Cerro Lindo
Mine
Zinc, Copper, Lead, Silver and Gold
Type
Underground Mine
Plant Capacity
21.0 ktpd
Ownership
83.48% (1)
Location
Peru
¹The ownership percentage is attributable to Nexa Resources.
The Cerro Lindo mine is an underground, polymetallic mine, wholly owned by Nexa Peru, located in the Chavín District, Chincha Province, Peru, approximately 268 km southeast of Lima and 60 km from the coast. Access from Lima is available via the paved Pan American Highway south to Chincha, and then via an unpaved road up the Topara River valley to the mine site. Internal roadways connect the various mine site components.
Operations began in 2007 and, in 2022, the Cerro Lindo mine produced approximately 84.4 thousand tonnes of zinc contained in concentrates, 32.8 thousand tonnes of copper contained in concentrates, 15.6 thousand tonnes of lead contained in concentrates, 4,129.7 thousand ounces of silver contained in concentrates and 4.1 thousand ounces of gold contained in concentrates. The ore is treated at a concentrate plant that has a processing capacity to 21.0 thousand tonnes of ore per day.
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treated ore | kt | 6,236 | 6,369 | 5,482 |
| Grade | ||||
| Zinc | % | 1.55 | 1.79 | 1.93 |
| Copper | % | 0.61 | 0.54 | 0.59 |
| Lead | % | 0.33 | 0.28 | 0.29 |
| Silver | oz/t | 0.89 | 0.79 | 0.78 |
| Gold | oz/t | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.003 |
| Production | metal contained | ||||
| Zinc | kt | 84.4 | 102.3 | 95.4 |
| Copper | kt | 32.8 | 29.1 | 27.8 |
| Lead | kt | 15.6 | 12.8 | 11.6 |
| Silver | MMoz | 4.1 | 3.8 | 2.9 |
| Gold | oz | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.0 |
| Cash Cost, net of by-product credits | US$/t | (561.4) | (530.1) | (8.7) |
| Cash Cost, net of by-product credits | US$/lb | (0.25) | (0.24) | (0.00) |
| CAPEX | US$ mm | 42.5 | 40.5 | 27.7 |
Cerro Lindo is classified as a volcanogenic massive sulfide (“VMS”) deposit. The Cerro Lindo deposit is 1,500 meters long, 1,000 meters wide, and has a current vertical development of 470 meters below the surface. Mineralization consists of at least 10 discrete mineralized zones. The Cerro Lindo deposit comprises lens shaped massive bodies, composed of pyrite (50.0% to 90.0%), yellow sphalerite, brown sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and minor galena. Significant barite is present mainly in the upper portions of the deposit. A secondary enrichment zone, composed of chalcocite and covellite, has formed near the surface where massive sulfides have oxidized. Silver rich powdery barite remains at the surface as a relic of sulfide oxidation and leaching.
The Cerro Lindo deposit is a Kuroko-type VMS deposit. Mineralization is hosted in a pyroclastic unit composed of ash and lapilli-type polymictic tuffs of the Huaranguillo Formation. The deposit comprises lens-shaped, massive and stringer zones composed of pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, and barite. The mineralization has characteristic zoning from zinc-rich to pyrite-rich and associated sericitic-pyritic alteration.
The mineralization has been divided into 20 mining production areas, which are termed OB-1, OB-2, OB2B, OB-3-4, OB-5, OB-5B, OB-5C, OB-5D, OB-6, OB-6A, OB-6B, OB-6C, OB-7, OB-8, OB-9, OB-10, OB-11, OB-12, OB-13 and OB-14.
In 2022, mineral exploration in Cerro Lindo was directed at interpreting geological information collected in the drilling program, and geophysical and geochemical studies. Underground activities in 2022 included extending known mineralized bodies, such as OB-9 and OB-10, as well as geophysical anomaly zones in Pucasalla to find new mineralized zones through surface drilling.
During 2023, we expect to complete a total of 32 km of exploratory drilling. Our goal on surface is to continue the exploratory drilling program to extend the Pucasalla mineralization and, construct new access and platforms to test Pucasalla, Puca Punta, Mesa Rumi and Festejo targets. In underground exploration, we plan to drill test the OB-8B, Pucasalla Sur and Festejo targets.
