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Salvador Division, Chile

14th March 2025

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Name of the Mine
Salvador Division.

Location  
Mining operation are located in Diego de Almagro and in the port in Chañaral, in the Atacama region of Chile.

Mine Owner/s  
Chilean State-owned copper mining company Codelco.

Brief Description  
The Salvador Division is one of seven in Codelco’s operations and covers 151 641.11 ha of mining concessions.

The Rajo Inca project will convert Salvador from an underground mine to an openpit. 

Brief History  
US mining company Andes Copper Mining Co discovered a new copper ore deposit in the Indio Muerto Mountain in Chile’s Atacama region in 1959. Today, this is Codelco’s Salvador Division.

Primary Metals/Minerals  
Copper, gold, silver and molybdenum.

Secondary Metals/Minerals  
Sulphuric acid by-product.

Geology/Mineralisation  
The the Salvador deposit is situated within Paleocene volcanic rocks. During the Eocene epoch, dacite stocks intruded these host rocks, leading to copper/molybdenum mineralisation. 

Reserves  
Total reserves are estimated at 678-million tonnes with a cutoff grade of 0.61%.

Resources  
Salvador has resources of 2.21-billion tonnes with a cutoff grade of 0.5% copper.

Type of Mine
Openpit and underground.

Mining Method  
Conventional underground mining methods are used. The Rajo Inca project aims to convert the existing underground operations into an openpit mine.

Major Infrastructure/Equipment  
The operation includes an openpit mine and underground mine, a leach plant, a concentrator plant, a smelter, a refinery and shipping port.

Prospects  
The Rajo Inca project will extend the operation of the Salvador Division by 47 years and will increase the mine’s output by almost 50%.

Contact Details 
Codelco
Tel +56 2 2690 3000
Email comunica@codelco.cl
Website https://www.codelco.com/

 


 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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