The Quicay Mine is an Epithermal deposit of high gold and silver sulphuration. Since Corporación Minera Centauro owned prior know-how as a mining constructor, it was able to start up Quicay in only 2 years – an impressive time to satisfactorily execute the development and construction of an open pit-mining project. This makes Corporación Minera Centauro a Peruvian mining company with high performance capacity in terms of operative quality and efficiency, enabling to optimize the execution and costs of its operations.

 

Before Corporación Minera Centauro developed the Quicay deposit into an operating open-pit, mine, several companies originally explored the mining property in Quicay, disregarding it due to its low reserves which lack of attractiveness for that time. During the 1960's, Quicay was explored by the companies Kennecott Copper Corporation and Hunting Survey Corporation. Between 1993 and 1996, the new owner Centromin Peru, explored the area seeking for gold reserves and in 1996, Coribarrick (a subsidiary company from Barrick Gold Corporation) subscribed an option on the deposit and explored it until 1998. Nevertheless, when considered that Quicay possessed low gold reserves, Coribarrick disregarded the deposit, returning the mining concessions to Centromin Peru.

 

In 2000, Corporación Minera Centauro acquired the ownership of Quicay concessions and started the first exploration works. Likewise, Corporación Minera Centauro obtained the permit from the Local Community of Pacoyán to use the surface land for mining operations and the environmental certification to exploit and process the gold ore from Quicay. In 2002, the Quicay Mine initiated its ore exploitation and processing operations. During the 10 years of operational lifespan, Quicay has achieved a producction of 600,000 ounces of gold.

 

Since 2011 and after the Quicay Mine concluded its operational life, Corporación Minera Centauro has been duly executing the activities regarding the Progressive Mine Closure stage. However, due to the ongoing exploration work in the Quicay Pit area (also known as Quicay I Project) the Mine Closure schedule had to be postponed: the scheduled dates for completion of the Progressive and Final Mine Closure have been modified.