Located in the northern Chilean Atacama Desert, roughly 15 kilometres north of Calama, is Chuquicamata, one of the biggest and most important copper mines in the world. Known for its enormous size and depth, it is the second-deepest open pit mine in the world, measuring more than 4.3 kilometres (2.7 miles) long and 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) wide. It descends to a depth of approximately 1,000 meters (3,300 feet).
According to current estimations, Chuquicamata produces over 650,000 metric tonnes of copper year, which makes Chile the world’s top producer of copper, providing roughly 27% of the world’s supply by 2021. The mine’s economic value is further enhanced by the production of molybdenum as a byproduct.
The Chuquicamata mine is located on top of the Chuqui Porphyry Complex, a long intrusive body that trends northeast and is about 14 km long and 1.5 km wide. This steep and nearly vertical complex includes the East, West, Banco, and Fine Texture Porphyries and stretches from the Chuquicamata site to the RT mine.
Potassic alteration, which is marked by the occurrence of alkali feldspar polymorphs and the replacement of albite for plagioclase, has a considerable impact on the mineralisation of the region. The most notable characteristic of this change is the extensive conversion of hornblende to biotite, which preserves the original igneous textures. Granular quartz and veinlets of quartz-K feldspar accompany these changes.
The traditional drill and blast drifting method is used in underground mining. The ore is removed via a lengthy process called block-caving.
It is made up of two air-extraction shafts, five clean air injection ramps, a 7.5 km main access tunnel, and four production levels.
By the time production ends in 2060, the tunnels will have dug the mine almost 787 meters deeper. An estimated $4.2 billion will be spent on the underground mine, which is expected to generate 140,000 tonnes of ore every day. It is anticipated that the mine will yield 18,000 tpa of fine molybdenum and 366,000 tpa of copper.
The most potent conveyor belt is found in the subterranean mine; it was put into service in September 2020. 13 km from the mining site, the concentrate plant receives copper ore directly from the underground mine via the belt system. Haul trucks are not necessary thanks to the conveyor technology’s infrastructure. Large ABB AC synchronous motors are used with gearless conveyor drives (GCDs) on the three main 11,000 tph conveyors.
