Fluor starts Mining operations at Gold Fields’ Salares Norte Project in Chile
Fluor Corporation’s Mining & Metals business announced today that first gold has been achieved at Gold Fields’ Salares Norte mining project in Chile. Salares Norte is a high-grade gold-silver, open-pit deposit in the Atacama region of northern Chile at an altitude of between 12,750-15,400 feet (3,900-4,700 meters) above sea level.
“Salares Norte is a project at the forefront of innovation, technology and environmental care,” said Harish Jammula, President of Fluor’s Mining & Metals business line.
“The location is extremely challenging and demanded an extraordinary level of modularization never seen before on a project developed in the Andes region. Integrated processes and remote monitoring were leveraged to facilitate real-time support systems and maximize operational efficiencies.
“The operation also plans to implement solar energy usage in subsequent investment phases, which will reduce carbon emissions by more than 100,000 tons over the life of the mine. We are proud to support Gold Fields in their objectives to mine smarter, faster and more efficiently.”
Fluor is responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction management of the project.
Construction and pre-commissioning are scheduled to be completed in April. Once fully operational, approximately 350,000 ounces of gold are expected to be mined annually through the life of the mine.
