November 8, 2022
Underground hard rock haulage, Case study, Underground hard rock mining
2 min read
ESEMIN had an excellent opportunity to start operations in the El Santo Mine site, an underground mine located 225 km northwest of Arequipa, Peru. AMG AuPlata exploits polymetallic veins (lead, silver, Zn and Au) at El Santo Mine. The timing was ideal — AMG Auplata was establishing operations while ESEMIN was looking to expand.
Also, AMG Auplata was at a key decision point in selecting a reliable contractor for supplying equipment that would perform well in their mine. Specifically, the mining contractor needed a 4-yard underground mining loader with a 7-metric tonne payload capacity from a reputable supplier with fast delivery on stock equipment. Speed was important — the mine operators had ongoing maintenance downtime issues with their current LHDs.
ESEMIN collaborated with Komatsu to meet the mineral loading needs of El Santos. After evaluating the key priorities for the El Santo operation and the required configuration of main components, engine, transmission, converter, and axles, the WX07 underground mining loader — also known as a load-haul-dump (LHD) loader — was identified as an ideal solution.