Collahuasi Copper Mine Output Will Be Expanded to 1 Million Tons Per Year

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- According to John Evans, Xstrata Copper north division Vice President, Chile’s Collahuasi copper mine in northern region I is planning to increase current 440,000 tons per year capacity to 1 million tons per year by 2014. The project, which will be carried out in two different phases, will allow Collahuasi to become the second largest copper mine in the world.

Collohuasi, which represents 8% of Chile’s copper production, is owned by Xstrata (44%), Anglo American (44%) and the remaining 12% stake belongs to Japan's Mitsui. The feasibility study of the first stage of the project, which is to be ready by 2010, is being carried out by Anglo American. During this stage, the companies are planning to increase Collahuasi’s current 440,000 tons per year to 650,000 tons per year by increasing concentrator capacity to 170,000 tons per day while maintaining SX/EW output at present levels. Even though the second stage of the project is still in the conceptual phase, companies expect to expand production to 1 million tons per day by 2014 by boosting concentrator capacity to 260,000 tons per day and building a large-scale SX/EW operation. Once the whole expansion is completed, Collahuasi’s production will only be exceeded by Chile’s Escondida copper mine, which has a current output of 1.3 million tons per year.

Collohausi copper mine is located in one of the driest areas of the world; however, according to Xstrata declarations, they have already found the necessary water in areas around the mine for the first stage of the project and no desalinating plant will be needed.

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