Located in Matehuala, S.L.P., Mexico, the Altiplano Processing Plant will offer advanced gold and silver concentrate processing at lower rates than those currently available to the numerous small and medium-size regional producers. Presently, local producers have little alternative other than to sell their concentrates to large-scale and further-a-field smelters at significantly higher processing costs. In addition to offering much lower processing costs, regional producers will receive similar conditions of payment while having access to a facility that is able, and willing, to receive small concentrate lots; this would ensure reasonable access to advanced processing for all local producers regardless of the size or scale of their operations.
Construction at the Altiplano facility, situated on 20 hectares of owned land, is nearing completion (75% complete) and processing is scheduled to begin within the year. The facility is centrally located within a historic mining district containing one of the older epithermal zone in the country, connected to very good transportation infrastructure, and is readily accessible to upwards of twenty small and medium production mining operations. The Altiplano Concentrate Leaching Plant, once operating at capacity, will process 50 tons per day leading to an estimated annual production of 1.9 million ounces of silver and 48,000 ounces of fine gold; additionally, upwards of 16,500 tons of high-grade lead and copper concentrate will be produced. The tailings will maintain their high-grade lead or copper concentration, but will have had 95% of the original silver and gold content extracted.
The Altiplano Processing Plant will employ the dissolution treatment production process, which compared to the alternative foundry technology, is cleaner and significantly more economical. Fine gold and silver will be extracted as doré, while the high-grade tailings will be marketed to regional smelters at market value. This will ensure minimal resource wastage while providing Altiplano a reliable secondary revenue stream.
