Projects
Revolutionizing a Chilean copper mine with high-tech heap leaching solutions
by Daniel Chaplin, General Manager, EPCM Engineering
Chile is home to the world’s largest supply of copper, but the process of extracting it can be time-consuming, costly and dangerous for workers – a challenge EPCM and its Tecnologias COBRA division tackled with high-tech solutions at one major mine.
The key to success was re-visioning how the mine handles a process called “heap leaching irrigation.” Huge piles of ore are treated with acid, dissolving the copper into a liquid from which the copper will later be extracted through electrolysis.
Heap leaching irrigation can be an expensive and dangerous process if not done correctly, so we installed a number of integrated systems that equip workers with access to high-tech monitoring equipment and data to help keep them out of harm’s way.
At this particular mine, we employed advanced technologies including a robotic drone, which flies autonomously over the irrigation areas to monitor and troubleshoot the heap leach process from above. As an example, information captured by the drone camera can pinpoint an unusually wet area, indicating a hose break or need to reduce flow.
Armed with data from all points in the system, operators can quickly identify the source of any problem and take immediate steps to fix it. The drone complements a number of significant technological changes we made to improve the mine’s conveyor systems and the downstream processing of the copper.
Safety and efficiency results
Merging advanced technology with our industry expertise in design, installation, maintenance and control have taken this half-century-old mine to the forefront of the industry.
Our new approach to monitoring ensures operators spend far less time on the irrigation site where safety is a risk – improving safety by 100%.
What’s more, efficiency increased across the board, including a:
- 2% increase in copper recovery
- 95% decrease in time required to adjust heap leach flow
- 90 % decrease in manpower
Our systems are designed first and foremost with worker safety in mind. However, it’s clear that the benefits continue to ripple outward across operations. At EPCM and Tecnologias COBRA, we know first-hand that a safe workforce empowered with data leads to success in a fast-changing industry.
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