Decline in Chile Copper production hits Global Copper mine output

CHILE July 28 2017 2:35 PM

LONDON (Scrap Register): Global copper mine production is estimated to  have declined by around 3.5% in the first four months of 2017, with  copper concentrate production declining by around 3% and solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW) declining by around 5%.

The decline in global copper mine production was mainly due to a 12% decline in production in Chile, the world’s biggest copper  mine producing country, negatively affected by the strike at  Escondida mine and lower output from Codelco mines.

A  decline  in  Canada and Mongolia concentrates  production  of  19%  and  22%,  respectively, mainly due to lower grades in planned mining sequencing.

A 14% decline in Indonesian concentrate production as output  was constrained by a temporary ban on concentrate exports  that started in January and ended in April.

However  overall  decline  was  partially  offset  by  a  13%  and  7%  rise  in  Mexican  (concentrate  and  SX-EW)  and  Peruvian   (concentrate)  output,  respectively,  with  both  countries  benefi tting  from  new  and  expanded  capacity  that  was  not  yet  fully   available in the same period of last year.

On  a  regional  basis,  production  rose  by  4%  in  Europe  (including  Russia)  and  7%  in  Oceania  while  declining  by  6%  in  the   Americas, 1.5% in Asia and 4% in Africa.