LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — Escondida find a team effort

In the article “Arequipa eyes Peruvian copper” (T.N.M., Nov. 29/93), David Lowell is described as having “managed” the exploration program that resulted in the discovery of Chile’s La Escondida copper deposit. Not so.

Escondida was discovered by a Getty Mining-Utah International joint (50-50) venture. A single representative of each company sat on a management committee. Lowell was a member of neither the joint venture nor the management committee; rather, he guided some of the field activities as a non-resident with a finders-fee arrangement, working under the direction of the joint venture (through Utah, the operator).

The discovery was the result of a grand team effort, but some individuals might be named without diminishing the major contributions of many others. Lowell brought the concept of a program to Bob Wheaton (retired vice-president of Utah) and me (formerly of Getty). Also involved were Francisco Ortiz, the project chief geologist who directed day-to-day operations; our land man, Donaldo Rojas (now deceased); and Harold Courtright (also deceased), formerly of Asarco.

Nine holes were drilled in the “discovery round,” four of which, proposed by Courtright, uncovered the deposit. The first five holes, drilled on alluvium to the north, were blank.

Siegfried Muessig

Pasadena, Calif.