| Company | MPSA |
| Mine | Pirquitas |
| Date | 2021 |
| Region | Puna |
| Commodities | Silver, Lead, Zinc |
| Throughput | 4,500 tpd |
| Annual Production | 8,010 koz Ag, 37,695 klb Pb, 13,641 klb Zn |
| Status | Operating |
Executive Summary
The Chinchillas project material is processed at the existing Pirquitas Operation process plant, which was commissioned in 2009 and has been in continuous operation. The plant was upgraded in 2017 to process Chinchillas ore types, producing silver/lead concentrate and zinc concentrate. The crushing circuit was designed for 6,000 tpd, but the ball mill circuit operates at 4,500 tpd.
Process performance has improved since the conversion to Chinchillas ores in 2018. Recovery rates have increased significantly, with silver recovery reaching 95.8%, zinc recovery at 65.6%, and lead recovery at 93.0% in 2021. The plant utilizes a combination of crushing, grinding, and flotation circuits to recover the commodities.
Concentrates are dewatered using thickeners and filter presses, then bagged into one tonne bulk bags. Tailings are thickened and pumped 6 km to a mined-out pit for storage, with water recycled to the plant reclaim system.
Website: https://miningdataonline.com/property/251/Pirquitas-Mine.aspx
Report Date: 2021
Region: Puna
Project Status: Operating
Commodity: Silver, Lead, Zinc
Throughput: 4,500 tpd
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
