Jacobs Engineering Group has received a contract from Minera Chinalco Peru S.A. to perform a feasibility study for its Toromocho copper mining facility expansion in Morococha, Peru. Officials did not disclose its value, but noted it will be executed from Jacobs’ Lima office, with support from its offices in Santiago and Tucson, Arizona.
Jacobs has been working on the Toromocho copper project since 2006. It lies between 14,700 and 16,400 ft above sea level. Current engineering, procurement and construction management is nearing completion. Under the original design, the facility is capable of treating 117,200 metric tons per day (mt/d) of ore and producing in excess of 210,000 mt of copper annually, plus byproducts of silver and molybdenum.
Major equipment required for the proposed capacity expansion includes apron feeders, a conveyor system for mill feed, a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill, a ball mill and cyclones, flotation cells, a tailings thickener, and all associated equipment. The existing plant layout allows for the integration of new equipment required for the current expansion.
Minera Chinalco Perú S.A. is a subsidiary of Chinalco Mining Corp. International, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Aluminum Corporation of China (CHINALCO), headquartered in Beijing, is the controlling shareholder of CMC. CHINALCO is the world’s No. 2 alumina producer and the third largest primary aluminum producer worldwide. Jacobs is one of the world’s largest and most diverse providers of technical, professional and construction services.
