Amerigo faces operational disruption following El Teniente accident
Vancouver-based Amerigo Resources has temporarily suspended the processing of fresh tailings at its Minera Valle Central (MVC) operation in Chile following a deadly rockfall at its long-time partner Codelco’s El Teniente mine.
The copper producer said on Wednesday the incident, which occurred last week in the Andesita sector of El Teniente, had resulted in a halt to fresh tailings deliveries, forcing MVC to shift its focus to processing historic tailings. The daily loss in copper output is estimated at 100 000 lb.
“This tragic event deeply saddens everyone at Amerigo and MVC,” the company stated in a news release. “Our thoughts are with the families of the six workers who lost their lives and with all those affected at El Teniente.”
Codelco, the State-owned mining giant and the world’s largest copper producer, suspended operations immediately after the seismic event and initiated a search and rescue operation, which concluded on Sunday. Chilean President Gabriel Boric subsequently declared three days of national mourning.
Amerigo emphasised that the full impact on its yearly copper production guidance remained uncertain and would depend on the timeline for the resumption of operations at El Teniente.
The MVC plant, located near Rancagua in central Chile, relies on a supply of tailings from El Teniente to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates. Amerigo has built its business around a unique model of processing both fresh and historic tailings from Codelco’s operations, with a relationship that has spanned decades.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation