UNITEL NOTICIAS (Unitel news)
TUESDAY 06.28.2016
The largest mining project produces 1,500 tons of zinc-silver and lead-silver.
Unitel journalist Gastón Noya said: This weekend we have visited the province of Lípez, where the most important project of the country is located, namely Minera San Cristóbal. As at May of this year, the company contributed royalties to the National Treasury for an amount of 365 million dollars.
Journalist Gastón Noya: The most important mining project of Bolivia has made an approximate investment of 1.8 billion dollars. This money was used for exploration works, a feasibility study, environmental studies, project engineering, preparation of the mine, construction of the plant and supporting infrastructure.
The San Cristóbal mine seeks to produce 1,500 metric tons per day of zinc-silver and lead-silver concentrates. To do so, it moves a daily average of 250 thousand tons of rock, 52,000 of which sent to the concentration plant for treatment. The concentration plant consists of a primary crusher, a 1.7 kilometer-long conveyor belt, a giant dome for dust suppression, a milling circuit with a semi-autogenous mill, two ball mills, cyclone banks for the re-circulation of the load, a differential flotation circuit where the two types of concentrates are separated and a filtration and drying plant.
Interviewee 1: We have four basic operations, four unitary operations, namely drilling, blasting, loading and transport.
Interviewee 2: In total, we have more or less 1,200 to 1,300 tons per day, plus 200 tons of lead, that is to say 1,500 tons. And we make a balance, as I said, more or less 2.8 to 3% of the total load.
Journalist Gastón Noya: Since water is a strategic resource for the local communities and also for the mining activity, the company has carried out studies to characterize the existing water resources in the project area.
Interviewee 3: Noise control has helped a lot to optimize energy consumption. energy, when trying to introduce the charge, the largest quantity of charge so the work of the mill turns more efficient.