Boleo Copper Mine Development

ICA Fluor, Fluor's joint venture company in Mexico, was awarded preliminary and full engineering, procurement, and construction management for the Boleo mining project near the town of Santa Rosalia, which is located in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

The project is an underground and surface mining operation to provide run-of-mine ore to a fully integrated hydrometallurgical facility.

Client's Challenge

Minera y Metalúrgica del Boleo (“MMB”), is a subsidiary of the Korean Consortium, which developed the mining facility.

A copper cathode electro-winning facility was also constructed, to plate copper from the electrolyte product of copper cathode solvent extraction. The processing facility and other facilities to produce cobalt metal and zinc sulfate monohydrate were completed in 2013.

The facilities will produce up to 62,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) copper cathode, 2,400 tpa cobalt cathode, and 37,000 tpa zinc sulfate monohydrate, and manganese.

At the beginning of the project, in discussions with the Client, the ICA Fluor team began developing a Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) site-specific plan. The team referenced best practices from Fluor's construction experience in Mexico and from global mining experience. The HSE document served the site well to the present time.

Fluor's Solution

ICA Fluor, a joint venture of Fluor and Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V., is Mexico's leading engineering and construction company. It supported the feasibility study and project development. In addition, ICA Fluor reviewed conceptual engineering and developed a cost estimate and a comprehensive project implementation plan. It then performed basic and detailed engineering, which was followed by procurement (serving as purchasing agent and contracts administrator) and construction management.

The first priority for construction was to hire local contractors and workers and to train them in construction skills and site operation methods that met Fluor HSE standards. In September 2012, with construction reported at 64 percent complete on the Copper Circuit, the project had achieved 6.5 million safe work-hours without a lost-time incident.

With Boleo representatives, ICA Fluor also supported the development of a sustainability plan that integrated the Environmental Protection & Biodiversity Preservation Plan, the Social and Community Development System, and the Public Consultation and Disclosure System. The last-mentioned plan focused on sustaining the community of Santa Rosalia for the entire time the mine is in production.

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Conclusion

ICA Fluor was involved in the Boleo project since it conducted a prefeasibility study for it.

Its efforts have encompassed more than usual, such as copper processing studies and project development support.

The mining development is expected to be active for 24 years.