The local RIOCHILEX S.A., a subsidiary of BHP BILLITON of Australia, recently awarded engineering and construction management contract to Norway-based KVAERNER ASA. According to the terms of the award, KVAERNER will be responsible for the provision of various services regarding the development of the Spence copper mine in Chile's Region II some 65 kms south-west of the city of Calama in northern Chile.

The project includes an open pit mine, crushing, conveying, dynamic heap leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX-EW) facilities that will produce a nominal 200,000 tons per year of high quality cathode .