Centinela mines sulphide and oxide deposits 1,350km north of Santiago in the Antofagasta Region, one of Chile’s most important mining areas. Centinela produces copper concentrate (containing gold and silver) through a milling and flotation process, and molybdenum concentrate. It also produces copper cathodes, using the solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX-EW) process.
Links
- https://web.mineracentinela.cl/
- https://www.antofagasta.co.uk/our-business/mining-division/centinela/
- https://www.mindat.org/loc-205860.html
Notes
Owner: 70% Antofagasta, 30% Marubeni Corporation
Start operations: 2014
Workforce: 7,100
Minerals mined: 5 mineral species according to mindat - Atacamite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla and Tenorite
Ore volume processed (Mtpa):
Ore grade:
Production:
- Copper concentrate: 112 kt (copper content, 2024)
- Copper cathode: 102 kt
- Co-products: Au, Mo
Operations: Open pit mine, mill, flotation, SX-EW
Projects & highlights:
- Nueva Centinela, a 4.4 B$ investment to double Centinela's mineral processing capacity and extend its useful life
- 100% electricity from renewable sources
- 100% undesalinated seawater
- 35th largest copper mine in 2024 according to ICSG
Recipient of The Copper Mark
Köppen climate type: BWk - Cold desert climate
Media
- Oct-25: Antofagasta ignites Centinela mine expansion with new pit (checked 13-Oct-25)
- Jul-25: Antofagasta Minerals’ Centinela expansion includes ABB Gearless Mill Drives (checked 4-Jul-25)
- Apr-25: More than 10,000 people are working on the construction of Nueva Centinela (checked 19-May-25)
Created: May-25; updated Jul-25, Oct-25, Feb-26