Ventilation and fire door coverage solution at the Chuquicamata underground mine project

Abstract

Chuquicamata open pit mine, one of the largest in the world, is transitioning to become one of the largest underground copper mines, comparable to El Teniente mine. Currently, surface production is diminishing and systems are being installed for the underground operation; in particular the ventilation infrastructure that will support most of the development for the upcoming years. The Chuquicamata underground mine project has considered different construction packages for the development which require a number of fans and doors to achieve the required airflow distribution. As part of the detailed engineering phase, an updated study of the type of doors, number, location, and commissioning schedule was developed. This paper presents the ventilation door coverage solution proposed as an update of the previous engineering phase to validate the door commissioning timelines and initial cost estimation. A comparison is made between the initial and the updated scope of doors in terms of types, quantity, cost, and timelines according to the latest construction plan. A discussion of the results obtained is presented, followed by a recommendation.