At 4,300 meters above sea level, Caserones needed equipment that could withstand extreme altitude and pressure. Any failure would not just risk downtime but jeopardize environmental compliance and production schedules.
Case Study
High-Performance Valve Solution for Chilean Mining Water Reuse
Client: Minera Caserones
Reliable High-Pressure Water Reuse for Mining:
DelVal Series 35 at Caserones
Client Background & Context
Minera Caserones is an open-pit mining operation in Chile’s Atacama Region. It produces copper and molybdenum concentrates from primary sulfides. As a by-product, it also produces copper cathodes by processing oxidized, mixed, and secondary sulfide ores.
The mine sits 162 km southeast of Copiapó, in the Andes Mountains, at an average elevation of 4,300 meters above sea level. Caserones operates under strict safety and sustainability standards, making efficient water management and reuse from tailings a critical part of its operations. Tailings are the by-product of mineral processing containing ground rock, water, non-recoverable metals, and reagents that must be reused to reduce freshwater consumption and environmental impact.
Industry:
Marine 
Energy Industry
Client Challenges
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1
Harsh Conditions and High Stakes
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2
Demanding Water Reuse Requirements
Water reuse from tailings required valves that could handle abrasive media and fluctuating pressures. A tight, bidirectional seal was critical, any leak meant water losses and possible regulatory setbacks.
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3
Conventional Solutions Falling Short
Standard valves struggled in these conditions. Seals wore out quickly, and performance degraded under sustained loads. Caserones needed a high-performance solution designed for this application, with no margin for error.
DelVal Solution
To address Caserones’ demanding water reuse and tailings conditions, we deployed our Series 35, a high-performance Class 600 valve purpose-built for high-stakes mining environments:
Engineered for Extreme Conditions
The Series 35 is designed to perform reliably at high altitudes, under severe pressure fluctuations, and in abrasive tailings media. These conditions can quickly degrade standardvalves, but the product’s rugged built to endure the harsh operating conditions.
Durable Bidirectional Sealing
Equipped with a secure bidirectional seal to prevent any leakage of tailings water even under fluctuating loads it ensures long-term reliability. The seal has been verified through extensive factory and on-site testing to meet Caserones’ strong safety and environmental standards.
Impact
Uninterrupted Operation
Since its installation in October 2024, the Series 35 has run flawlessly in Caserones’ tailings water reuse system supporting uninterrupted uptime in one of the world’s toughest mining environments.
Regulatory & Production Assurance
Its dependable bidirectional sealing safeguards compliance with Chile’s strict environmental regulations while keeping production schedules on track and eliminating the costly risks of leaks or unplanned downtime.
Sustainability Impact
By enabling efficient water reuse, the solution helps reduce freshwater withdrawals and environmental footprint. This supports responsible mining practices; safeguards shared water resources and builds trust with surrounding communities.
Industry-Wide Influence
The proven success at Caserones set a benchmark for high-performance valve solutions in mining. This led to opportunities with other leading operators like Pelambres and Antofagasta Minerals and helped establish better industry practices for water reuse and operational reliability.
