Amec Foster Wheeler has been awarded an engineering services contract by Codelco for a new secondary ore grinding processing facility at the Chuquicamata copper concentrator facility in northern Chile. Codelco is the biggest copper producer in the world by volume, and Chuqui is one of the world’s largest copper mines. Modifications to the existing ore milling plant will substantially improve the copper plant efficiency and increase copper recovery in the SAG mills section of the Chuquicamata plant by reducing the particle size of the final product. The value of the contract was not disclosed. Work has begun and is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2015.

Under the contract, Amec Foster Wheeler will provide engineering services, including design and field engineering support, for the new secondary ore grinding processing area. The new facilities planned include a new ball mill, a hydrocyclones building, pebbles recirculation material handling, a mineral ore pulp transportation system and a new copper concentrate plant to produce copper-molybdenum concentrate.

“We are very pleased to have been awarded another contract by Codelco,” said Dave Lawson, Global Leader, Mining & Metals Markets, Amec Foster Wheeler. “This project will be executed by our office in Chile and this award reflects the strong relationship we have developed with Codelco in recent years.”