Glencore to Aggressively Expand Copper Capacity

Published: Jun 2, 2023 16:59

Save

According to foreign news on May 31, a senior executive of the mining giant Glencore said that the company plans to invest $1.5 billion to expand its Antapaccay copper mine in Peru, higher than the previously announced $590 million.

Antapaccay Mining Company managing director Carlos Cotera said it was advancing the Coroccohuayco project, which aims to extend the life of the mine by decades. Production has stalled in recent years due to declining ore grades.

“The Coroccohuayco project implies an extension of the life of the mine to at least 2045 or 2050, which is our forecast,” Cotera said on the sidelines of a mining forum in Lima late on Monday. "We estimate that the investment will exceed $1.5 billion."

The electric vehicle revolution has sharply boosted global copper demand forecasts for the next few years, with many analysts predicting a supply deficit after production and investment in key regions slowed. Peru is the second largest copper producer in the world, and its neighbor Chile is the largest copper producer.

Annual production at Antapaccay, one of Peru's largest copper mines, has fallen steadily from 221,000 tonnes in 2016 to around 150,000 tonnes currently, making the expansion project important, Cotera said.

“We believe that for at least the first 10 years of operation of Coroccohuayco, copper production will be around 250,000 tonnes per annum,” Cotera said.

The project had previously been delayed due to instability in the region where the copper mine is located. In September 2022, residents opposed to the expansion project blocked part of the mining corridor in the Andes for several days.

Antapaccay said at the time the plan was "under review". The corridor was also blocked amid unrest following the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo.

Cotera said the company is currently reviewing a "pre-feasibility study" for Coroccohuayco, which is expected to be approved in the second half of 2024, followed by a full feasibility study.

More popular news:

Commodity Price Bubble Finally Burst, but Metals Demand Will Surge

SMM Daily Comments (Jun 1): Base Metals Mostly Rose with SHFE Aluminium Surging, Ferrous Metals Rose across the board, Iron Ore Skyrocketed

SMM Daily Comments (Jun 2): All Metals Closed Higher with SHFE Nickel Leading Gains, Coke Surged

SMM Indonesia Nickel and Cobalt Industry Chain Conference: Global Nickel & Cobalt Supply and Demand Prospect, Impact from NEV Development

Commerzbank Lowers Price Forecast for Copper, Aluminium, Zinc and Nickel for 2023 and 2024

Market forecast

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

Jul 17, 2026 20:31

Kazakhstan's Copper and Zinc Production Declines in H1 2023, June Sees Significant Drops

Data from the Statistics Agency of Kazakhstan on Friday showed that, in January-June this year, copper cathode production dropped 4.5% YoY to 231,945 mt. Of this, June output was 39,323 mt, a 20.8% YoY decline. The data also showed that the country's refined zinc production in June stood at 19,807 mt, down 22.4% YoY, and for January-June, refined zinc production was 112,861 mt, a 14.8% YoY decline.

Jul 17, 2026 20:31

Jul 17, 2026 20:30

Antofagasta Reports Q2 Copper Output Dip, Maintains Full-Year Guidance Amid Stronger H2 Outlook

Chilean copper miner Antofagasta reported on July 15 that its Q2 copper production edged down, reiterated its full-year production guidance, and expects stronger H2 output to drive achievement of the full-year target. In the three months to June 30, the company produced 142,000 mt of copper, down 0.7% QoQ, as a decline in output at the Antucoya mine offset performance at other mines. Q2 net cash cost climbed nearly 26% QoQ to $1.36 per pound. Antofagasta said quarterly production is expected to ramp up gradually over the remainder of the year, and maintained its 2026 copper production guidance at 650,000 to 700,000 mt and net cash cost guidance at $1.15 to $1.35 per pound.

Jul 17, 2026 20:30

Jul 17, 2026 20:29

Copper Miners Face Short-Term Crisis Amid Sulphuric Acid Market Turmoil, IEA Reports

The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that copper miners producing more than one-seventh of the world’s primary copper supply are now mired in turmoil in the sulphuric acid market, a crisis triggered by conflicts including geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The agency notes that while the long-term supply outlook for copper has improved slightly, the metal still faces multiple severe challenges in the short term. In its newly released "Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026" report, the Paris-based IEA says that the short- and medium-term outlook for the copper market has sharply deteriorated over the past year.

Jul 17, 2026 20:29