Los Pelambres mine

Los Pelambres mine
Location
Coquimbo Region
CountryChile
Coordinates31°43′00″S 70°29′26″W / 31.716691°S 70.490446°W / -31.716691; -70.490446
Production
ProductsCopper
History
Opened1990
Location of the Los Pelambres and El Teniente copper mines in Chile

Los Pelambres mine is a copper mine located in the north-central of Chile in Coquimbo Region. It is one of the largest copper reserves in the world, having estimated reserves of 4.9 billion tonnes of ore grading 0.65% copper.[1]

The deposit was first recognized by Willian Burford Braden in 1920. Production in 2012 was forecast at 390 tons of copper and 28,000 ounces of gold.[2] The mine is served by Los Pelambres Airport, and by a water desalination facility at Los Vilos. A billion-dollar expansion project is underway.[3]

  1. ^ "Minera Los Pelambres, Chile" (in Romanian). mining-technology.com. 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
  2. ^ Charles Caldwell Hawley (2014). A Kennecott Story. The University of Utah Press. p. 109,111.
  3. ^ "Expansion of Chile's Los Pelambres copper mi..." BNamericas.com. 20 August 2020.