Located 185 km east of Arica in northern Chile’s Arica and Parinacota Region, the 5,757-hectare Choquelimpie Project is a past-producing high-sulfidation epithermal gold-silver system situated at elevations between 4,600–4,900 metres. Originally developed by Royal Dutch Shell, the site produced approximately 415,000 ounces of gold and 2 million ounces of silver from 1988–1992, making it the third-largest gold producer in Chile at that time.
Norsemont Mining owns 100% of Choquelimpie, a project with substantial infrastructure and exploration upside. The project now hosts an NI 43-101 compliant resource of 2.18 million indicated and 557,000 inferred gold-equivalent (AuEq) ounces (April 2025). The site is supported by existing roads, utilities, and comprehensive onsite facilities.
415k oz Au, 2M oz Ag (Shell + Northgate Minerals)
Over 1,700 holes and 140,000 metres of drilling
2.18M AuEq oz Indicated + 557k AuEq oz Inferred (Apr 2025 NI 43-101)
Mill, power, water, lab, camp, warehouse, permits
Choquelimpie was acquired as a partially intact mining complex. The following infrastructure is currently on site:
The deposit lies within the Andean magmatic arc, formed during the Miocene epoch (6.7–7.3 Ma). Mineralization occurs in hydrothermal breccias and porphyritic rocks, with gold and silver present in disseminated zones, stockworks, and high-grade veins.
Only ~5 km² of the broader 25 km² hydrothermal alteration system has been systematically explored to date, leaving significant upside for additional discovery.
Numerous historical and Norsemont drill holes have intersected high grade (greater than 2.5 g/t gold). This higher-grade mineralization is hosted in veins and hydrothermal breccias. High-grade sulfide mineralization is present beneath the oxide mineralization.
Only ~5 km² of the broader 27 km² hydrothermal alteration system has been systematically explored to date, leaving significant room for new discoveries
Next Steps in Advancement
Building on the current resource base and exploration success, Norsemont is focused on advancing Choquelimpie through:
Phase 3 Drilling
Deep diamond drilling (up to 600m) targeting the copper porphyry system at depth
Step-out drilling (300m) into high-grade gold zones to grow the resource
Shallow drilling into oxide and leachable zones to expand near-surface potential
Metallurgical Work
Detailed testing across oxide, mixed, and sulfide material to refine recovery models and inform processing options
Project De-Risking
Advancing permitting, updating geological models, and initiating early-stage development planning
These next steps are aimed at unlocking the broader potential of the 27 km² hydrothermal system and positioning Choquelimpie as a tier-one development asset in northern Chile.
Choquelimpie is located in northern Chile’s Arica and Parinacota Region, just 115 km east of the coastal city of Arica.
The project sits at an elevation of 4,600–4,900 meters in the high Andes and is fully road-accessible via paved and gravel routes. Arica, the nearest city, is a major port with an international airport.
Norsemont’s 100%-owned Choquelimpie Project includes 21 contiguous mining concessions covering 5,757 hectares. The property falls within the Las Vicuñas National Reserve, but is covered by valid Presidential Decrees that allow mining and exploration.
All mining rights are held through Norsemont’s Chilean subsidiary, SCM Vilacollo. A full list of tenements, permits, and ownership details is available in the NI 43-101 Technical Report (PDF).
Two videos focusing on the layout, access, and legacy material contained within the leach pads southwest of the main mine area.
Three video segments filmed across various points in the historic Choque Pit, highlighting structural geology, drill access, and overall scale.
