Lomas Bayas
Lomas Bayas Lomas Bayas | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sierra Gorda |
| Region | Antofagasta Region |
| Country | Chile |
| Coordinates | 23°25′49.83″S 69°30′35.88″W / 23.4305083°S 69.5099667°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Copper |
| Production | 65,800 tonnes copper cathode |
| Financial year | 2023 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1998 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Glencore |
Lomas Bayas is an open pit copper mine located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. It lies in the inland commune of Sierra Gorda in Antofagasta Region.[1] It lies about 90 km east of the port city of Antofagasta. In 2023, it operated with 1,109 own workers and 3,129 contractors.[1] The mine began as a project of Westmin Resources, changing ownership multiple times – first to Boliden AB, then to Falconbridge Limited in 2001.[2] When Xstrata plc acquired Falconbridge Limited in 2006, the mine ownership passed this company;[2] then in 2013, Xstrata was bought by Glencore.[3]
The mine is operated by Compañía Minera Lomas Bayas S.A. which is fully owned by Glencore.[4]
Commercial operations in the mine started in mid-1998.[2][5] The grade of the ores extracted and processed at Lomas Bayas is low (0.27% copper in the 2010s) when compared to the average grade of copper ores extracted in other Chilean mines.[5][4]
In late September 2025, the mine suffered a major fire. By October 1, it was extinguished and no deaths were reported.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Lomas Bayas". Consejo Minero (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-05-09.
- ^ a b c "Lomas Bayas Copper Mine, Chile". Mining Technology. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ^ "Glencore finishes takeover of Xstrata". Financial Times. 2 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Lomas Bayas Mine". Mining Data Online. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ a b Farías, Antonio; Cancino, Christian; Coronado, Freddy (2016). Caso Compañía Minera Lomas Bayas (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). Facultad de Economía y Negocios de la Universidad de Chile. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Alza, Rolando (2025-10-01). "Glencore controla incendio en mina Lomas Bayas en Chile". Rumbo Minero (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-10-02.