Codelco, the Chilean state-owned copper miner, has temporarily suspended its Andes Norte structural project at the El Teniente mine. This decision, communicated to four contracting companies and unions on August 4, 2026, stems from new seismic risk detected in a deeper working area following technical reports after a fatal rockburst a year prior. The suspension is a preventative measure, not due to immediate danger, and will remain in effect until necessary control measures for the seismic risk are implemented.
The Andes Norte project is one of three structural initiatives aimed at extending the lifespan of El Teniente, which aims to maintain an annual production rate of approximately 400,000 metric tons. The project had been gradually reopened for construction after a rockburst on July 31, 2025, which killed six workers and injured nine. Other areas affected by that incident, Andesita and Recursos Norte, remain paralyzed. The suspension is expected to affect about 3,000 workers, leading to potential layoffs or contract terminations, and Codelco will activate clauses in its agreements with contractors.
Bloomberg reported in February 2026 that El Teniente's production would likely remain around 300,000 metric tons annually until the end of the decade, a decline from 356,000 tons in 2024 before the fatal accident. An August 2025 Bloomberg article suggested the collapse was likely due to mining activity rather than natural causes. BNamericas also reported that Andesita, Diamante, and Andes Norte, key projects with investments of around $3.2 billion to extend the mine's life by 50 years, would remain halted, with Andesita and Andes Norte being 70% and 63% complete respectively before the accident.
