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Minera Escondida is the largest producing copper mining operation in the world. In 2008, with 1,255,019 metric tons of fine copper, it represented approximately 23.5% of the national production.



Its productive operation began in 1990 and since October 2005 the company has also exploited Escondida Norte, a second open pit located 5 km from the main pit.

Minera Escondida produces copper concentrate through the flotation process of sulphide ore and copper cathodes through the leaching processes of oxidized ore and bioleaching of low-grade sulphides. The company moves around 360 million tons of mine ore annually.

Its infrastructure consists of two open-pit mines (Escondida and Escondida Norte), two concentrator plants (Laguna Seca and Los Colorados), an electrowinning plant to produce cathodes from oxidized and sulphide ore, and two miner pipelines that transport the copper concentrate from the mine to the filter plant, located next to Puerto Coloso at the southern end of the city of Antofagasta, also owned by the company. The recently built seawater desalination plant is also located in this place with the purpose of partially supplying the operation's consumption.

The development, start-up and successive stages of expansion of the company (which have increased its production capacity from 320,000 to more than 1,200,000 tons of fine copper per year) have not been only the natural consequence of having a huge and rich deposit and applying modern technologies, but also, and mainly, of the technical capacity and vision of its people, who have been able to develop this mega operation with special care for the various aspects of business sustainability.





The Escondida deposit is located in the North of Chile, in the Atacama Desert, 170 km southeast of the city of Antofagasta and 3,100 meters above sea level.



45 minutes north of Antofagasta (on the way to Tocopilla)



Antofagasta is 1,361 km away. north of Santiago de Chile, 205 km. from Calama and 564 from Copiapó. You can get:



By plane

There are daily frequencies from the national airport of Santiago de Chile. You can check the departure times.



By car

To get to Antofagasta from any point located to the south, you must travel along Route 5 north. From Copiapó it is 564 km. and from La Serena 898 km.



If you are traveling from the north, you must travel on Route 5 south. From Calama it is 205 km. and from Iquique 493 km.



By bus

There are daily frequencies from nearby cities. There are buses that leave from Santiago de Chile. Check with the respective Road Terminals.







There is a viewpoint where the operations carried out by Minera Escondida are reported through panels and brochures. Visits can also be made at scheduled times, which you should consult.

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