MineGuessr – Skouriotissa, Cyprus: Ancient Copper Mine Turned Hydromet Hub

Skouriotissa in Cyprus is one of the world’s oldest copper mining districts, now reborn as a hydrometallurgical hub processing copper, gold and battery-metal feed. In this MineGuessr door, a 40-year satellite timelapse shows how an ancient VMS copper landscape has been reshaped by modern open-pit mining, slag re-processing and nickel sulphate production for electric vehicle batteries.

Skouriotissa copper mine and slag heaps, Solea Valley, Cyprus

MineGuessr Advent Calendar 2025 – Door 15

Skouriotissa is one of the mines featured in our 2025 MineGuessr mining advent calendar. Each December day, we reveal a new mining satellite timelapse and invite you to guess the mine from satellite imagery of mines across Europe and the wider region.

On this page, we provide a concise, professional overview of Skouriotissa – its location, geology, operational history and role in the raw materials value chain. The satellite timelapse helps illustrate how this ancient mining landscape has been reshaped by modern open-pit and hydrometallurgical operations, supporting raw materials education around copper, gold and battery metals.

Overview & location

Skouriotissa is a long-lived copper mining area in the Solea Valley of the Troodos Mountains, near the village of Skouriotissa in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. The mine exploits volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralisation hosted in the Troodos ophiolite and is widely recognised as the island’s last active copper mine.

The mining area includes several closely spaced deposits – historically known as Phoukasa (Foukasa), Finikia and Tria Vounarka – which together form the Skouriotissa ore system. Modern operations sit within a highly sensitive setting: the north-eastern part of the mine falls within the UN buffer zone between the Republic of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus, and the broader site is part of the Troodos UNESCO Global Geopark due to its geological and mining heritage.

For MineGuessr, Skouriotissa offers a distinctive combination: a compact open-pit copper mine surrounded by large historic slag heaps, leach pads and processing ponds, with the footprint gradually evolving as the site transitions from copper to more diversified hydrometallurgical production.

Geology & deposit type

Skouriotissa is a volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) copper deposit developed within the pillow lavas of the Troodos ophiolite sequence. Mineralisation occurs as replacement-style lenses of copper–iron sulphides within altered volcanic rocks.

Key geological and historical points include:

Main commodity: Copper, with associated pyrite and minor precious metals. In antiquity, Skouriotissa was one of the principal sources of copper for the eastern Mediterranean.
Ancient slag heaps: Around the Skouriotissa–Phoukasa hill, archaeologists have documented slag accumulations on the order of 2 million tonnes, making them the largest ancient copper slag heaps on Cyprus and clear evidence of intensive historical smelting.
Modern ore: In the 20th century, the deposit was mined at grades of roughly 2–3% Cu from underground and open-cast operations, before transitioning to the exploitation of lower-grade copper ore and stockpiles using hydrometallurgical processing.

From a MineGuessr perspective, Skouriotissa represents a classic Mediterranean VMS copper system that has been mined intermittently from prehistory to the present day.

What the mining satellite timelapse shows

The mining satellite timelapse for Skouriotissa (1984–2022) condenses more than a century of modern activity – and millennia of earlier mining – into a few seconds of motion. What you see from space reflects both the historic open pit and the more recent role of Skouriotissa as a hydrometallurgical hub for copper, gold and now nickel.

Pre-1980s foundations – historic pits and slag heaps

By the early 20th century, systematic mining had begun (circa 1921), with both underground and open-cast workings in the Phoukasa–Skouriotissa area. Up to 1974, approximately 7.8 Mt of ore was mined at an average grade of about 2.3% Cu, feeding a concentrator and smelter at Xeros.
Even earlier, in antiquity, the area produced such volumes of slag that Skouriotissa is associated with the largest known ancient copper slag heaps on Cyprus.

In the timelapse, these stages appear mostly as an already-developed pit and large, dark slag dumps that predate the earliest satellite frames.

1980s–1990s – low-grade copper and the SX–EW era

From the early 1980s to the early 1990s, around 600–700 kt of lower-grade ore (roughly 0.8% Cu) were mined and processed using solution extraction and precipitation methods.
In the mid-1990s, a new heap leach–solvent extraction–electrowinning (SX–EW) facility was commissioned, designed initially to produce up to ~8,000 t/y of copper cathode from low-grade ore and historic dumps.

On the satellite imagery, you see the pit and surrounding waste dumps stabilise in size, while leach pads, ponds and plant infrastructure become the visually dominant elements.

2000s–2010s – mature copper hydromet site

Between roughly 1996 and the late 2000s, several million tonnes of ore and waste were processed through the hydrometallurgical plant, producing high-purity copper cathode from material that would have been uneconomic with traditional methods.
Progressive re-handling of stockpiles and tailings altered the layout of dumps and leach pads, while parts of the ancient slag heaps were also quarried for use in construction and cement manufacture.

In the timelapse, these decades show subtle but continuous re-sculpting of older dumps, extensions to leach pads and ponds, and ongoing changes to internal haul roads and infrastructure.

2010s–2020s – from copper to gold & nickel, with rehabilitation

By around 2020, most of the remaining low-grade copper resources at Skouriotissa had been depleted. The site’s focus shifted to gold recovery from ores trucked in from former copper mines elsewhere in Cyprus (for example, Mathiatis and Apliki), processed through a dedicated hydromet line.
In parallel, a new nickel laterite hydrometallurgical project was developed. Imported lateritic ore is leached on site to produce nickel sulphate hexahydrate, a key precursor for electric-vehicle battery materials. Portions of the leached material are then used in backfilling and revegetation of the mine area.

In the most recent satellite frames, the pit rim remains largely stable, but you can pick out newly developed leach piles, changing process ponds and the early stages of reclamation on parts of the old mining landscape.

Mining method & processing – how the ore moves

Historically, Skouriotissa combined underground stoping and open-pit mining of VMS copper ore, which was then trucked to a concentrator and smelter complex near the coast. Today, the story is dominated by hydrometallurgy and re-processing rather than conventional pit expansion.

Copper era: Low-grade copper ore and historic dumps were crushed (where needed), heaped on engineered pads and irrigated with weak acidic solutions. Copper-bearing solutions were treated in an SX–EW plant to produce high-purity copper cathode.
Gold recovery: Gold-bearing ore from legacy copper mines across Cyprus is hauled to Skouriotissa, where it is processed through a dedicated circuit that leverages existing infrastructure while minimising new surface disturbance.
Nickel laterites and battery metals: Imported nickel laterite ore is leached, purified and crystallised to produce nickel sulphate hexahydrate – a specialised product used in the production of electric vehicle batteries. Depleted ore is then used as fill material in rehabilitation works.

From an operational standpoint, Skouriotissa has evolved from a classic copper mine into a multi-metal hydromet platform embedded in a unique archaeological and environmental setting.

Role in the raw materials value chain & energy transition

Skouriotissa’s contribution to the raw materials value chain has changed significantly over time:

Ancient and 20th-century copper: For much of its history, Skouriotissa was a major source of copper ore and metal – from Bronze Age slag heaps to 20th-century underground and open-pit production feeding regional smelters.
Modern copper cathode: The 1990s SX–EW plant demonstrated how low-grade copper resources and old dumps could be economically re-processed into high-purity cathodes, extending the mine’s life and reducing legacy stockpiles.
Nickel sulphate and EV batteries: Today, the nickel laterite project ties Skouriotissa directly into the energy transition raw materials narrative by producing battery-grade nickel sulphate for the global electric-vehicle supply chain.
Gold from legacy mines: Gold production from ores brought in from former copper mines adds a further layer of circular use of historic sites, turning old resources into new value with limited new disturbance.

As a MineGuessr case study, Skouriotissa helps illustrate how a mature site can be repurposed from primary mining to re-processing, specialised hydrometallurgy and rehabilitation, while still sitting at the heart of Cyprus’ mining heritage.

What to look for in the MineGuessr timelapse

As you watch the Skouriotissa satellite timelapse, see if you can spot:

The stabilised open pit – an already mature excavation by the 1980s, with only incremental changes in more recent decades.
The evolution of leach pads and ponds, which gradually become more prominent than new pit development.
Subtle reshaping of historic slag heaps and waste dumps as material is quarried, re-used or progressively rehabilitated.
The compact footprint of a multi-stage hydrometallurgical plant that has successively handled copper, gold and nickel-bearing materials.

MineGuessr perspective – why this mine was included

We selected Skouriotissa for the MineGuessr mining advent calendar because it:

Represents one of the world’s oldest continuously exploited copper mining districts, with slag heaps and underground workings dating back to antiquity.
Shows a clear transition, in satellite imagery, from a conventional open-pit copper mine to a hydrometallurgical hub focused on low-grade ores, legacy materials and battery-metal production.
Highlights how a mature site can remain relevant by combining resource efficiency, environmental rehabilitation and a strong focus on cultural heritage within a UNESCO Global Geopark.

In our GeoGuessr-style mine guessing game, Skouriotissa helps spark conversations about VMS copper deposits, slag-heap archaeology, hydrometallurgical processing and the evolving role of historic mining regions in the energy transition.

Throughout December, keep opening a new door every day and explore all 24 mines featured this year on the main MineGuessr mining advent calendar page.

Day 1 - Aitik (Sweden, copper-gold open pit)
A large, low-grade copper operation south of Gällivare
👉 Open Door 1 - Aitik
Day 2 - Björkdal (Sweden, gold)
Gold mine near Skellefteå, combining open-pit and underground mining.
👉 Open Door 2 - Björkdal
Day 3 - Kemi (Finland, chrome)
Chrome mine in northern Finland, Europe’s only chromite operation.
👉 Open Door 3 - Kemi
Day 4 - Ørtfjell (Norway, iron ore)
Iron ore mine in Norway’s Dunderland Valley, evolving from large open pits to underground mining.
👉 Open Door 4 - Ørtfjell
Day 5 - Trimouns (France, talc)
World’s largest working talc quarry high in the French Pyrenees above Luzenac.
👉 Open Door 5 - Trimouns
Day 6 - Skouries (Greece, copper-gold porphyry)
High-grade copper–gold porphyry project in the forests of Halkidiki, still under construction.
👉 Open Door 6 - Skouries
Day 7 - Las Cruces (Spain, copper)
High-grade hydromet copper mine in the Iberian Pyrite Belt north-west of Seville.
👉 Open Door 7 - Las Cruces
Day 8 - Assarel–Medet (Bulgaria, copper)
Twin porphyry copper open pits in the Panagyurishte district, from Europe’s former largest open-pit copper mine at Medet to today’s modern Assarel operation.
👉 Open Door 8 - Assarel–Medet
Day 9 - Glomel (France, andalusite)
World-class andalusite open-pit quarry in Brittany’s Montagnes Noires, supplying refractory minerals for Europe’s steel, foundry, cement and glass industries.
👉 Open Door 9 - Glomel
Day 10 - Parnassos–Ghiona (Greece, bauxite)
Karst-type bauxite mines in the Parnassos–Ghiona mountains, a historic alumina feedstock district supplying Greece’s aluminium industry.
👉 Open Door 10 - Parnassos–Ghiona
Day 11 - Kittilä (Finland, gold)
Europe’s largest primary gold mine at the Suurikuusikko orogenic gold deposit north of the Arctic Circle.
👉 Open Door 11 - Kittilä
Day 12 - Oltenia Energy Complex (Romania, lignite)
Cluster of large open-pit lignite mines and mine-mouth power plants in Gorj County, now at the centre of Romania’s coal phase-out and just transition plans.
👉 Open Door 12 - Oltenia Energy Complex
Day 13 - Cornwall china clay (UK)
Historic Imerys china clay pits near St Austell, where bright white kaolin benches and tips reshape “Clay Country” over decades of mining and restoration.
👉 Open Door 13 - Cornwall china clay
Day 14 - Aggeria–Agia Irini (Greece, bentonite)
Overlapping bentonite open pits on the volcanic island of Milos, anchoring one of Europe’s key industrial minerals districts.
👉 Open Door 14 - Aggeria–Agia Irini
Day 16 - Tunstead (UK, limestone & cement)
The UK’s largest limestone quarry near Buxton, feeding an integrated lime and cement works with long-term restoration and biodiversity plans.👉 Open Door 16 - Tunstead
Day 17 - Narva (Estonia, oil shale)
Large open-pit oil shale mine in Ida-Viru County, supplying the Narva power plants and reshaping the landscape with strip mining and reclamation.
👉 Open Door 17 - Narva
Day 18 - Sydvaranger (Norway, iron ore)
Arctic banded iron formation at Bjørnevatn near Kirkenes, evolving toward DR-grade magnetite for Europe’s green steel transition.
👉 Open Door 18 - Sydvaranger
Day 19 - Kevitsa (Finland, nickel–copper–PGE)
Multimetal open-pit mine in Finnish Lapland, combining Ni–Cu–PGE production with trolley-assisted haulage for lower-emission mining.
👉 Open Door 19 - Kevitsa
Day 20 - Styrian Erzberg (Austria, iron ore)
Terraced “pyramid” open-pit iron ore mine at Eisenerz, turning 12 Mt of rock into ~3 Mt of ore each year for Austria’s steel industry.
👉 Open Door 20 - Styrian Erzberg
Day 21 - Minas de Alquife (Spain, iron ore)
Europe’s largest open-pit iron ore mine in Granada, restarting in 2020 after two decades of closure to supply high-grade ore to European steelmakers.
👉 Open Door 21 - Minas de Alquife
Day 22 - Siilinjärvi (Finland, phosphate)
EU’s only operating phosphate mine in central Finland, mining an Archean carbonatite for fertiliser-grade apatite and creating distinctive pale tailings and phosphogypsum stacks.
👉 Open Door 22 - Siilinjärvi
Day 23 - Tellnes (Norway, ilmenite/titanium)
World-class ilmenite open pit in the Rogaland Anorthosite Province, supplying TiO₂ pigment feedstock from one of Europe’s largest titanium deposits.
👉 Open Door 23 - Tellnes
Day 24 - Elatsite (Bulgaria, copper–gold porphyry)
High-altitude porphyry copper–gold open pit in Bulgaria’s Srednogorie zone, with ore conveyed under the Balkan Mountains to a separate flotation–tailings complex.
👉 Open Door 24 - Elatsite

About Gosselin Mining

At Gosselin Mining, we work with the kind of complex, long-life operations that Skouriotissa represents: mature open pits, re-processing of legacy material, hydrometallurgical flowsheets and ESG-driven rehabilitation. If you’d like to:

Stress-test a life-of-mine plan for a VMS or brownfield copper–gold asset
Evaluate heap leach or SX–EW options for low-grade or stockpiled material
Benchmark your ESG performance and closure strategy against peer operations in Europe

…you’re very welcome to book a meeting with us.