Taltal, Chile: Guanaco Mining Company entered an environmental evaluation process for the project to exploit the Inesperada mine

With an investment of US$4 million, the project aims to exploit the gold and silver mineral deposit, extracting an estimated 55,000 ounces of gold.

This is a new project submitted to the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) by Guanaco Mining Company in the municipality of Taltal, Antofagasta Region, Chile. The initiative "Inesperada Mine Exploitation" consists of exploiting the gold and silver mineral deposit through open-pit mining.

The mineral will be transported from the Inesperada Mine to the crushing plant of Guanaco Mine, currently in operation, which has an average authorized production capacity of 3,000 tons per day.

Guanaco estimates an investment of US$4 million for the project. Additionally, the company estimates 1.6 million tons of mineral reserves at Inesperada, with a total estimated content of 55,000 ounces of gold contained in doré metal, which are planned to be initially exploited through a concentric pit.

According to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the project's lifespan will extend over three years (including the construction, operation, and closure phases), estimated based on an ore extraction rate ranging from 800 t/d in its initial phase to a maximum of 3,000 t/d of fresh ore at its optimal operating stage, implying a total material movement of 10,000 t/d.

To exploit the Inesperada Mine, it will be necessary to enable a waste dump, which will be located near it, and an ore accumulation area (Rompad).

It is estimated that the pre-stripping material going to the waste dump will be 775,000 tons, and the waste generated in the open-pit mining throughout its life span will be around 4.68 million tons, totaling 5.45 million tons to be disposed of in the waste dump.