Almost a year has gone by since the company first informed the government of its plans to move a mine shovel from one pit to an older adjacent pit, and it still hasn’t gotten permission.

A Chilean court ordered BHP to cease drawing water from a riverbed near its facility and regulate nearby waste deposits following complaints from a nearby indigenous community.

“The outlook for copper has never been better,” said Freeport CEO Richard Adkerson.

Tony Hayward defended an incentive plan for the commodity giant’s new chief executive officer, after prominent advisory firms urged investors to vote against it.

Scrap typically accounts for about a third of global copper supplies at around 30 million tonnes.

Copper production climbed 9% to 160,000 tonnes in the quarter from 147,000 tonnes in the same period last year.

The Norte Abierto complex was previously approved in 2019 following the submission of an Environmental Impact Statement.

The initial 2021 work program budget is $3.2 million and is expected to be completed in late June.