Mining Engineer with Open pit, UG and PFS LOM design/planning experience here.
If it were that simple, everyone would be doing it.
Pit shells are usually developed using Whittle and a whole range of cost inputs that we don’t have access to. Even using the PFS mining cost for Productora, it means nothing without having the block model available.
We dont know the geomechanics, so no way to determine wall angles either which directly impacts strip ratio.
Once the open pit is complete, they’ll likely move to block cave the rest, so the ore will be extracted one way or another, even if the open pit can’t get it all.
You can’t just sketch a pit shell over something unless you’re a uni lecturer looking to illustrate a concept to first year mining undergraduates.
Having said that since we’re at about that level for this dicussion, I caved and so for fun, I’ve drawn out something conceptual that may be 1% accurate. Have sketched in initial pits (green) with 2 cutback phases to final pit (IRL there will likely be more). Also includes another concept with final pit only (no cutbacks sketched) + block cave + shaft concept. Again, this is an absolutely meaningless/valueless sketch but should give an idea of potential design geometry in my opinion without knowing anything and based purely on that one picture (ha). The bigger the machines they use, the lower the opex will be. We’ve already established that capex will be very competitive.
Wouldnt surface miners be wonderful if the ground is soft enough (through probably not with sulfides at those depths).
Productora wasnt economic at 2018 prices by itself, but with Cortaderra combined it should be a no brainer at supercycle prices - scale makes a huge difference. Its why FMG was able to mine Cloudbreak and Xmas Creek at grades considered to be junk by BHP/Rio.
And since grade appears to potentially increase with depth, once they get to the block caving phase it will be highly profitable operation.
Also - they aren’t skipping the scoping study. Their scoping study is almost complete.
All of your other questions will be answered in the Scoping Study and PFS.
(20min delay)