Whether in the jungles of West Africa or on the harsh Alaska Range, on Russia’s icy coastline or in the Mojave Desert, or deep in the Indian Ocean or atop an isolated South Pacific atoll, Bechtel’s ability to combine decades of directly applicable experience, a company culture of proud “can-do” spirit, and local and industry expertise promotes certainty of outcome in terms of quality, schedule, and cost for our customers—no matter how high, hot, cold, wet, dry, or remote the location.

In 2011, we completed the Los Bronces copper concentrator expansion in Chile’s Andes, a spectacular project. Los Bronces exemplifies the resourcefulness, ingenuity, and gritty determination on which Bechtel has built its reputation for accomplishing the most challenging work. This locale was among the most difficult we have ever tackled. Construction spanned 37 miles (60 kilometers). We forged one site, Confluencia, from a very small mountaintop 11,100 feet (3,383 meters) above sea level, and then endured a major earthquake in 2010. We tucked another plant site into a hillside far below. To link the two, we managed construction of a 34-mile (55-kilometer) pipeline down steep, rugged terrain; through hard-rock tunnels; and over deep canyons. At both ends of the project, we encountered new variations on familiar hazards: snowfall that could bury a truck, high winds, dramatic cliffs, and significant geotechnical challenges typical of mountain work. We brought everything—including men and women—great distances to some of the most inhospitable places on the planet and provisioned them with shelter, food, and other requirements hauled up very challenging mountain roads.

At its peak, Los Bronces required more than 14,000 workers. The work was arduous. The task was huge. For the Bechtel people involved, it was just another challenging opportunity to be stretched, to overcome, and to be satisfied by contributing to our proud history of accomplishment despite extraordinary obstacles.