Machines are taking over a giant Chilean copper mine, replacing about a third of the workforce as owner Codelco struggles to keep its title as the world’s largest producer of the metal.
Codelco officially inaugurated underground operations at its century-old Chuquicamata mine on Wednesday. The $5.5-billion project is the first of the State company’s multi-billion dollar effort to upgrade mining activities in order to boost productivity. The miner’s output fell to 1.68-million tons last year, from 1.73-million a year earlier as its higher-grade ore reserves decline.