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Codelco’s El Teniente expansion pause may last up to two years
The suspension is tied to newly identified seismic risks near the Andes Norte project, after a July 31, 2025 rockburst killed six workers and halted parts of production.
Codelco said it could suspend development of the Andes Norte section at its El Teniente mine for as long as two years, according to a union leader cited by Mining.com, citing new geological studies that point to greater seismic risks than previously understood.
The company linked the decision to protecting workers after six months of analysis identified an emerging seismic phenomenon associated with the project’s greater depth, and said the risk could have characteristics different from those it has historically managed at the operation.
El Teniente’s setback comes as the mine is already working to restore output after production fell to a 25-year low, with copper production about 27% lower year over year in the first five months of the year.
Mining.com also highlighted that the disruption adds to concerns over already tightening physical copper markets, pointing to CRU’s Copper Monitor warning of a growing risk of a near-term squeeze on the London Metal Exchange amid low on-warrant inventories and heavy US imports.
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