Declining South America copper ore grades require ingenuity

摘要

Declining ore grades are one of the major challenges faced by copper miners in South America, specifically in Chile, says professional services firm Deloitte. Chile has the largest available resource of copper in the world, with 2014 production having amounted to 5.74-million tonnes, or 30% of total global production. Chile still has 28% of global copper reserves, which equates to 190-million tonnes, according to a 2013 United States Geological Survey report.