El Algarrobo

Producer in Atacama, Chile with commodity Iron
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Ownership information
  9. Production statistics
  10. Reserves and resources
  11. Workings at the site
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10158453
MAS/MILS ID 3370090029
Record type Site
Current site name El Algarrobo

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -70.58284, -27.08078 (WGS84)
Elevation 1333
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Atacama(province)

Chile(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Chile Atacama

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -70.58284, -27.08078

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1962
Milling method Magnetic

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Cia De Acero Del Pacifico Sa (Government)
    Interest 100
    Year 1981

Production statistics

  • Year 1981
    Description Pellet Feed 3300000 Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Iron Iron 3247860mt

Comments on the production information

  • IN ADDITION TO THE $1.22 MILLING COST, THERE IS A $6.60 SMELTING COST FOR THE PELLETIZATION OF PRODUCT C.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Indicated 80000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 80000000mt ore
    Total resources 80000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 54 wt-pct Iron Major 1981
    Iron Fe 54 wt-pct Iron Major 1981
    Iron Fe 54 wt-pct Iron Major 1981
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Demonstrated 74500000mt ore
    Total resources 74500000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 65 wt-pct Iron Major 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • LOCATED IN ATACAMA CAPACITY OF 4.6 MILLION TPY OF PRECONCENTRATE AVG 60% FE FROM 6.04 MT OF CRUDE ORE IN 1989. PRECONCENTRATE SHIP TO HUASCO PELLET PLT 3370215001P

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Percent Waste Rock 80
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 13
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 40
    Unit Production Cost 2.74
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 312
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    AME MINERAL ECONOMICS QUARTERLY MINE ANALYSIS, JUN 93,P. 36.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS, D.N. C.A.P.'S NEW PRODUCTION FACILITIES AT

  • Deposit

    ALGARROBO AND HUASCO, SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW, MAY 5, 1979

  • Deposit

    PP. 14-20.

  • Deposit

    UNITED NATIONS, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS,

  • Deposit

    SURVEY OF WORLD IRON RESOURCES, NEW YORK, 1970, PP 329-336

  • Deposit

    SISSELMAN, R., CHILE'S FIRST PELLET PLANT INCORPORATES HEAT

  • Deposit

    RECOUP SYSTEM AND SELF FLURING PELLETS, ENGINEERING AND

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, MAY, 1978, PP 91-94.

  • Deposit

    AIKEN, G.E., EL ALGARROBO; NEW OPEN PIT, MINING ENGINEERING,

  • Deposit

    MARCH, 1962, PP 52-57.

  • Deposit

    SUTULOV, A., CHILEAN IRON ORE BOOMING; EXPORTS GROW TO

  • Deposit

    JAPAN, EUROPE, N. AMERICA, WORLD MINING, NOV., 1964,

  • Deposit

    PP 8-12.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, HUASCO PELLETIZING PLANT, JUNE, 1978,

  • Deposit

    PP 556-558.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE ORE OCCURS IN OVER 25 SEPARATE ORE BODIES OVER A NORTH-SOUTH DISTANCE OVER 4 KM. THE MAIN ORE TRENCH HAS AN OUTCROP WIDTH OF ABOUT 190 M. A THINNER PARALLEL ZONE OF LOWER GRADE LIES EAST OF THE MAIN ZONE.. THE RESOURCES SHOWN INCLUDE THE 2 ORE BODIES CURRENTLY BEING MINED: PENOSO HILL AND ALGARROBO C, 4-5 KM TO THE SOUTH THE ALGARROBO C ORE IS SOFTER AND HIGHER GRADE THAN THAT AT PENOSO HILL. THE ORE IS MINED FROM STEEP SLOPES WHICH ARE COVERED BY RICH FLOAT. THE FLOAT WAS FIRST MINED IN THE EARLIER STAGES OF MINING. TO FACILITATE A CONSISTANT FEED THE ORE IS MIXED ON A 1:1 BASIS. BENEFICATION IS IN 2 STAGES. THE PRECONCENTRATION IS AT THE MINE SITE AND CONSISTS OF DRY MAGNETIC CONCENTRATION ON- 6 MM (ABOUT 1/4 IN) CRUSHED ORE. THE PRODUCT OF PRECONCEN- TRATION IS RAILED ABOUT 85 KM TO HUASCO FOR FINE GRINDING (.08 MM/325 MESH) AND WET MAGNETIC CONCENTRATION. A DRY MAGNETIC PLANT WAS OPERATIONAL AT THE MINE IN 1979 ALSO TO TREAT TAILINGS FROM PREVIOUS SCREENING OPERATIONS. THIS PLANT HAD A CAPACITY OF ABOUT 36,000 MTPM OF PRECONCEN- TRATE PRODUCT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 11-OCT-96 Bolis U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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