Client:
Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco)
Construction period:
2023 – ongoing
City/Country:
Atacama Desert (San Pedro de Atacama), Chile
Chuquicamata Underground Mine Development
Chile
From surface mining to the underground mine of the future
In the heart of the Atacama Desert, a new chapter is being written for one of the world's largest copper mines. Situated at an altitude of 2.830 metres, the Chuquicamata mine is transitioning from open-pit operations to a modern underground mining system. This transformation will extend the mine's lifespan by at least 40 years.
At the core of the project is the block caving method. A technique in which rock is carefully fractured, allowing the material to move downward through gravity for adequate extraction.
Around 3.040 metres of horizontal development and excavation works were performed to support the transition of the Chuquicamata CC-010 project. STRABAG extracted approximately 1,2 million tonne-kilometre of material and 7.024 cubic metres for ditches and excavation.
Scope of Work
- Horizontal underground mining in Chile
- Extensive extraction works
- Ditch excavation and earthworks
- Construction of underground excavations
- Development of mining infrastructure
-
-
-
