New life for Canadian mine - Atlas Copco

Modern technology for a difficult task: The first Atlas Copco Boomer XE3 C rig in Argentina with the Atlas CopcoRig Control System (RCS) drilling blast holes in the mountains of northwestern Argentina.Jose Cartellone Construcciones Civiles (JCCC) of Argentina is currently driving road tunnels in a locationfamous for its hostile climate, difficult drilling conditions – and a precious collection of dinosaur remains.The mountains of Ischigualasto inArgentina’s northern province of SanJuan, boast the world’s largest collectionof dinosaur remains from the Triassicperiod (195–225 million years ago). Butthere’s nothing prehistoric about the yellowgiants that are now making their waythrough the rock.These are Atlas Copco drill rigs – aBoomer E2 C and a Boomer XE3 C, the firstof its kind in Argentina – that are being usedto drive a series of six road tunnels alongRoute 150 near the Chilean border.When the project is complete in 2013,the tunnels will help to link up thecomple x national road network ofArgentina and will also eventually providea modern road system stretching acrossthe entire continent from the Atlantic tothe Pacific.Extreme challengesRoute 150 runs through a section of theIschigualast o mountains with geologica lCHILEBOLIVIAPARAGUAYRoute 40La SerenaCoquimboSantiagoRoute 150Buenos AiresARGENTINABRAZILPort AlegreURUGUAYMontevideoTunnel N°4Tunnel N°5Tunnel N°3Tunnel N°2Tunnel N°1Route 150Route 40Tunnel N°6A TLANTIC OCEANA better route: The tunnel building and road improvement project at San Juan in northern Argentina will eventually make it possible to drive straightacross the continent from the Atlantic coast of Brazil to the Pacific coast of Chile, a distance of approximately 2 000 km.4 Mining & Construction – 3 / 2011