Tenova Mining & Minerals’ USA-based business, Tenova Mining & Minerals USA, has been awarded a contract to design and supply two 3 km long overland conveyors for the Quebalix IV Project, located at the Buenavista del Cobre mine in Sonora, Mexico. This is the third consecutive Quebalix conveyor system to be delivered to the mine by Tenova Mining & Minerals USA. The overland conveyors will deliver material downhill to the leach dump at 12,000 t/h. Combined, the system includes five variable frequency controlled 2,700 kW drive assemblies, which continuously return electric power to the grid during operations.

The Quebalix project, which derives its name from crusher (que = quebrador), conveyor (ba = banda), leaching (lix = lixiviacion) system, is located at the same mine as the Copper Concentrator Expansion II Project, where Tenova Mining & Minerals USA has designed and delivered a total of 22 high capacity overland and in-plant conveyors. Several more Quebalix systems are in the planning stage for the mine.

Buenavista del Cobre mine is owned by Grupo México, which operates a number of mining activities in Mexico, Peru and the USA. Grupo México is one of the largest copper producers worldwide and owns some of the largest copper reserves globally.

Buenavista del Cobre today has 9,000 employee and exports 200,000 t of refined copper. Buenavista del Cobre began one of the largest investment programs in 2012 in the state of Sonora for $4.141 billion, of which $2.021 billion has been invested to date. The program is expected to be completed the first quarter of 2016, increasing copper annual production from 200,000 to 510,000 t, to contribute to both job creation and the economic growth of the country.