BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto announced on July 25 approval of their shares of investments in a new, $3.43-billion, 2,500-liter/ sec sea-water desalination facility that will be built to ensure continued water supply to the Escondida mine in northern Chile. Escondida-the world's largest copper mine-is located in the Atacama Desert 170 km southeast of the city of Antofa-gasta at an elevation of 3,100 m above sea level. A new, 152,000 metric tons per day (mt/d) concentrator is currently under construction that will increase water use at the mine.
展开▼
