After the initial Environmental Impact Study (EIS) was presented in March 1998, different alternatives for transporting the copper and zinc concentrates from Antamina were evaluated. The company opted to build a pipeline from the mine to the Punta Lobitos Port where the products would be exported to the world.

The pipeline is a reinforced tube that runs underground and is monitored along its entire trajectory. The pipeline uses advanced technology including a fiber optic network that links the mine and the Huarmey operations. Mechanized Ultrasonic Testing was used for the first time in Peru when the pipeline was built, a method to test the quality of the joints and the pipes. This pipeline has a station with four high-pressure pumps and four valve/choke stations, as well as emergency evacuation ponds to reduce the excessive pressure produced by the decline down toward the Punta Lobitos terminal.

Antamina’s pipeline was built to transport the concentrate with the least possible impact on the environment. Compared to transporting the minerals by highway, the pipeline offers the following advantages:

	- Less negative impacts on the environment.
	Greater security.
	Less social impact.
	Greater access feasibility for construction, operation and maintenance.

Characteristics of the pipeline:

	Longitude: 302 km
	Longitude of each pipe: 12 m
	Diameter of each pipe: 8 to 10 inches (21 to 25 cm)
	Thickness of each pipe: 1cm
	Thickness of polypropylene cover: 7mm
	Pipe material: steel, covered internally and externally
	Pipe resistance: receives 70 Bar, but can support up to 200 Bar
	Life of pipe: 30 years
	Joints between pipes: electric welding
	Average depth: 1,30 to 1,50 m
	Earthquake resistance: up to VIII on the Modified Mercalli Scale of Earthquake Intensity

The pipeline includes a parallel fiber optic network that sends information about the mineral’s progress through the pipeline and inter-connects the entire company. Moreover, thanks to an agreement with Telefónica del Perú, the optic fiber network of Antamina has extended to Huaraz and will soon benefit other towns in the Huaylas and Conchucos valley.