This technical report describes the mineral processing design for the Quebrada Blanca Operations copper concentrator in the Región de Tarapacá, Chile.
Report context
This NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Quebrada Blanca Operations, Región de Tarapacá, Chile, was prepared for Teck Resources Limited with an effective date of December 31, 2023. The report covers the Quebrada Blanca Operations, including proposed plant design parameters, historical operating data, and metallurgical testwork results.
Processing route
Primary Crushing and Conveying
The proposed plant design includes a primary crusher that feeds a coarse ore conveyor system. The coarse ore conveyor transports material to a coarse ore stockpile. From the stockpile, ore is fed through storage bins into the grinding circuit.
Grinding Circuit
The grinding circuit design incorporates a mill configuration with pebble crushing capability. The pebble crushing system is part of the overall comminution circuit design to process critical particle sizes.
Flotation and Regrind
The proposed flowsheet includes flotation and regrind stages for copper recovery. The flotation circuit is designed to produce a copper concentrate for further processing.
Copper-Molybdenum Separation
The molybdenum plant is included in the plant design for copper-molybdenum separation. This circuit treats the copper concentrate to recover molybdenum as a co-product.
Tailings Disposal and Reclaim Water
Tailings disposal infrastructure and reclaim water systems are part of the proposed plant design. The tailings management system includes facilities for water recovery and recirculation to the process plant.
Port and Concentrate Transport
The proposed design includes concentrate transport infrastructure from the plant to a port facility. The port and concentrate transport system handles the final copper concentrate shipment.
Key reported parameters
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comminution testwork | Completed | , | Testwork |
| Flotation testwork | Completed | , | Testwork |
| Pilot plant testwork | Completed | , | Testwork |
| Variability tests | Completed | , | Testwork |
| Copper-molybdenum separation testwork | Completed | , | Testwork |
| Ancillary tests | Completed | , | Testwork |
| Metallurgical projections | Model developed | , | Testwork |
| Throughput model | Developed | , | Testwork |
| Recovery model | Developed | , | Testwork |
| Concentrate grade model | Developed | , | Testwork |
| Deleterious elements | Assessed | , | Testwork |
Project website: https://www.teck.com/operations/chile/operations/quebrada-blanca/
Technical qualifications
The technical report contains specific limitations that affect the interpretation of the mineral processing information. The metallurgical testwork reported includes sample selection, mineralogy, comminution, flotation, flowsheet development, pilot plant operations, copper-molybdenum separation, variability tests, and ancillary tests. Metallurgical projections include throughput, recovery, and concentrate grade models. The report does not provide actual plant performance data for the proposed design, as the information represents design criteria based on testwork. The metallurgical variability assessment and deleterious elements evaluation are based on testwork samples. Historical production data are referenced separately in the report under the history section and are not included in the processing route description. The proposed plant design parameters are subject to change based on further engineering studies and operational experience.
Source: NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Quebrada Blanca Operations, Región de Tarapacá, Chile, effective December 31, 2023, Sections 13 and 17.
