Escondida lifts Chile Copper mine output in August: INE

SANDIAGO (Scrap Monster): The world's top copper producer Chile's total mine output advanced sharply by 426,500 tons year-on-year to reach 458,000 tons in August this year, according to Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (INE).

According to INE, miners in Chile posted a 7% year-on-year rise in copper output for August mainly due to a sharp increase in production at the BHP Billiton-operated Escondida mine, the world's largest copper mine.

Escondida's copper production was 88,400 tons, up from 42,500 tons a year earlier. A more than doubling of production at Escondida helped offset declines at mines run by Codelco, the world's biggest copper producer.

Chile, which produces around a third of the world's copper, is struggling to boost its key copper production despite stubbornly dwindling ore grades in old mines, labour action, energy woes and operational troubles.

The Andean country produced 3.52-million tons of copper in the January to August period, a 4% increase from the same period of 2011.

According to the latest center bank data, Chile's copper export revenue advanced to $3.523 billion in September this year from $2.955 billion in August.