OCR

Toquepala Copper Project - In the spring of 1952 the Stearns-Roger Co. was engaged by the American Smelting and Refining Company of New York to supervise and coordinate the overall planning and design of a large copper mining program in southern Peru. A detailed cost estimate was also required in conjunction with the plans and specifications. Over two hundred field and design engineers and assistants were employed in obtaining field data and other information required to carry out the design of this project. Peruvian laws, customs, and regulations governing labor, social benefits, taxes, transportation, living and working standards were studied and incorporated into the planning and design. The primary features of the project included all facilities to mine, concentrate, transport and smelt 25, 000 tons of copper ore per day. Approximately 180 miles of standard gauge railroad, 100 miles of main highway and 70 miles of 115 KVA transmission lines were located in the rugged Andes mountains at elevations up to 11,000 feet above sea level. Three water storage dams to supply the concentrating mill with 8, 000 gallons of water per minute required 60 miles of large diameter pipe at elevations up to 13,000. A. 15,000 KW steam power plant, complete port and warehousing facilities, and equipment repair shops were designed to service the project. Permanent housing facilities for 10,000 workers and their families, complete with shopping area, schools, churches, and recreational facilities, rounded out the design requirements. Latin Americans and Peruvian nationals were employed throughout this project which utilized offices and facilities in San Francisco, New York, Lima, and the project site. This phase of the project required fifteen months to complete. Final design work was completed in Utah's New York office. In 1956 the general construction contract was approved and Utah Construction & Mining Co. and Morrison-Knudsen Company proceeded with the mammoth task. The approximate cost of the total project was $237,000,000. In late 1952 at the request of the United States Government, Utah sent its mining engineers to Korea to improve the working plant and production of two tungsten mines in South Korea. Results accomplished were highly satisfactory, both to our government and to President Syngman Rhee of Korea.