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Exmibal Mine and Refiner

Past Producer in Izabal, Guatemala with commodities Cobalt, Copper, Nickel
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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. Mining district
  11. Ownership information
  12. Production statistics
  13. Reserves and resources
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10303914
MAS/MILS ID 2050230001
Record type Site
Current site name Exmibal Mine and Refiner
Alternate or previous names Exmibal, No Alternative Names.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -89.33336, 16.50077 (WGS84)
Elevation 500

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Izabal(province)

Guatemala(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Guatemala Izabal

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Cobalt Critical Secondary
Copper Secondary
Nickel Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Garnierite Unknown
Limonite Unknown
Serpentine Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -89.33336, 16.50077
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 5M
    Depth to top 22M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 LATERITE
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Shape of Orebody #2 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 15
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 8
    Date of Last Modification 830623
  • Area 8500HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 8500
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • BULK OF NICKEL IN NICKELIFEROUS LIMONITE AND SERPENTINITE PROPERTY CLOSED DUE TO HIGH FUEL COSTS. LARGE RESOURCES REMAIN. PROPERTY IN DISREPAIR.(1991)

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1955
Mining method Strip-Hillside
Year of first production 1978
Milling method Hydrometallurgy Unspecified

Mining district

District name Eximbal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Exploraciones Y Exploitaciones Mineral Izabal S. A.
    Interest 100
    Year 1981

Production statistics

  • Year 1978
    Description Average Grade Nickel 1.95% 670000 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Nickel Nickel 670000mt 2wt-pct

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Indicated 45400000mt ore
    Demonstrated 45400000mt ore
    Total resources 45400000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 1.8 wt-pct Nickel Major 1980

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • AVERAGE FEED YEARS 1-20, 1.95% NI; THEREAFTER, 1.6% NI
  • 12 DOLLARS PER BBL IN 1977 TO 30 DOLLARS IN 1981. ANNUAL COST OF 16 MILLION TO 40 MILLION.
  • JULY 76-RCO 071- NIQUEL VALUES ARE REPORTED IN LIMONITES (NICKEL OXIDES) AND SERPENTINE PROBABLY AS GENTHITE OR GARNIERITE(NICKEL SILICATES). NO PARAGENESIS REPORT WAS AVAILABLE DURING MINE VISIT. JULY 76-RCO 080-MG AND SI REPLACED BY NI AND FE DUE TO WEATHERING JULY 76-RCD 080-ORE FAULTING-IGNEOUS ACTIVITY AND CONTACT ZONE. JULY 76-RCO 080-LIMONIZATION ONTOP OF MAFIC AND ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS JULY-76-RCO 130- THE OPEN PIT IS UNDER DEVELOPING PROCESS BUT STILL ITS PRODUCTION STAGE HOLDING UNTIL THE SMELTING PLANT IS COMPLETE. JULY 76-RCO 130- TOTAL SURFACE AREA POTENTIALLY MINERALIZED IS APPROXIMATELY 38,600 HECTARES. JULY 76-RCO 151- BESSEMER MATE PRODUCT AVERAGE GRADE: 75% NI 1.1% CO, 0.9% CO, 22.2% S, 0.8% FE. JULY 1976- RCO 151 BECAUSE THERE IS NO SULPHURIC ACID. MARKET IN GUATEMALA, THE PRODUCT WILL BE PROCESSED IN ENGLAND FOR ITS HIGH S CONTENT. JULY 76-RCO 151- REGULAR PRODUCTION SCHEDULED BY JAN-FEB 1977 AUG-76 RCO 151- $28.5 MILLION LOAN TO EXMIBAL BY INTERNATIONAL FINAN CE CORP. ($15 MILLION) AND EXPORT IMPORT BANK ($13.5 MILLION) TO DEVELOP 28 PPY NICKEL PROCESSIN G PLANT. TOTAL COST IS ESTIMATED AT $90 MILLION EXMIBAL-GOVERNMENT TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT FOR DEVELOPING, EXPLOTATION AND INVESTMENT PROGRAM. GUATEMALA MINE CLAIMS COMPOSITE MAP LOCATION PICTURES OF THE PLANT FACILITY UNDER PRESENT CONSTRUCTION PLUS OPEN PIT MINE DEVELOPMENT AT THE LA GLORIA CLAIM

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 8500HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 8
    Primary Material Cover HARDPAN
    Hardness of Ore HARDPAN
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 5
    Capacity 2680
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 9.35
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981
  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 8500HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 8
    Primary Material Cover HARDPAN
    Hardness of Ore HARDPAN
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 5
    Capacity 2680
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 9.35
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    AMENDMENT TO S.E.C. 10K REPORT, JULY 17, 1980.

  • Deposit

    CENTRAL AMERICA REPORT. GUATEMALA. VOLUME III, NO. 30.

  • Deposit

    AUGUST 29, 1975. PP. 233-236

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, GUATEMALA: BROADENING THE

  • Deposit

    RESOURCE BASE, NOV. 1977, P. 160-161.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL. "LAKE IZABAL NICKEL MINE

  • Deposit

    NOW DEFINITELY SLATED TO GO ON STREAM IN 1977."

  • Deposit

    SEPT. 1976. P.29.

  • Deposit

    HARJU, H.O. "EXPLORATION OF EXMIBAL'S NICKEL LATERITE

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS IN GUATEMALA" PROCEEDINGS, INTERNATIONAL

  • Deposit

    LATERITE SYMPOSIUM, NEW ORLEANS, 1979, P. 245-251.

  • Deposit

    NACLA GUATEMALA. "EXMIBAL TAKE ANOTHER NICKEL OUT." 1974.

  • Deposit

    PP. 151-166.

  • Deposit

    PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS. EXMIBAL STAFF.

  • Deposit

    SOPKO, M.D., THE EXMIBAL NICKEL PROPERTIES, INTERNATIONAL

  • Deposit

    LATERITE SYMPOSIUM, NEW ORLEANS, 1979, P. 272-291.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, EXIMBAL TUNES UP TO PRODUCE

  • Deposit

    28 MILLION LB PER YEAR, NOV, 1977, P. 162-165.

  • Deposit

    CENTRAL AMERICA REPORT, VOL. 2, NO. 30, AUG 29, 1975,

  • Deposit

    P. 233-236.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit (OW)-INCO, HANNA MNG, GOVT. OTHER NAMES: ESTOR, SEXA, MONTFOR, XAAN, AMATE. OPERATOR: EXPLOTACIONES MINERALS IZABEL S.A. (EXMIBAL). LATERITE MINE PRODUCED MATTE. MINE HAS BEEN CLOSED AND EQUIP. DISMANTLED, BUT COMPANY STILL CONSIDERS THE OPERATION TEMPORARILY CLOSED AND 1 MILLION PER ANNUM IS SPENT ON MAINTAINANCE. MINE INITIATED PRODUCTION IN 1977 AND CLOSED IN 1981 BECAUSE OF FUEL COSTS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 22-DEC-1994 Rfb 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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