The Chilean Escondida Copper Mine is the copper mine with the largest production in the world. It has the world's largest sources of copper. The mineral deposit has reserves of 4,157 million tonnes ore containing 31. 567 million tonnes copper,and mineral resources amounting to 4,650 million tonnes (2009). Planning for the mine considered the utilization of 662 million tonnes with an average copper grade of 2. 12 percent, Trie mine is one of the lowest cost producers in the world. Escondida mine is a conventional open-pit operation. The average daily mining rate will be 240,000 tpd of high-grade sulphide ore ,40 ,000t/d of low-grade sulphide ore and 35 ,000t/d oxide ore. Escondida mine consists two pit mines, two concentrator plants, one heap leach of oxdide ore, one heap leach of low-gride sulphide ore and one SX - EW plant ( for cathode production) . In the two concentrator plants the flotation concentrates at Cu grades of 38% ~43% and at Cu recoveries of 84% -86% are obtained with SAG mill-flotation flowsheet. The oxide ores treat with cruching - agglomeration-stacking-leaching flowsheet. The low grade sulphide ores treat with cruching-agglomeration-stacking-bacteria assisted leaching flowsheet. 54% ~80% soluble copper in oxide ores and 29% ~ 37% total copper in the low grade sulphide ores enter into pregnant solutions. The capital cost of mine and processing plants approaches US $ 56.4 billions. The operation cost of mining and processing is 0. 84 US/lb copper.%智利埃斯科地达(Escondida)铜矿山是世界上目前最大的铜矿山,具有世界上最丰富的铜资源.根据2009年资料,该矿山的铜矿石储量为41.57亿t,铜品位0.76％,其中含铜3156.7万t铜,矿石资源量为46.50亿t.矿山规划中采用的矿石储量为6.62亿t,其铜品位为2.12％.是世界铜矿山的生产成本最低的企业之一.矿山采用常规露天开采方法.平均每天开采24万t/d高品位硫化矿、4万t/d低品位硫化矿和3.5万t/d氧化矿.矿山由两个露天采场、两个选矿厂、一个氧化矿堆浸场、一个低品位硫化矿生物堆浸场和一个溶剂萃取/电极厂组成.矿山设计铜年产量为120万t.硫化矿选矿厂采用磨矿-浮选流程,得到含金和银的铜精矿.精矿铜品位为38％～43％,回收率为84％～86％.氧化矿堆浸采用破碎-制球-堆浸工艺.低品位硫化矿采用破碎-制球-筑堆-生物堆浸工艺.堆浸场得到的贵液送溶剂萃取/电积厂处理,得到阴极铜.堆浸场对氧化矿石堆浸的铜浸出率分别为80％和54％(对可溶性铜),堆浸场对低品硫化矿石堆浸的铜浸出率分别为37％和29％(对全铜).矿山和选矿厂基本投资为56.4亿美元,而矿山铜的直接操作费用仅为60.8美分/磅铜.
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