Process development for International Curator's El Boleo copper-cobalt project

摘要

International Curator's El Boleo Project is based on mining copper-cobalt ores from stratiform deposits near Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Project plans involve the use of opencast and underground mining to exploit a resource that includes substantial amounts of highly variable and complex near surface oxide ores in addition to pulphide ores. Process development has focused on sulphuric acid leaching in sea water to dissolve economic metals, copper and cobalt.