Chile’s state-owned copper big Codelco is in search of approval to restart components of its flagship El Teniente mine lower than per week after a lethal collapse killed six staff and compelled a full suspension of operations, based on sources acquainted with the matter.
The accident, triggered by a 4.2-magnitude seismic occasion final Thursday (July 31), halted manufacturing on the world’s largest underground copper mine.
Codelco has formally requested Chile’s Nationwide Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin) to permit a partial reopening of the mine, pending approval of security and technical evaluations, two sources instructed Reuters.
The cave-in, which was triggered by the earthquake, occurred greater than 900 meters underground and initially trapped 5 miners.
Their our bodies had been recovered over a number of days by a rescue staff of greater than 100 individuals, together with veterans of Chile’s 2010 San José mine rescue. The physique of a sixth miner, who was killed on the time of the collapse, was recovered earlier.
“We deeply remorse this consequence,” mentioned O’Higgins Area Prosecutor Aquiles Cubillo on Sunday, confirming the ultimate restoration. He supplied no extra particulars on the reason for the collapse, which stays below investigation.
Operations at El Teniente had been formally suspended by Sernageomin, Chile’s geology and mining company, shortly after the incident.
It additionally instructed Codelco to submit 4 complete technical reviews earlier than any restart may be approved. The reviews should embody: an evaluation of the collapse’s trigger, a restoration plan, an evaluation of present fortification techniques, and a wider structural analysis.
Whereas underground mining has stopped, Codelco has maintained restricted exercise at El Teniente. The corporate is conducting ongoing upkeep on the processing plant and smelter, together with operations on the smelter’s anode furnaces each two hours to maintain vital gear in operable situation.
Codelco mentioned it had responded to 3 separate info requests from Sernageomin and Chile’s Labor Inspectorate, however added that it couldn’t but estimate the monetary or operational influence of the suspension.
Scrutiny on security requirements
Mining Minister Aurora Williams ordered the non permanent cessation of actions on the mine over the weekend. In the meantime, Vitality and Mining Minister Diego Pacheco mentioned on Sunday that Codelco would fee a world audit to grasp what went incorrect.
“We’re going to fee a world audit to find out what we did incorrect,” Pacheco mentioned. Whereas no formal complaints had been acquired in regards to the security circumstances of the location, he pledged {that a} full investigation and acceptable corrective measures are underway.
El Teniente, positioned about 100 kilometers south of Santiago within the Andes mountains, is a cornerstone of Codelco’s operations and Chile’s mining economic system.
It produced 356,000 metric tons of copper in 2024, almost 7 % of the nation’s whole output. The mine has operated for over a century and comprises a labyrinth of greater than 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) of tunnels.
The seismic occasion that triggered the collapse, whereas comparatively gentle by world requirements. has raised questions in regards to the structural integrity of older sections of the mine and the adequacy of present fortification techniques.
A blow to enlargement efforts
The accident is a major setback for Codelco because it seeks to modernize its growing older infrastructure and enhance manufacturing after years of underinvestment.
The collapsed space is believed to be a part of the Andesita part of the mine, a comparatively small however strategically essential element of El Teniente’s broader enlargement, which incorporates the Andes Norte and Diamante tasks.
The Andesita growth is meant to assist offset declines in older zones and keep output ranges by means of the subsequent decade. Its disruption will probably ripple by means of Codelco’s undertaking pipeline, which is already below strain as a consequence of rising prices.
Although Chile boasts one of many world’s most secure mining sectors – a fatality price of simply 0.02 % in 2024 – the string of incidents at Codelco websites has drawn concern from unions and regulators alike.
The trade’s worst accident stays the 1945 hearth at El Teniente, which killed 355 miners and stands as one of many deadliest mining disasters in historical past.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, maintain no direct funding curiosity in any firm talked about on this article.
