September 07, 2008

BHP Billiton mulls expansion to Escondida concentrator

According to local paper El Mercurio, Anglo Australian resource group BHP Billiton is considering an expansion to its 57.5% owned Escondida copper mine in Chile's northern region II.

The report quoted Mr Diego Hernández president of BHP Billiton Base Metals as saying that "We are working to see if it is worthwhile to expand the concentrator's capacity to compensate for falling grades, in order to maintain Escondida's production in 2007 or increase it slightly.”

Mr Hernández said that if the company decides to expand the concentrator's capacity, it would enlarge it by at least 50%.

Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, sold 1.44 million tonnes of payable red metal last year.