Overview
Antofagasta Minerals announced a capital expenditure program exceeding $900 million aimed at extending production at the Zaldivar copper mine in Chile’s Atacama Desert until 2051, Economy and Mining Minister Daniel Mas said. The mine operates as an open-pit joint venture, equally owned by Barrick Gold and Antofagasta Minerals, with Antofagasta acting as operator.
Planned investment and infrastructure
The allocated funds will go toward construction of a new pumping system designed to convey treated wastewater from the state-run ECONSSA facility into Zaldivar’s production processes. Once the new pumping system and ECONSSA’s reuse plant are operational, the mine intends to discontinue use of continental water. The ECONSSA water reuse plant is under construction in Antofagasta with a planned capacity of 900 liters per second and is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
Employment and construction profile
Company projections cited with the announcement indicate the expansion phase will generate approximately 5,000 jobs at the peak of construction activity. In addition, the project is expected to preserve about 4,000 existing roles connected to the mine’s ongoing operations.
Operational timeline
The timeline presented ties the cessation of continental water use at Zaldivar to the 2028 start-up of the new supply system and the ECONSSA reuse plant. The 2051 target reflects the planned extended life of mine supported by the investment.
Implications
This capital program centers on water infrastructure integration and mine life extension. It couples public-sector water reuse capacity with private mining investment to maintain production at an established copper operation in northern Chile.