Anglo-American, the FTSE 100 mining company, has completed the first copper production from the huge expansion project at its Los Bronces mine in central Chile.
The expansion of Los Bronces is expected to more than double the mine's existing production of 221,000 tonnes per year.
Anglo-American's Chief Executive, Cynthia Carroll, said of the development: "At peak production levels, Los Bronces is expected to be the fifth largest copper mine in the world, with reserves and resources that support a mine life of over 30 years and with further expansion potential."
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Los Bronces is an open-cut copper and molybdenum mine located approximately 65km northeast of Santiago, Chile, at an altitude of around 4,000m above sea level.
The ore is extracted, crushed and transported down a 56km slurry pipeline to the Las Trtolas flotation plant, where copper and molybdenum concentrates are produced. The mine also produces copper cathodes.
At its peak of construction the Los Bronces Project employed approximately 16,000 workers.
Anglo-American shares have fallen 33% in the year to date and are 15% down over five years.
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