El Romeral

Producer in Coquimbo, Chile with commodity Iron
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. 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 10134334
MRDS ID W029812
MAS/MILS ID 3370210012
Record type Site
Current site name El Romeral
Alternate or previous names Romerel
Related records 10106138

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -71.41625, -29.94747 (WGS84)
Elevation 430
Location accuracy 5000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Coquimbo(province)

Chile(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Chile Coquimbo

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Calcite Unknown
Hematite Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Quartz Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -71.41625, -29.94747

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 400M
    Length 2000M
    Width 230M
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STRATIFORM
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Shape of Orebody #2 LENTICULAR
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 860520

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1955
Milling method Magnetic

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Cia De Acero Del Pacifico (Cap-Government)
    Interest 100

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description 4300000 Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Iron Iron 4232060mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 0
    Indicated 88000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 88000000mt ore
    Inferred 212000000mt ore
    Total resources 300000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 55 wt-pct Iron Major 0
    Iron Fe 55 wt-pct Iron Major 0

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • LOCATED IN COQUIMBO, PARENT CO.-CIA DE ACERO DEL PACIFICO, SA CAPACITY OF 4.0 MILION TPY DIRECT SHIPPING ORE -2.08MT SINTER FINES 65.2% FE(DRY) AND 1.97 MT LUMP ORE. NEW GRINDING AND CONC ENTRATE PLT 1.2 MTPY AMD TOTAL 5.2 MTPY.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 78
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 10
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 12000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 4.33
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 290
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1981

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE FINAL PRODUCTS ARE TRANSPORTED TO THE USA AND JAPAN,

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS, DAVID N., JR., C.A.P.'S EL ROMERAL MARKING 25TH

  • Deposit

    YEAR OF IRON ORE PRODUCTION. ESTIMATED OUTPUT OF

  • Deposit

    3,300,000 L.T. OF COARSE AND FINES IN 1974, SKILLINGS

  • Deposit

    MINING REVIEW, AUGUST 11, 1978, PP. 10-14.

  • Deposit

    METAL BULLETIN, IRON ORE FIELDS OF THE WORLD - 13, BETHLEHEM

  • Deposit

    CHILE, METAL BULLETIN, NO. 4744, NOVEMBER 6, 1962, 4 UNP.

  • Deposit

    UNITED NATIONS, SURVEY OF IRON ORE RESOURCES, 1970, P. 334.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ROMERAL ORE DEPOSIT IS LOCATED IN THE COAST AS ARE THE MAJORITY OF THE OTHER IMPORTANT IRON ORE DEPOSITS IN CHILE. THE DEPOSIT MIGHT ALSO BE CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE LOWER FOOTHILLS OF THE ANDES RANGE SINCE IT IS DIFFICULT IN THIS SECTION OF CHILE TO RECOGNIZE THE COAST RANGE AS A SEPARATE RANGE FROM THE ANDES. THE COAST RANGE, OR THESE LOWER FOOTHILLS CONSISTS OF A CORE OF OLD BASALT ROCKS, SYENITES, DIORITES, GNEISSES AND SCHISTS. THE ROMERAL DEPOSITS FORM THREE LOW LYING HILLS WHICH EXTEND IN A NORTH AND SOUTH DIRECTION. THE SOUTHERN HILL HAS AN ELEVATION ABOVE SEA LEVEL OF 392 METRES, THE MAIN OR CENTRAL HILL AND THE NORTHERN HILL BEING 446 AND 494 METRES HIGH RESPECTIVELY. THE ORE IS EXPOSED INTERMITTENTLY FOR A DISTANCE OF TWO KILOMETRES OVER THESE HILLS. THE CENTRAL HILL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE THREE, ORE BEING EXPOSED CONTINUOUSLY FOR OVER 500 METRES IN A NORTH AND SOUTH DIRECTION. THE ORE WHICH IS FOUND IN THIS PRINCIPAL OREBODY IS LARGELY UNALTERED MAGNETITE. IT DOES NOT OCCUR IN A SOLID MASS, BUT IS FOUND AS A SERIES OF MORE OR LESS PARALLEL LENSES SEPARATED BY ANDESITE. SMALL VEINS OF CALCITE OR QUARTZ ALSO CUT THE ORE IN PLACES. DRILLING HAS INDICATED THAT PORTIONS OF THE OREBODY EXTEND TO A DEPTH OF OVER 400 METRES. STRIPPING IS MAINLY IN THE LOWER GRADE (+/- 37 PCT FE) ROCK, WHICH IS BEING STOCK PILED FOR FUTURE USE. THE CONCENTRATES ARE HAULED ABOUT 29 KM TO THE PORT OF GUAYACAN ON A NARROW GUAGE RAILWAY. IN ADDITION TO THE OPERATING COSTS IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT $6 MILLION (1981 $) PER YEAR IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 29-NOV-1996 Bolis U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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