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Landslide shuts Codelco’s El Teniente open pit, raising Chile copper risks
Codelco said the El Teniente open pit stayed shut on Tuesday, as supply worries grow amid extreme weather, labor disputes, and other operational setbacks across Chile.
Chile’s copper supply outlook is facing fresh pressure after a deadly landslide at Codelco’s El Teniente mine, adding to existing concerns tied to extreme weather, labor disputes, and operational setbacks, Mining.com reports.
Codelco said the El Teniente open pit remained shut on Tuesday, while its extensive underground operations and processing plants continued running normally. The mine is located in the Andes Mountains about 75 km southeast of Santiago, and it is the world’s largest underground copper mine and Codelco’s biggest operation.
The landslide arrives as Chile is battered by extreme weather, with forecasts suggesting the 2026-27 El Niño could be significantly stronger than normal and among the most intense on record, Mining.com adds.
Mining.com also cites an early October study by GEM Mining Consulting estimating that an average 5.2% of production at Chile’s largest copper mines is at risk from strikes, severe weather, accidents, and geological problems, with the Production-at-Risk Index scoring 14 major operations from 2.6% to 9%.
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