| Company | Alxar SA |
| Mine | Choquelimpie |
| Date | 2017 |
| Region | Chile |
| Commodities | Gold, Silver |
| Mine Type | Open Pit (Historical) |
| Status | Exploration |
Executive Summary
The Choquelimpie Project is located in northern Chile and hosts typical epithermal high-sulphidation gold-silver deposits within the core of the Pliocene Choquelimpie volcano. Mineralization is associated with hydrothermal breccias and stockwork quartz veinlets containing native silver, native gold, electrum, and various sulphides. Historical mining operations by Shell Chile and SCM Vilacollo from 1988 to 1992 utilized open pit mining and heap leaching, producing approximately 398,900 ounces of gold and 2,192,000 ounces of silver before closing due to oxide depletion.
A 2017 resource estimate by Amec Foster Wheeler (AFW) indicates the current resource is predominantly sulphide mineralization, though it is classified as non-compliant due to limited data quality and lack of modern QA/QC protocols. The historical database suffers from deficiencies including missing density data, grade certificates, and structural information. Consequently, the report does not define current mineral reserves or compliant resources.
The report recommends a comprehensive two-phase technical program to digitize historical data, conduct re-assaying campaigns with QA/QC, and execute new diamond and RC drilling programs. Phase 1 focuses on data compilation and re-assaying, while Phase 2 aims to define a compliant resource through extensive drilling. The estimated technical budget for this program is approximately US$4-5 million.
Processing Profile
- Crushing: N/A
- Milling: N/A
- Flotation: N/A
- Leaching: Heap Leach (Historical)
Reports
Website: https://norsemont.com/norsemont-mining-to-acquire-choquelimpie-gold-silver-project/
Report Date: 2017
Region: Chile
Project Status: Exploration
Commodity: Gold, Silver
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type: Open Pit (Historical)
Ore type:
