Ausenco recently announced on July 29 that it has been selected to carry out the Pre-Feasibility Engineering B for the infrastructure of the underground phase of Anglo American’s Los Bronces Integrado project. This project is focused on the underground mining of the high-grade Los Sulfatos deposit, one of the largest copper resource deposits in the world. The current plan estimates variable mineral extraction, through successive and increasing phases, ranging from 1 to 14 Mt annually.
Ausenco’s main objective is to confirm the business case defined by Anglo American in previous phases, providing an optimised design that increases the project’s value for Los Bronces Integrado’ underground infrastructure, with a solid technical package and execution strategy. This will result in outcomes that support CAPEX, OPEX, and master schedule parameters, with the precision and foundations established by Anglo American in their Investment Development Model (IDM).
According to Pablo Cabezas, Ausenco’s Project Manager, the project will last 12 months and include comminution and material handling, ventilation, backfill production plants, drainage and water pumping systems, power supply and distribution systems, automation and control installations, as well as workshops, offices, changing rooms, and other operational support areas.
“There are very significant technical challenges, both due to the scale of the resources and their extraction, the complexity of an operation designed with cutting-edge technology, and the community and environmental aspects, with a deposit located in an environmentally sensitive area close to the country’s capital,” he explains.
The Ausenco team for this project includes a local group of professionals with extensive experience in underground projects, alongside international experts with specialised knowledge. The team will collaborate to optimise the design, while respecting the socio-environmental goals that Anglo American is committed to for this project and will offer solutions that maximise value.
