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(Facility) Chuquicamata Copper Smelter

Plant in Antofagasta, Chile with commodities Copper, Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Ownership information
  9. Links to other databases
  10. Bibliographic references
  11. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10158031
MAS/MILS ID 3370051002
Record type Site
Current site name (Facility) Chuquicamata Copper Smelter
Alternate or previous names Chuquicamata Smelter

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Plant
Geographic coordinates: -68.94781, -22.31255 (WGS84)
Elevation 2840
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Antofagasta(province)

Chile(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Chile Antofagasta

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid Secondary

Nearby scientific data

Plant (1) -68.94781, -22.31255
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Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Processing Plant
Development status Plant
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Plant type Smelter
Plant subcategory Smelter-Pyrometallurgy

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Corporacion Del Cobre (Codelco-Chile)
    Interest 100
    Home office Chile
    Year 1989

Comments on the production information

  • SMELTER OUTPUT HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY, REACHING 450,000 MT IN 1978. OF THE 1978 TOTAL, ABOUT 355,000 MT REPRESENTED NEW COPPER AND THE REMAINDER CAME FROM INTERNALLY GENERATED SCRAP. FOR COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE SMELTING PROCESS--READ E/MJ NOV. 1979, P. 74. THE SMELTER FEED IS SUPPLIED BY THE CHUQUICAMATA CONCENTRAT. CURRENT TECHNOLOGY AT CHUQUICAMATA SMELTER INCLUDES THREE DISTINCT SMELTING ALTERNATIVES: OXY-FUEL EL TENIENTE REVERBERATORY SMELTING, OUTOKUMPU FLASH FURNACE, AND THE EL TENIENTE MODIFIED CONVERTER. THE SMELTER ALSO USES PIERCE-SMITH CONVERTERS, TILTING ANODE FURNACES, AND CASTING WHEELS. TWO SULFURIC ACID PLANTS ARE CURRENTLY IN OPERATION; ONE IS A SINGLE AND THE OTHER IS A DOUBLE CONTACT TYPE. THE PLANT IS OPERATED CLOSE TO FULL CAPACITY, WITH A CURRENT CAPACITY OF 460,000 MTPA COPPER ANODE.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • COMBINED OK FLASH AND EL TENIENTE PROCESSES. OK ADDED 1988. SC 700 & DC 1720 MTPD ACID PLANTS, 2D 1720 MTPD ON LINE 1991. CONTOP TRIAL START 2/90 ON REVERB.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SUTULOV, ALEXANDER: EL COBRE CHILENO, 1975, PP. 243-253.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ, NOV. 1979, "CIPEC'S BIG FOUR", PP.74-75.

  • Deposit

    PINCOCK, ALLEN & HOLT, INC.; THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGINEERING,

  • Deposit

    OPERATING AND ENVIRONMENTAL COST DATA FOR INTERNATIONAL

  • Deposit

    COPPER SMELTING AND REFINING OPERATIONS - CHUQUICAMATA,

  • Deposit

    CHILE. BUMINES CONTRACT J0270007; FOR INF., CONTACT

  • Deposit

    S.W. TOWLE, TPO, BUMINES-MAFO, DENVER, CO.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 09-JAN-95 Towle, Stewart W. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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