Jacobs Engineering Group has won a contract from Codelco to provide engineering services for an anticipated 200,000 t/d day copper mine in Chile. Officials estimate the total installed cost (TIC) at $4.5 billion. Under the terms of the contract, Jacobs is providing engineering services for Phase II of the Radomiro Tomic (RT) sulphides mine and the new and independent concentrator facility. The conventional concentrator is expected to have two 40-ft SAG mills and four conventional ball mills; a 160-km desalinated water pipeline; booster stations; a desalination plant; a thickened tailings management facility; a 270-km concentrate transport pipeline; and power infrastructure.Jacobs is committed to growing its mining and minerals business in South America, particularly in Chile. Codelco Vice President of Projects Sergio Fuentes said of the award, “This is a long term strategic decision and an opportunity for us to work with a worldclass company committed to providing quality services.” Jacobs Chairman of the Board Noel Watson stated, “We are very impressed by the quality of leadership at Codelco and the compatibility of our business cultures. Jacobs is committed to supporting them in achieving their business vision and long term goals. We are thrilled at the opportunity to establish a long term relationship with Codelco and grow our presence in Chile.”
RT lies at 3,000 m above sea level in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, the operation is 4 km from the Chuquicamata mine and smelter. In 1999 Codelco contracted Kvaerner Metals to increase the plant capacity to 250,000 t/y of cathode copper. This expansion was completed in 2001. Codelco initially created a new Radomiro Tomic Division to manage the facility. In August 2002, the corporation amalgamated Chuquicamata and RT as one division – Codelco Norte – that also includes Mina Sur.
During 1993-94, Codelco established a resource base for RT of 802 Mt of oxide ore grading 0.59% Cu, with 1,600 Mt of refractory (sulphide) ore. Hosted as a porphyry intruded into Triassic and Palaeozoic rocks, the ore is differentiated by mineral assemblage into an Upper Oxide unit – with 40% by volume of atacamite, 31% copper clays and minor chrysocolla and copper wad – and the Lower unit with 70% atacamite and minor copper clays and chrysocolla. The orebody resulted from the oxidation of a secondary sulphide enrichment blanket.