Phase-one construction of the Oyu Tolgoi mining complex now is more than 82% complete and headed toward its first production of copper-gold-silver concentrate later this year. The picture shows mining and pre-stripping at the Southern Oyu open-pit mine. The project initially is 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 plant, with related facilities and necessary infrastructure to support an initial throughput of 100,000 t/d of ore, is being constructed to process ore scheduled to be mined from the Southern Oyu open pit. Initial production of copper-gold-silver concentrate is expected in Q3 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 between 150,000 and 160,000 t/d of ore when the underground mine begins production. See the articles in International Mining published in 2011.