Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

    Geomechanics.io

    Geomechanics, Streamlined.

    © 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

    Geomechanics.io

    CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

    Industries

    MiningConstructionTunnelling

    Company

    Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects

    First Quantum’s $5.9B Taca Taca copper mine: NPV, capex and mine plan for engineers

    February 20, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    First Quantum’s $5.9B Taca Taca copper mine: NPV, capex and mine plan for engineers

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    First Quantum Minerals’ updated technical report values the Taca Taca copper-gold project in Salta, Argentina at an after-tax NPV of $5.92 billion with a 19.3% IRR, assuming $4.50/lb copper and $3,000/oz gold, more than double the 2021 NPV of $2.36 billion. The open-pit design is based on 1.99 billion tonnes of proven and probable reserves grading 0.42% Cu, 0.01% Mo and 0.09 g/t Au, supporting 35 years of mine life with initial 40 Mt/y processing, expanding to 60 Mt/y in year five. Forecast output averages 291,000 t/y Cu and 133,000 oz/y Au for the first decade at cash costs of $0.97/lb, but major capex of about $5.2 billion is unlikely before 2028, pending RIGI incentives and a restart of Cobre Panama.

    Technical Brief

    • Project sits at 3,500 m elevation in Salta’s Puna region, 55 km from Chile.
    • Site is 230 km west of Salta city with no local communities within the project footprint.
    • Contained metals: 8.43 Mt Cu, 244,400 t Mo and 5.53 Moz Au in reserves.
    • Reserve update equates to +13% P&P tonnage, +9% in-situ Cu and +9% in-situ Au vs 2021.
    • Mineralisation remains open at depth and along southern and eastern margins, indicating further resource upside.
    • Initial 40 Mt/y plant capex is estimated at $4.2 billion, with $1 billion for 60 Mt/y expansion.
    • Life-of-mine cash costs are projected at $1.26/lb Cu, higher than the first-decade 97¢/lb.

    Our Take

    With a life-of-mine cash cost of $1.26/lb for copper, Taca Taca screens in our database as a low-cost Latin American copper asset, which could help First Quantum rebalance its portfolio risk after the disruption at Cobre Panama in Panama.

    The assumed $4.50/lb copper price and 8% discount rate put this study at the aggressive end of project assumptions in our recent copper project coverage, signalling that financing appetite will be highly sensitive to where long-term price decks settle over the next few years.

    An initial capex of $4.2 billion plus $1 billion for expansion against a 35-year mine life and 1.99 billion tonnes of reserves suggests Taca Taca will compete directly with other large-scale Andean copper projects in our database for a limited pool of project finance and EPC capacity in the late 2020s.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Focus Graphite’s Lac Tetepisca resource: capex and pit geometry notes for engineers
    Mining
    about 23 hours ago

    Focus Graphite’s Lac Tetepisca resource: capex and pit geometry notes for engineers

    Focus Graphite’s Lac Tetepisca project in central Quebec now hosts 14.7 million tonnes of contained graphite at 10.2% Cg, an 86% increase over its 2022 resource, ranking fifth globally and second in North America by contained tonnes. The updated estimate, based on 26,095 metres of drilling in 150 holes, includes 12.3 million tonnes contained graphite in measured and indicated resources (120.1 million tonnes at 10.27% Cg) plus 2.3 million tonnes inferred (24.1 million tonnes at 9.88% Cg). Grades above 10% Cg, open-pit geometry with favourable strip ratios, low-cost Quebec hydropower and planned >99.9% purity processing underpin analyst views that Focus trades at an 81% discount to peers.

    Freeport’s delayed Grasberg restart to 2028: production and risk notes for mine engineers
    Mining
    about 24 hours ago

    Freeport’s delayed Grasberg restart to 2028: production and risk notes for mine engineers

    Freeport Indonesia has pushed back Grasberg’s full production restart to early 2028, after a September mudflow in the Grasberg Block Cave killed seven workers, halted underground mining and triggered force majeure on shipments. The complex, which previously supplied about 3% of global copper (1.7 billion lb/year) and 1.4 million oz/year of gold, is currently operating at roughly 40–50% capacity, with copper output for 2026 now guided at 700 million lb versus a prior 1‑billion‑lb target. Ramp-up targets have been reset to 65% capacity in H2 2026 and 80% by mid‑2027, as additional logistics and ore-handling infrastructure work proceeds.

    San Lorenzo Chile gold assays: porphyry potential and drilling cues for mine planners
    Mining
    about 24 hours ago

    San Lorenzo Chile gold assays: porphyry potential and drilling cues for mine planners

    San Lorenzo Gold’s Salvadora project in Chile’s Atacama region returned strong gold intercepts at the Arco de Oro target, with hole SAL-10-25 cutting 102 m at 1.33 g/t Au from 153 m (including 13 m at 2.21 g/t), and nearby SAL-09-25 yielding 59 m at 1.07 g/t Au from 238 m (including 11 m at 3.78 g/t). Exploration VP Terence Walker interprets the results as the upper levels of a gold‑rich porphyry Cu‑Au system, open in all directions and warranting immediate follow‑up drilling. The 90+ sq. km Salvadora property lies about 15 km from Codelco’s El Salvador mine, and a C$20 million March placement is funding ongoing step‑out drilling across five porphyry and epithermal targets.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental