VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA (March 5, 2020) — Wenco's expansion throughout South America continues as Thiess, the world's largest mining contractor, has chosen the Wenco Mine Performance Suite to run its operations at Antofagasta's Centinela mine in northern Chile.
Centinela mine sits 1,350 km north of Santiago in the Antofagasta Region of Chile, one of the country's most important mining areas. Antofagasta Minerals has contracted Thiess to develop the Encuentro Oxides pit, which will contribute to the mine's production of 50,000 tonnes of copper cathode per year for a planned lifespan of 15 years.
To monitor and control this production, Thiess is leveraging the Wencomine fleet management system. The system will optimize productivity and efficiency across the pit's 56 active units, including 12 high-precision loading units and five high-precision drill rigs.
Thiess chose Wenco for its reputation in delivering strong production functionality and a streamlined implementation process with minimal impact on day-to-day mine operations.
Expanding the business relationship with Thiess in South America is strategically important for Wenco as well. Contractor-operated sites are common throughout the region and they stand as a significant growth market for the company. Likewise, contractor partnerships form a key part of the open and interoperable ecosystem of partners pushed by Wenco and its parent company, Hitachi Construction Machinery.
"We're very pleased to implement the Wenco Mine Performance Suite at the Encuentro Oxides development," says Wenco Regional Manager — Latin America José Eugenio Saravia.
"Wenco has worked with Thiess at various mining developments around the world and our solutions are ideal for the productivity improvements and ease of deployment they require. We're looking forward to a long and profitable business together.
"This sale is another boon to Wenco in the region, following recent sales to Chinchillas and Pucamarca mines and a new partnership with Brazilian mining solutions provider Tecwise."
Contractors like Thiess are a major growth area for Wenco and the industry as a whole. We're seeing a great many more opportunities of this sort throughout Latin America," says Saravia.
"As well, we're seeing more and more customers excited to partner with a Hitachi-owned company like Wenco, who can deliver the reliability and support only available from a major OEM and global mining leader."
To learn more about the Wenco Mine Performance Suite or Wenco operations in Latin America, please contact Regional Manager — Latin America José Eugenio Saravia at +56 2 3210 3811 or southamerica@wencomine.com.