Escondida

Chile· AntofagastaProduction
Contained Copper
130.0 Mt
Average Grade
0.55%
Deposit Type
Porphyry Cu-Mo
Discovery Year
1981

Overview

World's largest copper producer by output. Supergene-enriched porphyry Cu deposit.

Geological Context

Host Rock: Granodiorite porphyry (Late Eocene-Early Oligocene)

Tectonic Setting: Continental arc

Geological Province: Central Andes

Metallogenic Belt: Andean Porphyry Belt

Resources & Operations

Operator: BHP (57.5%)

Mining Method: Open Pit

Production Start: 1990

Data Provenance

Source: BHP annual reports; Richards et al. (2001)

Last Verified: 2026-01-15

References: