Chuquicamata

Chuquicamata is a large open-pit copper mine in Chile’s Atacama Desert, near Calama. It is one of the world’s largest copper deposits and has been mined since the late nineteenth century.

Porphyry copper deposit: A large, low-grade copper deposit formed by mineralizing fluids associated with intrusive igneous rocks. Chuquicamata is a major example of this deposit type.
Atacama Desert: A hyperarid plateau and coastal desert in northern Chile and neighboring countries. Chuquicamata’s climate and location are defined by this desert.
Anaconda Copper: An American mining company that became a major producer of copper in Chile and the United States. Anaconda operated Chuquicamata for decades before Chile nationalized the copper industry.
Chilean nationalization of copper: The transfer of Chile’s large copper mines from foreign companies to state ownership, finalized in 1971. Chuquicamata was among the mines transferred to Chilean state control.
Open-pit mining: A mining method that removes ore and waste from a large surface excavation. Its enormous pit was developed through this method.
Calama: A city in northern Chile’s Antofagasta Region, near the Loa River and Chuquicamata mine. The mine’s workforce and services have long been closely tied to Calama.
Codelco: Chile’s state-owned copper mining company, established in 1976. Codelco has operated Chuquicamata since the mine entered state ownership.
Copper mining in Chile: The extraction and processing of copper across Chile, the world’s leading copper-producing country. Chuquicamata is a defining operation within this national industry.
Block caving: An underground mining method that fractures and draws down large masses of ore beneath their own weight. Chuquicamata has turned to underground block caving as the open pit deepens.
Inca Empire: A pre-Columbian Andean empire that ruled a vast territory from its capital at Cusco. Copper from the region was used before modern industrial mining began.

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