Codelco's Gaby reaches full output, starts expansion

Chile's state-owned copper company Codelco reported that its Gaby mine, commissioned in May, has ramped up to full output of 150,000t/y in cathode and has approved an expansion to increase capacity by roughly 20,000t/y. "We have achieved an average production of 411t/d in cathode during the last 30 days," Gaby general manager Eliseo Pérez was quoted as saying in a Codelco statement. The mine aims to produce 70,000t of copper cathode this year, Pérez added. Codelco approved the expansion of Gaby during its last board meeting on October 30. The plan involves spending US$202mn to gradually increase output to just under 170,000t/y over 28 months by installing a third line of secondary and tertiary crushers, and increasing by 50% the leach pad area, in addition to other works in the project's wet area. Codelco produced 1.12Mt of copper in this year's first three quarters, of which Gaby contributed 29,000t.