United Sistema de Tuberias Limitada, a Chilean subsidiary of Insituform Technologies’ United Pipeline Systems division has been awarded a $10.3 million contract to install its Tite Liner^® system in mining pipelines at Minera Candelaria, owned by Freeport-McMoRan Mining Company (FMI), located near Copiapo, Chile.

In 2010, FMI has awarded United Sistema de Tuberias over $16.5 million in contracts, including a $6 million project at El Abra Minera, announced last July. Dorwin Hawn, Insituform’s Senior Vice President, Energy and Mining, said, “It is an exciting year for United Sistema de Tuberias. Contracts such as this, which is the largest contract award to date for Tite Liner in South America, position United to have another record-breaking year. “Our General Manager, Sr. Roberto Ogarrio and his team spent two years working with FMI on the details of this project. We look forward to continuing our relationship with FMI.”

This project will install over 22.5 km of Tite Liner in 610 mm pipelines used to transport sanitary pre-treated water and sea water, marking the largest Tite Liner installation in an aqueduct ever completed. The mine is located in extremely difficult desert and mountainous terrain. The installation of Tite Liner will help preserve and protect scarce water resources at the mine and at the nearby community of Copiapo.

Hatch Engineering is in charge of the design and management of this project and worked with United Sistema de Tuberias to design the project using Tite Liner as an effective method to resist internal abrasion and corrosion in pipelines. Work on the project is expected to be completed in March 2011.

United Pipeline Systems is a global leader in providing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lining systems for internal pipeline protection. United has constructed and internally lined more than 13,000 km of pipelines on six continents since 1985. United developed the Tite Liner system, which protects steel pipelines from a variety of chemicals and abrasives through a broad range of temperatures and pressures.

Insituform Technologies is a global leader in pipeline protection. Insituform provides proprietary technologies and services for rehabilitating sewer, water, energy and mining piping systems and the corrosion protection of industrial pipelines.