Since shutting down of all gold mining and exploration activities in 2016, the country has been losing both tax revenue and investors, a new report shows.
The Chilean miner has been seeking a buyer for all or part of itself to raise $1 billion to dig for copper and gold in two of its mines in the country's north.
The country's antitrust court has approved a deal between the competition regulator and Tianqi, allowing the Chinese miner to buy a nearly one-quarter stake in lithium producer SQM .
Experts say that, when done correctly, artisanal mining can be an ethical source of low-cost, high-grade cobalt and a key mechanism in keeping the market balanced during times of supply shortage.
The project, known as the Salobo 3, is expected to add about 50,000 tonnes to the open-pit mine’s current capacity of 200,000 tonnes of copper per year