The opportunity and danger of panel caving in the El Teniente copper mine (PDF)

Essay from the year 2017 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Geology, Mineralogy, Soil Science, grade: 1,3, Ruhr-University of Bochum, language: English, abstract: This essays deals with the opportunity and danger of the El Teniente Copper Mine. At the beginning it focues on the geology of the desposits and the genesis of the El Teniente ore bodies. Afterwards it continues with the history of the mine and the infrastructure. The next point is panel caving and its process and modeling. Accordingly it goes on with the advantages and disadvantages of panel caving and the rock mass damage of the Esmeralda level. The term paper ends with a conclusion.

It contains large amounts of chalcopyrite of various grades. As the upper ore bodies have been extracted in the past, mining focuses on large, deep, and low-grade ore bodies. The only mining method capable of extracting these rock masses with high production rates and low production costs is block caving and its variation panel caving. Therefore Codelco started the largest mining operation in the world. The New Mine Level Project covers the entire footprint of the ore deposit, divided in 5 panels (Sur, Andes Sur, Andes Norte, Norte, and Pacifico) and will start to produce in 2017. The mine is located in midle to late Miocene extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks, which are part of the Farellones Formation.