Owner: Minera Escondida
Type of Mine: Copper
Location: Atacama Desert, Chile
Built: 1990
Escondida produces the most copper annually than any other site in the world. In 2007 Minera Escondida produced 1.5 million tons worth $10 billion dollars. The mine’s construction began after an exploration program found that the copper belt was likely to have copper deposits similar to that of the Chiquicamata site just 300 kms away.
Image courtesy of NASA, Earth Observatory; Escondida copper mine, 23 April 2000
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