Project Overview
The Copper World Complex ("Copper World"; formerly referred to as Rosemont) is a copper-molybdenum-silver porphyry deposit located in Pima County, Arizona. Hudbay acquired the project in July 2014 through the acquisition of Augusta Resources Corporation.
Copper World consists of skarn-hosted mineralization related to quartz-monzonite porphyry intrusions. Genetically, it is a style of porphyry copper deposit. Mineralization is mostly in the form of hypogene copper-molybdenum-silver sulfides, found in stockwork veinlets and disseminated in the altered host rock. Some oxidized copper mineralization is also present.
The mine will be a traditional open pit shovel and truck operation with bench heights of 15 and 30 m, and 255-ton capacity haul trucks for material and waste movement.
The processing plant consists of a sulfide concentrator and a concentrate leach facility, with the concentrate leach facility to be built in stages starting in year four. The sulfide concentrator will have an installed capacity of 60,000 tons per day process via a primary crushing circuit, and a grinding circuit configured in semi-autogenous mill and ball mill (SAB) configuration. This is followed by a bulk flotation of a copper and molybdenum concentrate, and the subsequent separation of the copper and molybdenum concentrate via a reverse flotation stage. The concentrate leach facility, based on the Glencore Technologies Albion Process.
In January 2023, Hudbay received an approved right of way from the Arizona State Land Department that would allow for infrastructure such as roads, pipelines and powerlines, to connect between the properties in the company’s private land package at Copper World. Two remaining state-level permits are outstanding (Aquifer Protection Permit and Air Quality Permit) and expected to be received in 2023. Construction of the first phase is expected to commence shortly following receipt.
Stream Details
| Date of Contract |
1-Feb-10 |
| Term |
Life of Mine |
| Stream |
100% gold and 100% silver |
| Upfront Consideration |
$230M |
| Per Unit Production Payment |
$450 Au and $3.90 Ag (annual 1% inflation adjustment starting in 4th year) |
For more information on the Copper World Complex, please visit: www.hudbayminerals.com (opens in new tab)