Caracterización de estructuras no aflorantes en la prolongación de una veta epitermal para prolongar la vida productiva de una mina

Abstract

Currently, various mines in Peru are in their last stage of exploitation or, failing that, are in the closure stage. The analysis of this sufficiency work corresponds to the Orcopampa mine, which is not different from this reality, it is currently in its last years of useful life. This mine is a low sulphidation epithermal deposit, Ag and Au veins, mainly NE orientation and located in volcanic rocks.

In its beginnings (1967), Orcopampa mine was a deposit with the main production of Ag on the Manto vein (other smaller ones such as the Tudela, Santiago and San Sixto veins), located east of the Orcopampa valley. Later, with the discovery of the Calera vein, it was producing Ag-Au until 1996, the year in which the veins were in their last stages of exploitation. With little to no production on the Manto and Calera vein and the discovery of the Prometida and Nazareno veins (1991) in the western sector of the Orcopampa valley; production begins on these last veins, which continues to the present day. The Orcopampa mine has an average annual production of 190 thousands OzAu from 2015 to 2017, but a decrease in production has been observed in recent years (from 2018 to the present), obtaining in 2019 a production of 41 thousands OzAu.