Here are the ten largest underground mining projects by production in South and Central America in 2021, according to GlobalData’s mining database.
1. Chuquicamata Mine
The Chuquicamata Mine is a copper mining project in Antofagasta, Chile. The brownfield project is owned by Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile and is due to operate until 2057. The mine produced an estimated 79.5Mt of ROM in 2021. It had an estimated production of 351 thousand tonnes of copper in 2021.
2. El Teniente Mine
The El Teniente Mine is a copper mine owned by Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile. Located in Cachapoal, Chile, the brownfield mine produced approximately 64.1Mt of ROM in 2021. It had an estimated production of 463 thousand tonnes of copper in 2021. The expected mine closure date is 2072.
3. Dacita Project
Located in Cachapoal, Chile, the Dacita Project is a copper mining project owned by Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile. The mine is expected to operate until 2029.
The greenfield mine produced an estimated 11.9Mt of ROM in 2021. It had an estimated production of 5.4 thousand tonnes of copper in the same year.
4. Retamas Mine
The Retamas Mine is a gold mine located in La Libertad, Peru. Owned by Minera Aurifera Retamas, the greenfield project produced an estimated 8.3Mt of ROM in 2021.
The mine had an estimated production of 165.7 thousand ounces of gold in 2021.
5. Cerro Lindo Mine
Owned by Votorantim, the Cerro Lindo Mine is a lead mine situated in Ica, Peru. The mine is expected to operate until 2029.
The ROM production at the mine produced was approximately 6.9Mt of ROM in 2021. It had an estimated production of 12.3 thousand tonnes of lead in 2021.
6. Cerro Rico Mine
The Cerro Rico Mine is a silver mining project in Potosi, Bolivia. The brownfield project is owned by Corporacion Minera de Bolivia. The mine produced an estimated 5.7Mt of ROM in 2021. It had an estimated production of 4.2 million ounces of silver in 2021.
7. Fruta del Norte Project
The Fruta del Norte Project is a gold mine owned by Lundin Gold. Located in Zamora Chinchip, Ecuador, the greenfield mine produced approximately 4.5Mt of ROM in 2021. It had an estimated production of 404 thousand ounces of gold in 2021. The expected mine closure date is 2034.
8. Pacifico Superior Project
Located in Cachapoal, Chile, the Pacifico Superior Project is a copper mining project owned by Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile. The mine is expected to operate until 2024.
The greenfield mine produced an estimated 3.7Mt of ROM in 2021. It had an estimated production of 32.6 thousand tonnes of copper in the same year.
9. Las Cuevas Mine
The Las Cuevas Mine is a fluorspar mine located in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Owned by Globe Metals & Mining, the greenfield project produced an estimated 3.2Mt of ROM in 2021.
The mine had an estimated production of 1.2 million tonnes of fluorspar in 2021.
10. Santa Elena Mine (Mexus Gold)
Owned by Mexus Gold, the Santa Elena Mine (Mexus Gold) is a silver mine situated in Sonora, Mexico.
The ROM production at the mine produced was approximately 3.2Mt of ROM in 2021. It had an estimated production of 14.8 million ounces of silver in 2021.
Methodology:
This information is drawn from GlobalData’s mines and projects database, which tracks all operating and developing mines and projects globally. Verdict’s parent company GlobalData provides business information to 4,000 of the world’s largest companies.
