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SANTIAGO, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Production by Chile's state
copper miner Codelco rose 9.3% year on year in August to 154,700
tonnes, but the total for the first eight months of 2019 dropped
8.4% to 1.06 million tonnes compared to the year-ago period,
state copper commission Cochilco said on Monday.
Production at BHP's Escondida copper mine, the
world's largest, fell 8.5% year on year in August to 770,800
tonnes. At Collahuasi, majority owned by Anglo American and
Glencore , production rose 0.5% year on year to
352,500 tonnes in August, the copper commission added.
Codelco has pointed to declining ore grades, inclement
weather around its northern mines and operational issues as
reasons for lower production.
Chile's overall copper production declined 0.4% year on year
in August to 3.76 million tonnes.
(Reporting by Fabian Cambero; Writing by Aislinn Laing; Editing
by Richard Chang)
