Los Pelambres
Los Pelambres mine Los Pelambres mine | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Coquimbo Region | |
| Country | Chile |
| Coordinates | 31°43′00″S 70°29′26″W / 31.716691°S 70.490446°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Copper |
| History | |
| Opened | 1990 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Antofagasta Minerals |
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]
Production in 2024 was 320,000 tonnes of copper and 46,600 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 was completed in 2024.[3]
William Braden prospected the area near the future mine in 1914 but he did never discover the deposits.[4] In the 1960s the ore deposit was discovered thanks to rock samples brought to the valley town of Illapel by an arriero.[4]
Geology
The Upper Miocene tonalite stock is a north–south oriented oval, 4.5 by 2.4 km in size, which has undergone hydrothermal alteration. The stock intruded into andesitic host rocks. Glaciation during the Pleistocene carved the U-shaped Los Pelambres valley. The head of the valley has the highest concentration of ore in a roche moutonnee. A core of potassium silicate alteration contains the economic copper-molybdenum mineralization. Sulfide minerals include chalcopyrite, bornite, pyrite and molybdenite.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "Minera Los Pelambres, Chile" (in Romanian). mining-technology.com. 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
- ^ "Q4 2024 Production Report" (PDF). /www.antofagasta.co.uk. Antofagasta. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "Growth Projects - Los Pelambres Expansion". /www.antofagasta.co.uk. Antofagasta. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ a b Millán 1996, p. 156.
- ^ Sillitoe, Richard (1973). "Geology of the Los Pelambres Porphyry Copper Deposit, Chile". Economic Geology. 68 (1): 1–10. Bibcode:1973EcGeo..68....1S. doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.68.1.1.
Bibliography
- Millán, Augusto (1996). Evaluación y factibilidad de proyectos mineros (in Spanish). Editorial Universitaria. ISBN 956-11-1241-8.