THE COLLAHUASI copper mine in Chile has commissioned a Bucyrus 49HR rotary blasthole drill equipped with a high-altitude compressor.
Bucyrus International says that the mine has the first of two such drills to be equipped with 107-m3/min air compressors delivered in 2009.
The Collahuasi mine is owned by Xstrata Copper 44%, Anglo American 44% and a Japanese consortium 12%. The mine is at an elevation of 4,500 meters.
Bucyrus International says that the combination of the 49HR drill and air compressor will maximise drill productivity by enabling drill operators to achieve target bailing velocity and optimum radial clearance. Other compressors de-rate in high-elevation and high-temperature environments, causing bailing velocity to decrease. As bailing velocity deteriorates, so too will drill productivity.
In addition to the productivity benefits offered, the Bucyrus 49HR drill equipped with a 107-m3/min air compressor offers energy savings. Bucyrus drills equipped with 107-m3/min air compressors also offer advantages in mines with fractured rock strata, as air released from the compressor can escape into ground cracks, causing loss of air volume.