Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold-silver mine enters production

The picture shows the first delivery of ore to the primary crusher from the Southern Oyu open-pit mine.
The Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert is initially being developed as an open-pit operation, with the first phase of mining to start at the near-surface Southern Oyu deposits, which include Southwest Oyu and Central Oyu. A copper concentrator, with related facilities and necessary infrastructure to support an initial throughput of 100,000 t/d of ore, has been constructed to process ore scheduled to be mined from the Southern Oyu open pit. Initial production of copper-gold-silver concentrate is expected in third quarter 2012 and commercial production is projected to begin in the first half of 2013.

In conjunction with the surface activities, an 85,000-t/d underground block-cave mine also is being developed at the Hugo North Deposit. The throughput capacity of the concentrator plant is expected to be 160,000 t/d of ore when the underground mine begins production.