Cerro de Pasco
Encyclopedia
Cerro de Pasco is a city in central Peru
. It is the capital of the Pasco region
, and an important mining
center. It is connected by road and by rail to the city of Lima
.
, it is one of the highest cities in the world. It became one of the world's richest silver
producing areas after silver was discovered there in the early 17th century. Although the silver was exhausted by the Spanish
, it is still an active mining center.
The mine is currently owned by Volcán Compañía Minera who bought it from Centromin when that State owned company was privatised in the 20th century. The last full year's figures (2006) gave combined production from the underground and open pit mine
s at 3.34 million tons containing 58,300 tonnes of lead
, 155,300 tonnes of zinc
and 8.5 million ounce
s of silver though it is not clear whether this is the metal mined or actually recovered. The ore
reserve position is healthy, with 40 million tonnes in reserves and over 50 million tonnes in resources. Copper
production ceased many years ago though the remains of the old smelter can be seen next to the railroad west of the Colquijirca property.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. It is the capital of the Pasco region
Pasco Region
Pasco is a region in central Peru. Its capital is Cerro de Pasco.-Political division:The region is divided into 3 provinces , which are composed of 28 districts .-Provinces:...
, and an important mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
center. It is connected by road and by rail to the city of Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
.
Overview
At 14,200 feet (4,330m) elevation in the AndesAndes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, it is one of the highest cities in the world. It became one of the world's richest silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
producing areas after silver was discovered there in the early 17th century. Although the silver was exhausted by the Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
, it is still an active mining center.
The mine is currently owned by Volcán Compañía Minera who bought it from Centromin when that State owned company was privatised in the 20th century. The last full year's figures (2006) gave combined production from the underground and open pit mine
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
s at 3.34 million tons containing 58,300 tonnes of lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, 155,300 tonnes of zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and 8.5 million ounce
Ounce
The ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
s of silver though it is not clear whether this is the metal mined or actually recovered. The ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
reserve position is healthy, with 40 million tonnes in reserves and over 50 million tonnes in resources. Copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
production ceased many years ago though the remains of the old smelter can be seen next to the railroad west of the Colquijirca property.