100000mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Ore Throughput (Est) 500000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1989
    Description Cu Production 107000 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Copper Copper 107000mt
  • Year 1989
    Description Ore Throughput 494000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1990
    Description Cu Production (Est) 70000 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Copper Copper 70000mt
  • Year 1990
    Description Ore Throughput (Est) 350000 Mt Ore

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION HISTORY WAS ESTIMATED BY CRU FOR 1984-1988.
  • PRODUCT IS A BULK COPPER-PYRITE CONCENTRATE. ALL PRODUCTION IS SENT TO THE GEORGI DAMYANOV SMELTER.
  • IN ADDITION TO THE REPORTED CU, AU, AG, S, AND AS, CRU ALSO REPORTS THAT THE CONCENTRATE HAS 200 G/MT SE, 150 G/MT TE, AND 40 G/MT CO.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • THE ORE CONTAINS SELENIUM (42 G/MT), TELLURIUM (25 G/MT) AND COBALT (<10 G/MT). CRU, 1990. THE CU GRADE CAN VARY FROM 0.4% TO 10%.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 350M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method SUBLEVEL CAVING 10-75
    Number of Shafts 2
    Capacity 2000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Year of Information 1990

Comments on other economic factors

  • CU GRADES CAN VARY FROM 0.4% TO 10%, WITH AU FROM 2.5 G/MT TO 10.5 G/MT, AND AG FROM 10 G/MT TO 42 G/MT.
  • THE MILL, LOCATED NEAR THE CAPITAL SHAFT, IS RATED AT 500,000 MT ANNUAL CAPACITY. OPERATING DAYS PER YEAR ASSUMED TO BE 250. ORE IS CRUSHED IN A PRIMARY JAW CRUSHER, THEN TWO-STAGE CONE CRUSHERS. CRUSHED ORE IS THEN OPEN-CIRCUIT GROUND IN A SINGLE BALL MILL. ANY REGRIND NEEDED IS DONE IN THE SECOND BALL MILL. PRIMARY CONCENTRATION IS DONE IN DENVER 500 FLOTATION CELLS. CLEANING AND SCAVENGING IS DONE IN DENVER 300 FLOTATION CELLS. BULK CONCENTRATE PRODUCED IS THEN THICKENED AND FILTERED TO DE-WATER THE CONCENTRATE TO 12% MOISTURE. ALL MILL EQUIPMENT, EXCEPT DENVER FLOTATION CELLS, ARE OF RUSSIAN MANUFACTURE. FLOTATION TAILS ARE TREATED BY GRAVITY SEPARATION TO RECOVER SOME OF THE RESIDUAL PRECIOUS METALS VALUES. THE GEORGI DAMYANOV SMELTER HAS BEEN PROHIBITED FROM USING THE CHELOPECH HIGH-ARSENIC CONCENTRATE UNTIL THE DAMYANOV FACILITY HAS A NEW WATER PURIFICATION PLANT IN PLACE. PENDING FACILITY COMPLETION, ALL CHELOPECH CONTRATES ARE BEING STOCKPILED FOR FUTURE PROCESSING. CRU REPORTS 140 WORKERS EMPLOYEED AT THE MILL. MILL POWER CONSUMPTION LISTED BY CRU AT 28 KWH/MT ORE.
  • THE CU CUT-OFF GRADE IS SET AT 0.4%. THE ORE ZONE EXTENDS TO A DEPTH OF 700M, BUT THE MINE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED ONLY TO 350M. TWO VENTILATION SHAFTS AND TWO SERVICE SHAFTS HAVE BEEN SUNK TO 350M. THE TWO SERVICE SHAFTS, ZAPAD AND CAPITAL, HAVE DIFFERENT HOIST RATINGS. ZAPAD, EQUIPPED WITH SKIPS, CAN HOIST AT 700 MTPD. CAPITAL, EQUIPPED WITH SKIPS AND A DOUBLE DECK MAN-CAGE, CAN HOIST AT 1300 MTPD. CRU REPORTS A 90% MINE RECOVERY RATE. OPERATING DAYS PER YEAR ASSUMED TO BE 250. CRU REPORTS 200 WORKERS EMPLOYEED AT THE MINE. MINE POWER CONSUMPTION LISTED BY CRU AT 36 KWH/MT ORE. MINE PRODUCTION COULD BE INCREASED 100% IF A WAY CAN BE FOUND TO DECREASE THE ARSENIC CONTENT OF THE CONCENTRATE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    METALLGESELLSCHAFT, DEVELOPMENT TRENDS OF THE NON-FERROUS

  • Reserve-Resource

    METALS INDUSTRY IN EASTERN EUROPE, FRANKFURT, 1991.

  • Deposit

    COMMODITIES RESEARCH UNIT, LTD. THE BASE METAL INDUSTRIES

  • Deposit

    OF EASTERN EUROPE, VOL I & II, LONDON, 1990.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MOST OF THE ORE OCCURS AS LENTICULAR MASSES, 150 TO 300M LONG, 30 TO 120M WIDE, AND 250 TO 300M THICK. SOME ORE DOES OCCUR IN VEINS. CHELOPECH IS SITUATED IN THE SREDNOGORIE ZONE, A 50KM LONG RANGE, PART OF THE ALPINE GEOSYNCLINE. THE ZONE IS CHARACTERIZED BY VOLCANIC FORMATIONS FOLLOED BY THE IMPLACEMENT OF INTRUSIONS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 24-MAR-1994 Porter, Kenneth E. 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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