The world is more connected than ever, and mining technology and service companies are no exception. As they expand their reach globally, they need to follow their clients to new markets, from a copper mine high in the Andes to the icey cold winters of Northern Canada. When exploring new markets, it’s the classic “chicken or egg” dilemma: You want to see success before committing to the expenses of a local operation, but as soon as you start generating revenue, the risk of being classified as a PE increases.
Over the last 6 weeks, we interviewed maintenance professionals from both the Chilean and Peruvian mining industry. The idea was to provide foreign companies with an inside view into the local maintenance function from the perspective of those actually working in it. Check out our summary.
Cesar Aponte has had a long career in the maintenance field where has worked in international mining operations in places such as Canada and Peru. He is currently the Maintenance Manager for Pan American Silver in Peru where he is responsible for the heavy equipment.
One part of a distribution agreement that is often overlooked is how confidential information and intellectual property are managed throughout the relationship. A well drafted distribution agreement will ensure that the intellectual property is properly managed as to not put the company’s biggest asset at risk.
Las Bambas is one of the largest copper mines to come online in recent years. It is an open-pit mine located at altitude of about 4000 meters above sea level. The project began commercial production in July 2016 and has an operational life of more than 20 years.
We interviewed Pablo Hernández, Maintenance Engineer; with more than 27 years of experience in the mining sector across the major mining companies in Chile. Today, he provides us insight into the maintenance operation and how it has changed over recent years.
Less than one per cent of exploration projects typically progress to establishing a mine. New discoveries are hard to come by and technology will play a huge part in finding new deposits. In order to be successful, the industry continues to innovate, creating new tools, approaches and techniques.
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