Using emerging technology as part of a groundbreaking study to detect potential hazards and environmental constraints

Peru is a very complex country in which to develop mining projects because of the difficult terrain, environmental conditions, small states, minicipalities and locally diverse populations.  As a result, companies can easily spend significant amounts of time and money on studies but still not have certainty that the project will succees.

Ausenco Vector developed a Geographic Information System (GIS) constraints model for the development of the concentrate pipeline from the mine to the port.  This study informed the participants and the client of potential hazards and other impediments as well as environmental constraints along potential alignments.

The initial phase was to develop a smaller study corridor by screening known and presumed environmental and social features (that had been overlaid onto aerial photographs) over a wide corridor (10 km).

In subsequent phases, field teams mapped the various types of constraints which were later used to define the corridor down to 200 meters.

This technology saved the client considerable time, energy and money by identifying impediments early in the process.