Chile’s state-owned copper giant Codelco will make a decision on the construction of an underground mine at its Chuquicamata operation before the end of this year, said CEO and Executive President Diego Hernandez.
Chile’s copper exports fell 6.5% to US$10.5 billion in the first three months of 2012 from $11.2 billion in the same period last year, according to figures compiled by the country’s Central Bank.
Mining investment in Chile, the world's largest copper producer, would reach US$ 100 billion between 2012 and 2020, the National Mining Society (Sonami) said on Monday.
Two or three days longer than anticipated could take rescuers to get to the nine Peruvian miners trapped 200 metres below ground since last Thursday, told reporters Oscar Valdes, cabinet chief to Peru's President Ollanta Humala.
Brazilian miner World Mineral Resources (WMR) has found a large reserve of neodymium, one of the 17 rare earth elements, in the western Bahia state, which could bring US$8.4 billion to the country.