50% of main mining companies’ production dropped in 2012
22-Jan-2013 El Mercurio – News
Copper production in Codelco reduced 4.8% last year:
50% of main mining companies’ production dropped in 2012
Chuquicamata and Collahuasi are the ones with the sharpest downfalls while Escondida and Anglo Sur reported highest rises. Reduced copper processing ensued from lowering mineral grade
Many are the mining companies that reported a copper production reduction in 2012. In accordance with the last report issued by Cochilco, 50% of main copper mines in the country reported a reduction in copper processing as of November 2012.
Amongst the copper producers with sharpest reductions is the Anglo American and Xstrata- controlled Collahuasi with a 39% production drop as of November 2012 and totaling 252,000 tons.
Codelco’s Chuquicamata and Radomiro Tomic also experienced a sudden drop. Both mines added up 696,000 tons of copper, 15% less than the same date in 2011.
It is the opinion of the Mining Minister, Hernán de Solminihac, that the state-owned copper producer reduced production is related to the mineral grades lowering – percentage of mineral extracted per each processed ton – that has been experiencing Chuquicamata from some years now.
“The Chuquicamata Underground structural project is aimed at becoming more efficient to go straight to the zone where the mineral is extracted from”, the Minister adds.
As regards to Collahuasi, De Solminihac indicates that during 2012 the mine was going through an administration reorganization after the low production happening but in 2013 it will be resuming its previous production levels. Anglo American Norte, Salvador, and Cerro Colorado are also to be added to the two aforementioned companies.
On a different note, the mines that reported largest production progress is the BHP Billiton-controlled Escondida. The largest copper mine in the world reported a total of 980,000 tons of copper as of November 2012 which represents a 32% increment with respect to 2011.
Anglo American Sur reported a 65% increase reaching 379,000 copper tons. Some sources close to Anglo American state that this increase is related to the full production status of the Los Bronces Expansion where the company invested US$2,800 million counted from 2007.
On the other hand, Codelco reported growth in its Divisions El Teniente (7%), Gaby (14%), and Andina (7%). In the case of Andina the rise is the result of the New Andina Phase I project start-up which increases the mineral treatment capacity from 72,000 tons up to 94,000 tons per day. The state-owned copper company reduced its total copper production 4.8% in 2012.
