Cerro Matoso, located in northern Colombia, is an open-cut nickel laterite mine and smelter. It is a major producer of ferronickel, a nickel iron alloy which is used to make stainless steel used in everyday household items.
Cerro Matoso has a long history and has been operating for 40 years. It continues to be an important contributor to the local economy.
Sierra Gorda is a large, conventional, open pit copper mine located in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile.
Sierra Gorda has a copper-molybdenum-gold sulphide mineral reserve of more than 1 billion tonnes, and a mine life of more than 20 years¹.
Ore processing at Sierra Gorda includes crushing, grinding, flotation, thickening and filtering to produce concentrates. The copper concentrate produced at the operation is transported by truck and rail to the port of Antofagasta and Angamos, for international export to end markets.
Located in the Patagonia Mountains, about 80 kilometres south-east of Tucson, Arizona, the Hermosa development option comprises the zinc-lead-silver Taylor sulphide deposit (Taylor Deposit), the zinc-manganese-silver Clark oxide deposit (Clark Deposit) and an extensive, highly prospective land package with the potential for further polymetallic and copper mineralisation.
Our work at Hermosa is part of our strategy to reshape our portfolio and increase exposure to the metals critical for a low carbon future.
Our Brazil Alumina operations are made up of a share in the country’s largest bauxite mine, as well as an alumina refinery.
For more than 40 years bauxite mining has been underway at the Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN) mine, in Porto Trombetas, in northern Brazil.
Our share of the ore produced at the MRN mine is supplied to the Alumar alumina refinery in São Luís, northeastern Brazil, which has been operating since the mid-eighties.
We have a 33 per cent interest in the MRN mine and a 36 per cent share of the alumina refinery.
South32 holds a 40 per cent share in the non-operated Alumar aluminium smelter, which was restarted during FY22 after being on care and maintenance since 2015. Alcoa holds a 60 per cent share.
Our share of production from the Brazil Aluminium smelter is powered by 100 per cent cost efficient renewable power and produces aluminium for the domestic and export markets.
Following the restart, first production was achieved in the June 2022 quarter, with full capacity from the smelter’s three potlines expected to be achieved in Q1 FY24. It has a solid metal production capacity of 447kt per year.
The Ambler Metals Joint Venture is a high-grade development option in northwest Alaska.
Ambler Metals can be separated into three key parts – the high grade, polymetallic Arctic deposit, the Bornite copper deposit and an exciting regional exploration portfolio. A pre-feasibility study for the Arctic deposit is underway.
