Chuquicamata

The mine of Chuquicamata , with the Chile, is largest mine of copper to open sky of the world.

Located in the deserted of Atacama at the North of Chile at 15 km of the town of Calama and at 250 km at the North-East of Antofagasta, this mine contains to it-only 13% of the reserves of copper of the world.

The mine has an elliptic form, its surface is approximately 8000000 m ² and its depth can reach more than 800 Mr.

It belongs to the group of Chilean State Codelco.

History

The mine was already worked before Hispanic colonization. The word Chuquicamata comes from the language Aymara, it designates the first inhabitants of the area.

The area where the mine is passed under Chilean control following the Guerre of the Pacific (1879-1884) and with the treaties which followed it.

In 1912, the company Guggenheim Bros acquires the grounds of the mine of Chuquicamata.

Construction began in February 1913 and the production started in March 1915. The May 18th 1915, the first copper bar of the modern history of the mine was produced.

Guggenheim Bros continued the exploitation of the mine under the names Chilean Exploration Co , Chile Copper Co. , and Anaconda Co. until the nationalization of the copper extraction by the government of Salvador Allende about the years 1971 - 1972.

Currently, the exploitation of the mine is ensured by Codelco, undertaken held at 100% by the Chilean State.

External bonds

Seen satellite of the mine on WikiMapia
Official site of the mine

Random links: