Gibraltar Mine
Taseko Mines 35,000 tonne per day Gibraltar open-pit mine is located 68 km north of Williams Lake in the Cariboo Chilcotin region of British Columbia. The Gibraltar Mine produces copper in concentrate, copper metal and molybdenum. Gibraltar re-opened in October 2004.
Taseko entered into a Joint Venture agreement, through its wholly owned subsidiary Gibraltar Mines Limited, with Ledcor Mining Ltd. Under the Joint Venture, Gibraltar is responsible for concentrate sales, transportation and site administration; Ledcor is responsible for on-site operations.
The current plan is to extract 148 million tonnes of sulphide ore over 12 years, producing an average of 70 million pounds of copper and 980,000 pounds of molybdenum in concentrate annually. There are also some 596 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources outlined that could extend the life of the operation.
The Gibraltar mine had been known as a swing producer delivering some excellent profits when copper prices were high. During an extended standby period between December 1998 and October 2004, the mine staff initiated some creative programs to help sustain the operation through lower parts of the price cycle.
The mine was restarted as a concentrate producer in order to get into production quickly and take advantage of the strong copper market. Now that production is under way and revenues are being generated, Taseko is considering moving forward with the investigation of a copper refinery. The refinery capital investment would bring further economic development opportunities to the mine and the region.
The Gibraltar mine provides substantial economic benefits by employing 250 people. Gibraltar is focused on maintaining the operation as a long-life mine and Taseko has planned for the long-term, turning challenges into opportunities.
For further information about the mine, visit Taseko Mines Limited; or explore the Cariboo in British Columbia.
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