At Collahuasi, Falconbridge is involved in the fourth largest copper mine in the world. Collahuasi consists of two major porphyry copper deposits, Ujina and Rosario, located at altitudes of 4,000 metres to 4,800 metres above sea level in the high Andes, in Chile's northernmost territory. Current resources should sustain production for at least 50 years.

Falconbridge has a 44% interest in the Collahuasi property. Our partners are Anglo American plc and a Japanese consortium led by Mitsui & Co.

Location Map

Geology
The Collahuasi district is situated within a major north-south structural feature known as the West Fissure system. This system controls most of the large tertiary porphyry deposits in Chile including Chuquicamata and La Escondida.

Detailed Geology
Geology Map

Operations
Mining today is at the Rosario orebody. Collahuasi mines and mills copper sulphide ores into concentrate, and mines and leaches copper oxide ores to produce cathodes.

The facilities at the mine site include the open pit at Rosario, the permanent accommodation complex, the concentrator plant, the solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW) plant, and a 200 kilometre pipeline to transport concentrate from the mine to the port. The port at Punta Patache has a de-watering plant, a concentrate storage dome and port facilities.

• 205,116 tonnes copper concentrate
• 25,610 tonnes copper cathode

Flowsheets
Sulphide Concentrator
SX-EW Plant

• Proven: 310.5 million tonnes grading 1.09% copper
• Probable: 1.54 billion tonnes grading 0.87% copper

• Measured: 50.8 million tonnes grading 0.55% copper
• Indicated: 430 million tonnes grading 0.65% copper
• Inferred: 1.82 billion tonnes grading 0.80% copper

Employees
The operations (Falconbridge's 44% share) employ 426 people.

History
The mine began commercial production in January 1999. For more information, please visit www.collahuasi.cl.