Pulacayo Project Feasibility Study - Apogee Silver
Pulacayo Project Feasibility Study - Apogee Silver
Pulacayo Project Feasibility Study - Apogee Silver
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<strong>Pulacayo</strong> 1 000 t/d Phase I <strong>Feasibility</strong> <strong>Study</strong> - NI 43-101 Technical Report<br />
090644-3-0000-20-IFI-100<br />
25 INTERPRATION AND CONCLUSIONS<br />
25.1 <strong>Project</strong> <strong>Feasibility</strong><br />
Much progress has been made in the development of the <strong>Pulacayo</strong> <strong>Project</strong> since the<br />
publishing of the Preliminary Assessment of the <strong>Pulacayo</strong> <strong>Project</strong> in 25 June 2010.<br />
Additional drilling has allowed for a significant increase of mineral reserves. Mineral reserves<br />
have now been established at 19.5 million ounces of silver in concentrate in the <strong>Pulacayo</strong><br />
deposit. During the course of the <strong>Feasibility</strong> <strong>Study</strong>, a detailed analysis of numerous mine<br />
plan options was performed by TWP and the most cost effective plan was selected as the<br />
mine/waste production schedule for this study.<br />
Extensive metallurgical test work highlighted the complexity of the <strong>Project</strong> deposit<br />
mineralization and resulted in reorienting the flotation step in the process flow sheet from<br />
bulk flotation process to conventional differential flotation process.<br />
Furthermore, all environmental aspects and impacts were studied in detail and allowed for<br />
the development of a solid environmental management plan for tailings and waste disposal.<br />
The operations were engineered to process ore at a full design rate of 1,000 tons per day<br />
through two modular circuits of 500 tons per day. Although, operations were fully permitted<br />
to process ore at a rate of 300 tons per day, <strong>Apogee</strong> <strong>Silver</strong> is in the process of getting the<br />
environmental permit to process ore at full design capacity (EIA extension).<br />
The increase in the level of engineering developed during the course of the <strong>Feasibility</strong> <strong>Study</strong><br />
allowed for significant de-risking. Thereafter, the capital cost and operating cost estimates<br />
associated with the <strong>Project</strong> have been developed to a significantly improved degree of<br />
accuracy.<br />
The <strong>Feasibility</strong> <strong>Study</strong> demonstrates that the project is technically feasible and has a robust<br />
economic investment case.<br />
25.1.1 Geology<br />
The <strong>Pulacayo</strong> deposit is located on the western flank of the Cordillera Oriental, near the<br />
Cordillera-Altiplano boundary. The area is underlain by folded sedimentary and igneous<br />
rocks of Silurian, Tertiary and Quaternary ages that locally host low sulphidation epithermal<br />
polymetallic vein and stock work styles of mineralization.<br />
Polymetallic (Ag-Pb-Zn) vein and disseminated wall rock mineralization at <strong>Pulacayo</strong> are<br />
controlled by east west trending secondary faults. The main mineralized trend was emplaced<br />
on the southern side of the <strong>Pulacayo</strong> dome complex and is best exemplified by the Tajo Vein<br />
System (TVS) that is the subject of this <strong>Feasibility</strong> <strong>Study</strong>.<br />
The TVS trends east-west, dips 75° to 90° to the south along 2,700 m of defined surface<br />
strike length, and is present in mine workings at a depth of 1,000 m below surface. In the<br />
upper levels of the deposit, where volcanic strata host mineralization, the TVS consists of a<br />
stock work vein system that locally reaches 120 m in mineralized width.<br />
TWP Sudamérica S.A. Av. Encalada 1257 Of. 801, Santiago de Surco Lima 33, Perú (51-1) 4377473<br />
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