Mining Intelligence and News
Chile

El Abra Mine

Click for more information
Australia

El Abra Mine

Location: 61 km N from Calama, Chile

Regional Office:

Av. Chorrillos 1631, Edificio Business Park, Piso 6, Torre 1
Calama
Chile

Contacts:

Additional Resources for Suppliers & Investors

Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Molybdenum
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotEl Abra is an open-pit copper mining complex. The El Abra operation consists of a SX/EW facility, crushed leach circuit and a ROM leaching operation.

At the El Abra operations in Chile, Freeport has identified a large sulfide resource that would support a potential major mill project similar to the large-scale concentrator at Cerro Verde. Technical and economic studies continue to be evaluated to determine the optimal scope and timing for the sulfide project.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Codelco Corp. 49 % Indirect
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. 51 % Indirect
Sociedad Contractual Minera El Abra (operator) 100 % Direct
Freeport-McMoRan Inc has a 51 percent ownership interest in El Abra, and the remaining 49 percent interest is held by the state-owned copper enterprise Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile.

Contractors

Lock

- subscription is required.

SourceSource

Deposit type

  • Porphyry

Summary:

The El Abra mine is a porphyry copper deposit that has sulfide and oxide mineralization. The predominant primary sulfide copper minerals are bornite and chalcopyrite. There is a minor amount of secondary sulfide mineralization as chalcocite. The oxide copper minerals are chrysocolla and pseudomalachite. There are lesser amounts of copper bearing clays and tenorite.

Reserves

Lock

- subscription is required.

Mining Methods

Lock

- subscription is required.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Lock

- subscription is required.

EV - Electric

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

Lock

- subscription is required.

Commodity Production

CommodityUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Copper M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe180200173220324
All production numbers are expressed as cathode.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe216,000 t214,000 t214,000 t214,000 t214,000 t
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe500 M lbs of copper cathode500 M lbs of copper cathode500 M lbs of copper cathode500 M lbs of copper cathode500 M lbs of copper cathode

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20182017
Cash costs Copper USD 2.13 / lb **   2 / lb **  
** Net of By-Product.

Mine Financials

Units20212020201920182017
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 493.5   596.1   501.1  
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -26.1   20.8   31.3  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2024
...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2018
...... Subscription required 2017
...... Subscription required 2016
...... Subscription required 2015
...... Subscription required 2014

Aerial view:

Lock

- subscription is required.