The Chapada mine is an important copper and gold mine located in Goiás State, Brazil, four kilometers southwest of the town of Alto Horizonte. From a geological point of view, the mine is classified as a hybrid deposit with characteristics of porphyry and epithermal deposits. This allows the simultaneous exploitation of base and precious metals. Due to the large scale of the deposit, an open-pit mining technique is used to access the deposit. This is evidenced by the ability of the mine to process 23 million tonnes of ore in 2024.
The ore that is processed is done so via a standard flotation method, with the facility designed to accommodate 24 million tonnes per year. The efficiency of this method is evidenced by the metallurgical recoveries that are achieved, namely 82% copper and 63% gold. In 2024, this efficiency was evidenced by the overall production of 43.3 kilotonnes of copper and 2 tonnes of gold.
In economic terms, the Chapada mine is described as a highly competitive operation due to the low operating costs that are incurred. The overall cost of production is stated as $1.90 per pound of copper, with this value increased by the by-product credits that are received from the production of gold and silver. This makes the operation profitable even in difficult market conditions, thus emphasizing its value as a contributor to the overall success of the parent company.
The prospective viability of the mine is supported by the mine’s substantial mineral potential, which includes 1.7 million tonnes of copper and 137 tonnes of gold classified as Proven and Probable Reserves. While the reserves have an average grade of 0.23% copper and 0.17 g/t gold, their economic viability is supported by the efficiency and scale of the mine. Further mine potential is supported by the mine’s broader Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Resources, which have an additional 2.9 million tonnes of copper. This substantial mine resource provides a foundation that is expected to support long-term mine planning and operations over an extended period.
