Reserve & Resource Statement

The Initial Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves for the Vizcachitas Project are 10.889 billion lbs of CuEq (9.623 billion lbs copper, 365 million lbs molybdenum and 43.6 million oz silver). These reserves are contained within a 26-year mine life open pit and processed in a plant with a throughput of 136,000 tonnes per day. The Initial Mineral Reserve estimate for Vizcachitas, shown below, has an effective date of December 2, 2022.

Category

 

Grade

Contained Metal

Tonnage

Cu

Mo

Ag

CuEq

Cu

Mo

Ag

CuEq

(Mt)

(%)

(ppm)

(g/t)

(%)

(Mlb)

(Mlb)

(Moz)

(Mlb)

Proven

302

0.41%

135

1.2

0.45%

2,714

89.8

11.9

3,031

Probable

918

0.34%

136

1.1

0.39%

6,908

275.3

31.8

7,858

Proven & Probable

1,220

0.36%

136

1.1

0.40%

9,623

365.0

43.6

10,889

Notes

  1. Mineral Reserves were classified using CIM Definition Standards (2014).
  2. Mineral Reserves have an effective date of December 2, 2022.
  3. Mineral Reserves are included within the Mineral Resources.
  4. The Qualified Person for the estimate is Mr. Severino Modena, BSc, Mining Engineer, MAusIMM, Member of the Chilean Mining Commission, and a Tetra Tech Sudamérica employee.
  5. The Mineral Reserve has a metallurgical cut-off based on processing plant design specifications of 0.18% Cu for direct mill feed.
  6. Due to rounding, numbers may not add precisely to the totals.
  7. The Mineral Reserves estimate uses a marginal phase analysis through a cut-off grade optimization software (COMET).
  8. The Mineral Reserves are contained within operational phases defined with a COMET optimized mining schedule, which includes a stockpiling strategy. Key inputs for that process are:
    1. Metal prices of $3.5/lb copper and $12/lb molybdenum.
    2. Mining Cost of $1.59/t at a reference elevation of 1990 m.a.s.l., plus costs adjustments of $0.014/t per bench above reference and $0.032/t per bench below reference.
    3. Processing cost of $5.7/t milled.
    4. General and Administration cost of $0.30/t milled.
    5. Pit slopes angles varying from 44° to 52°.
  9. Process recoveries are based on lithology for both copper and molybdenum, except for a sector with a fixed copper recovery value.

Mineral Resource

Measured and Indicated Resources are 1,541 million tonnes grading 0.436% CuEq (0.383% copper, 155 ppm molybdenum and 1.1 g/t silver) using a 0.25% copper cut-off. The Inferred Resource is 1,823 million tonnes grading 0.384% CuEq (0.342% Copper, 123ppm molybdenum, 0.9g/t silver) using a 0.25% copper cut-off. The Measured and Indicated Resources increased by 16% to 14.801 billion lbs CuEq (13.021 billion lbs copper, 526 million lbs molybdenum and 54 million oz silver). The Inferred Resource increased by 130% to 15.444 billion lbs CuEq (13.747 billion lbs copper, 495 million lbs molybdenum and 15 million oz silver) with respect to the June 2019 PEA.

The resource estimate was calculated from 168 drill holes totaling 58,628 meters of drilling. This drilling was used to generate an updated geological model, completed during 2022, that provided the basis to separate the estimation domains used for the resource estimation.

The resource estimate presented below is the total Measured & Indicated and Inferred Resources and has an effective date of February 7, 2023.

Resource Classification @
0.25% Cu cut-off 

Tonnage
(Mt)

Cu
(%)

Mo
(ppm)

Ag
(g/t)

CuEq
(%)

Cu
(Mlb)

Mo
(Mlb)

Ag
(Moz)

CuEq
(Mlb)

Measured Resources

273

0.433

139

1.3

0.482

2,605

84

11

2,900

Indicated Resources

1,268

0.373

158

1.0

0.426

10,416

442

43

11,901

Measured and Indicated Resources

1,541

0.383

155

1.1

0.436

13,021

526

54

14,801

Inferred Resources

1,823

0.342

123

0.9

0.384

13,747

495

55

15,444

Notes

  1. Mineral Resources were classified using CIM Definition Standards (2014).
  2. The Mineral Resources effective date is February 7 2023
  3. Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
  4. The Mineral Resources are reported using a 0.25% copper cut-off
  5. Copper Equivalent grade has been calculated using the following calculation: CuEq (%) = Cu (%) + 0.000288 x Mo (ppm) + 0.00711 x Ag (g/t).
  6. Assumptions used for the copper equivalent calculation were metal prices of $3.68/lb copper, $12.9/lb molybdenum, $21.79/oz silver, with metallurgical recoveries of 91.1% for copper, 74.8% for molybdenum and 75% for silver based on the PFS metallurgical testwork.
  7. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
  8. The quantities and grades of reported Inferred Mineral Resources are uncertain in nature, and further exploration may not result in their upgrading to Indicated or Measured status.
  9. Mineral Resources were prepared by Maria Loreto Romo and Severino Modena both full-time employees of Tetra Tech Sudamérica and Ricardo Muñoz, a consultant part of the Tetra Tech Sudamérica team, all are Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
  10. Due to rounding, numbers may not add precisely to the totals.
  11. All Mineral Resources are assessed for reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction (RPEEE)
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