The new came with Anglo American few years ago, when, from South Africa informed about Rosario Oeste deposit, in the Tarapaca Region, northern Chile -from Collahuasi, company where Anglo has a 44% participation in the property, with Xstrata (44%) and Mitsui & Co. (12%)- which has estimated reserves of 248 millions copper tons with a law of 1,54%. This deposit is 300 kilometres far from Rosario, the actual deposit under exploitation.
“It’s an exceptionally good law, though the deposit is not too big», said Gustavo Lagos, director of the Mining Centre of the Catholic University. While Jose Pesce, president of Metalica Consultores, remarked that it will be a mega-deposit, considering that all Codelco’s mine has under 1% of copper law. “It would be good for exploration at Chile to find a deposit with this law, because from Escondida that we do not have such a good mine”, said the executive.
As an example, Lagos indicates that El Abra (Codelco-Freeport) has an average law of oxides of 0,47%, whereas El Tesoro (form Antofagasta Minerals) has a law of 0,73 % and Cerro Colorado (BHP Billiton) of 0,69%.
In spite of the enthusiasm of the experts, the Rosario Oeste deposit has not been mentioned in Collahuasi»s reports neither the executives of the company have even wanted to talk about it. According to sources of the Chilean mining industry, Collahuasi expects to have firmer numbers of Rosario Oeste this year so they will inform them in an official way later on.
Fuente / La Tercera, MCH