Facts
The main workforce of Algorta Norte SA is located to the northwest of Baquedano, in the commune of Sierra Gorda (Antofagasta Region), and its extraction area covers a total of 14,000 hectares. Its main activity is the extraction and production of iodine, based on the exploitation of caliche (a natural form of sodium nitrate), which is made trona, stacked and leached with seawater.
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To achieve an optimal use of seawater, a pipe that helps to obtain a correct amount of resources was built. Through an innovative engineering project, the system allows the extraction of sea water from an area north of Mejillones by vertical hydraulic pumps and two pumping stations with horizontal hydraulic pumps, which allow the water to flow around 75 kilometers to the works in the desert. |
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It is estimated that by the end of 2013, Algorta Norte SA will be able to provide an annual output of 4,000 tons of iodine, thus participating in a global market of about 32,000 tons. This capability will gradually escalate because, given the large size of the reserves, enough for the mine is in activity over the next 40 years, the world market will provide an average of 6,000 tons of iodine per year, that will position the company as the second largest producer of the mineral world. |
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