Centinela Copper Mine's Polo Sur Project in Chile Commences Operation, Hauling Up to 20,000 Tonnes of Ore per Day

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Centinela Mining Company, a subsidiary of Chile's Antofagasta Minerals group, has begun feeding oxide ore to the crushing system at its Polo Sur copper project, officially entering the operational phase. Located in the Antofagasta Region of Chile, the project holds more than 27 million tonnes of oxide ore reserves and is supported by a 25-kilometer mine haul road and 22 mining trucks, with a daily haulage capacity of 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes. It is expected to contribute more than 79,000 tonnes of refined copper output over the next four years. The project's commissioning was announced on October 28.

The Polo Sur project consists of two open pits, Polo Sur and Sherezade, with initial mining starting at the Sherezade pit. Ore is transported via the newly built mine road to Centinela's existing crushing system and then enters the hydrometallurgical production line. The project uses the existing ore processing and hydrometallurgical infrastructure to treat the new oxide ore resources, with mining, haulage and the existing processing facilities together forming the production system now in operation.

Ore haulage is handled by contractor ICV, which has deployed 22 mining trucks, with the road connecting the mining area to the crushing facilities spanning 25 kilometers in total. The project operates under a model in which an external contractor works in coordination with the mining company's own production facilities: the mining and haulage segment is carried out by the specialized contractor, while ore processing utilizes Centinela's existing system.

The project was approved by the company's board of directors in February 2026, with construction commencing on June 28, the first blast completed at the Sherezade pit on August 31, and ore delivery to the crushing system beginning on October 16. The period from official construction start to first ore delivery spanned approximately 110 days. The project's current production schedule covers the next four years, with mining operations to be advanced in phases.

Records from Chile's environmental regulator show that the Polo Sur project is located in the municipality of Sierra Gorda, Antofagasta Province, and that relevant environmental permits include Environmental Qualification Resolution No. 267 of 2021. On October 13, 2026, Chile's environmental assessment agency issued a decision on certain construction and operational optimizations proposed for the project, involving temporary water supply methods, types of ore haulage vehicles, facility layout and adjustments to pit coordinates. These matters constitute engineering configuration adjustments within the actual implementation scope of the Polo Sur project.