Carlos Esteban Acuña Pacheco

This report summarizes an academic study that applied advanced mine planning methodologies to the La Cocota deposit, a large copper porphyry in northern Chile. The research quantitatively and rigorously compared traditional planning techniques with the more recent Direct Block Scheduling (DBS) approach, a concept equivalent to MiningMath’s Single-step Mine Optimization. The thesis is here presented as a structured report for technical teams and managers, emphasizing economic gains, methodological consistency, and the practical applicability of the solution.