Codelco sees copper production drop in July, private mines up

Chile’s state-owned copper miner Codelco saw a 4.4% drop in year-on-year production in July as the coronavirus hit its peak in the nation and forced the company to scale back staffing, slow projects and switch off a smelter.

Codelco produced 133,300 tonnes of copper in July, up 2.3% over the first seven months of 2020 compared to the previous year, while production at Escondida mine owned by BHP rose 3.8% in July to 100,900 tonnes, and production from Collahuasi mine, majority-owned by Anglo American and Glencore, rose 22.8% in July to 58,100 tonnes.