Follow-up on Construction Ventilation Design and Commissioning Sequence for Chuquicamata Underground Mine Project – November 2018 – Geomin Mine Planning Conference:
Writers: Enrique Acuñac, Yiddy San Martínb, and Roberto Álvareza
When it comes to the total amount of excavated space worldwide, Chuquicamata is among the biggest open pit copper mines. It is situated 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) above sea level in the northern region of Chile, not far from Calama. It is located 1,240 kilometres (770 km) north of Santiago, the capital, and 215 km (134 mi) northeast of Antofagasta.
Similar to El Teniente, Chuquicamata is evolving into one of the biggest underground copper mines. As of right now, ventilation systems—specifically, the main fans that will power the majority of the development in the next years—are being built for the underground operation. With a few minor changes and deviations from the original technical plan, the Chuquicamata Underground Mine Project implemented a well-defined main ventilation system in 2017. Currently, 1,300,000 cfm is distributed by ten fans.
Author: Hooman Askari
