Mining of ore

Reliable removal of overburden in Mexico‘s second largest open-pit mine

Quelle/Source: Siemens

1 Sizer Station

Quelle/Source: Siemens

2 Mit einem Sizer wird der entstehende Abraum zunächst auf eine Korngröße von maximal 35 mm zerkleinert • The overburden is first crushed to a maximum grain size of 35 mm by a sizer

Quelle/Source: Siemens

3 Im zweiten Schritt wird das zerkleinerte Material mit Förderbändern schnell und zuverlässig über eine Strecke von bis zu 7 km abtransportiert • The crushed material is quickly and reliably transported away in the second stage over a distance of up to 7 km

Quelle/Source: Siemens

4 Die durchschnittliche Fördermenge liegt bei rund 55 Mio. t jährlich • The average output is around 55 million t a year

Quelle/Source: Siemens

5 Umfassende Instandhaltungs-Services sichern dabei die Verfügbarkeit der kilometerlangen Förderbänder • Comprehensive maintenance services ensure the availability of the kilometer-long conveyor belts

Quelle/Source: Siemens

Quelle/Source: Goldcorp

Minera Peñasquito ist der zweitgrößte Tagebau in Mexiko • Minera Peñasquito is Mexico's second largest open-pit mine

Quelle/Source: Goldcorp

Summary: Minera Peñasquito is Mexico‘s second largest open-pit mine and is situated in the state of Zacatecas. Operations focus mainly on the production of gold, silver, lead and zinc, a process that is only possible if the overburden is removed quickly and effectively. To complete this task, Goldcorp has found a partner in Siemens to whom it has entrusted the operation and maintenance of the „in-pit crushing and conveying system“ – which starts at the sizer station and passes through the conveyor systems to the belt stackers.

1 Creating the largest open-pit mine in Mexico

Goldcorp Inc., headquartered in Vancouver (British Columbia), is one of the world’s fastest growing gold producers. The company has a total of eleven mines: five in the USA and Canada, three in Central and South America and three more in Mexico.

One of the latter is Minera Peñasquito. The mine is situated 20 km from the municipality of Mazapil, in the semi-desert region of Zacatecas which has a long tradition in mining work due to its extensive ore deposits. Exploration in this area began in 2006 with exploratory drilling which confirmed the...