Chile: Authorities and international experts validate El Teniente as a benchmark in global mining

Various stakeholders in the sector witnessed firsthand the technological advancements and innovations of the underground mine and other processes.

Just days away from celebrating its 119th anniversary on April 29, Codelco's El Teniente Division has established itself as a global benchmark in underground mining, renowned for its innovation and use of cutting-edge technology in its operations. Over a century since pick-and-shovel miners first began drilling the initial tunnels, experts from around the world come to learn in detail about the processes developed at the mine located in the Andes mountains of the O'Higgins region.

Coinciding with the meeting of the International Organizing Committee of the 105th World Mining Congress (WMC) and the Cesco Week held between April 15 and 19, various experts wanted to learn about El Teniente's work methods.

The President of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM); a delegation from the United States Defense University; the Undersecretary of Mines from India; representatives from mining companies Elcowire and Boliden (Sweden), Southwire (United States); the London Metal Exchange; and the multinational Metso, witnessed firsthand the advances of the world's largest underground mine.

Shri VL Kantha Rao, Minister of Mines of India, who met with the Chairman of Codelco's Board, Máximo Pacheco, highlighted that his visit was focused on "exploring potential opportunities and fostering collaboration in business development initiatives.

"The global mining industry wants to learn from these more than 119 years of experience because this deposit has faced all the problems and all the variations of exploitation methods, fortifications, and has the lessons learned," said Rohitesh Dhawan, President of the ICMM.

One of the current global challenges in underground mining is processing harder rocks and dealing with more complex geological environments. In this context, the block caving extraction system, with its lower associated costs and increased competitiveness compared to open-pit mines, has attracted industry attention as an alternative for exploiting the deep resources of these deposits.

"Codelco's El Teniente Division, with over a century of knowledge and experience in underground mining, has become a global reference in this field, at a time when many open-pit mines are transitioning to underground operations," explained Alicia Reyes, Head of Public and Corporate Affairs at El Teniente.

During 2023, El Teniente received 56 corporate visits from mining institutions and companies from America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.