Name and Location
Las Bambas copper project, Apurímac region, Peru.

Client
Xstrata Copper.

Project Description
Las Bambas will be a world-class copper mine, with an initial production of 400 000 t/y of copper in concentrate, including significant gold, silver and molybdenum by-products, and first-quartile cash costs.

Ore will be mined at a rate of 51.1-million tons a year from three openpit mines (initially the Ferrobamba and then the Chalcobamba and Sulfobamba pits) and processed in a 140 000 t/d sulphide grinding/flotation concentrator.

The $1.47-billion Antapaccay expansion to the Tintaya operation paves the way for the development of the major Las Bambas greenfield project.

Located 150 km apart, the Las Bambas and Antapaccay projects will benefit from important synergies. Concentrates from Las Bambas will be pumped through a 215 km pipeline to a molybdenum and filter plant, close to Tintaya-Antapaccay, and then transported by the same railroad to the Matarani port.

Value
The Las Bambas capital budget has been established at $5.2-billion.

Duration
The Las Bambas mine is scheduled to produce some 400 000 t/y of copper from 2015.

Latest Developments
The Siemens Drive Technologies Division has received an order from ThyssenKrupp Robins to supply the gearless drive system for the overland conveyor system at the Las Bambas mine.

The start-up of the new conveyor system at Las Bambas is scheduled for 2014.



The overland conveyors at the copper mine are being designed and supplied by ThyssenKrupp Robins. Each of the two overland conveyors is about 2.5 km long and will transport ore from the mine to the processing plant.

The belts will be 1 830 mm wide, travel at 6.5 m/s and are designed to transport about 9 400 t/h of material.
The Siemens drive systems for each of the two overland conveyors comprise two low-speed synchronous motors – each with a total power of 4 400 kW – and the associated Sinamics SL150 cycloconverters.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
ThyssenKrupp Robins (overland conveyor) and Siemens Drive Technologies Division (gearless drive system for overland coveyor).

On Budget and on Time?
The capital budget for Las Bambas has increased by 7% to $5.2-billion. This includes a $130-million increase, as a result of uncontrollable cost increases arising from delays in the granting of permits, following the change in government, and an additional amount for community relocation, infrastructure costs and community agreements to mitigate the risk of further delays.

The project remains on track for commissioning at the end of 2014.

Contact Details for Project Information
Xstrata Copper, Domingo Drago, tel + 51 1 372 2233 or email ddrago@xstratacopper.com.pe; or Emily Russell, tel +56 2 478 2204 or email erussell@xstratacopper.com.
ThyssenKrupp Robins, tel +1 303 770 0808  or fax +1 303 770 8233.
Siemens media relations, Stefan Rauscher, tel 49 911 895 7952 or email Stefan.rauscher@siemens.com.