The Client, Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation, is a joint venture of majority holder Barrick Gold (the world's largest operator of gold mines) and Goldcorp Inc. The job site is 100 km (62 miles) northwest of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.
The major challenge of the $3.8 billion project laid in developing the rugged 11-square-kilometer (4-square-mile) site into an 18,000 metric-ton-per-day expandable gold processing plant.
Pueblo Viejo's ore processing involves crushing, grinding, pressure oxidation, counter-current decantation (CCD) washing, carbon-in-leach (CIL), and sulfide precipitation for the recovery of gold, silver, and copper concentrate, and a tailings disposal facility.
The processing facilities produce per annum up to 1 million ounces of gold; 3.1 million ounces of silver; and 6,100 tonnes of copper. The project also has a limestone / lime facility to support the needs of the process and water treatment plants.
The infrastructure facilities that support operations include a power plant; oxygen plant; truck shop / warehouse facility; administration building; metallurgical assay; environmental laboratories; and camp facilities.