The north Chilean mining company Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi has chosen Outokumpu flotation technology for their concentrator plant expansion in Region of Tarapacá.

The local mining company Minera Collahuasi started its operation in 1998 when the original concentrator plant was constructed. For the expansion Minera Collahuasi wanted to use technology of cells with forced air: the choice was Outokumpu TankCell®. The original plant used competing self-aspirating flotation cell technology.

The project aim is to increase the mineral processing, in nominal figures, from the present 60,000 tpd to 110,000 tpd. The aim will be reached among others by installing 27 TankCell®-160 flotation cells totaling 4,320 cubic meters of flotation volume. Together with the cells Outokumpu will deliver a FrothCon flotation automation system. The equipment will be delivered during the first quarter of 2003.

Collahuasi is one of the largest copper resources known in the world. It is situated 4200 meters above the sea level in the Andes, north-northeast of Chuquicamata. Mining at Collahuasi has a very long history dating back to time of the Incas. The present mining company Minera Collahuasi is a joint operation of Noranda / Falconbridge Ltd., Anglo American PLC Group and a partnership of Japanese companies lead by Mitsui & Co. Ltd.

Contact:
Patricio Rodríguez
Product Manager Flotation & Grinding, Outokumpu Técnica Chile Ltda.
Tel (56-2) 3794700
Fax (56-2) 2234989
patricio.rodriguez
@outokumpu.com
Seppo Ronkainen
Global Product Manager, Outokumpu Technology, Minerals Processing
Tel. +358 9 421 2238
Fax +358 9 421 3156
seppo.ronkainen
@outokumpu.com

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