As inexpensive and easy to get to oil and minerals have become scarcer, companies have begun moving into less hospitable places. Chile's Atacama Desert is one of those places. One of the consequences of this is that instrumentation, control systems and final control elements are being tested against these inhospitable places -- sometimes tested nearly to destruction.
Here's a press release story from Metso about one such instance:
Sierra Gorda Sociedad Contractual Minera (SCM) has chosen Metso to supply state-of-the-art control and on/off valves to the Sierra Gorda copper/molybdenum mining project which is currently under construction in the Atacama Desert in Antofagasta region, North of Chile. The valves will be used to control the flow of process and make-up water for a variety of applications in the mine. The Atacama
Metso will deliver 54 Neles V-port segment control valves from 1" to 12", on/off valves from 3" to 18" (with Series B1, QPX pneumatic actuators or BIFFI electric actuators) as well as numerous Jamesbury ball valves. All of the valves are rated to ANSI#150.
The Sierra Gorda mining facility is expected to process 110,000 tons per day (t/d) of mineral and its operations will begin late in 2014. The anticipated life of the project is 21 years and the equipment supplied has a 25-year life expectancy.
