| 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
Consolidated report summaries
The following former standalone pages about this operation were consolidated here in October 2026. They are retained for source traceability; dates and figures reflect each report’s own effective date and may be superseded by the current information above.
Chinchillas Silver-Lead-Zinc Project — NI 43-101 Technical Report
Chinchillas Silver-Lead-Zinc Project — NI 43-101 Technical Report
| Company | Unknown |
| Date | Unknown |
| Region | Not Specified |
| Commodities | Silver, Lead, Zinc |
Executive Summary
The Chinchillas deposit comprises four mineralized zones, which are grouped into three mill feed types for process design: Feed 1 (Mantos Basement/Socavon Basement), Feed 2 (Silver Mantos), and Feed 3 (Socavon del Diablo). Metallurgical testing indicates these feed types behave similarly, allowing for blending into a single process plant. The proposed circuit is designed to treat lead, zinc, and silver feeds to produce separate lead-silver and zinc concentrates.
The processing circuit begins with Run of Mine (ROM) feed stored in stockpiles and reclaimed through a primary jaw crusher to 150mm. The crushed material is ground using a 2,500 kW semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill in conjunction with a 3,750 kW ball mill, closed with cyclones. The grinding circuit does not currently include gravity concentration or unit cells.
Flotation is the primary recovery method, utilizing a lead circuit followed by a zinc circuit. Lead and silver are recovered using sodium meta-bisulphite as a depressant and xanthate collectors. Zinc is activated with copper sulphate before flotation. Concentrates are thickened and dewatered using pressure filters to achieve low moisture content for shipping, while tailings are pumped to a pond with water reclaimed for reuse.
Processing Profile
- Crushing: Primary Jaw Crusher
- Milling: 2,500 kW SAG mill, 3,750 kW Ball mill
- Flotation: Lead/Zinc Flotation with Tower Mill regrind
- Leaching: None
Reports
Website: https://goldenarrowresources.com/news-releases/golden-arrow-files-pea-for-the-chinchillas-silver-project/
Report Date: Unknown
Region: Not Specified
Project Status:
Commodity: Silver, Lead, Zinc
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
