Caserones look to ports outside the Atacama

The suspension of work in August 2012 of a new Chilean port at Castilla, being developed by Brazilian and German interests to serve a projected nearby power plant, left the Caserones mining company without a maritime outlet in the country's Atacama region. As a result, it has signed contracts with two ports further afield.

Over the next three years, consignments of copper concentrates will be exported via the port of Coquimbo, while a second contract has also been signed with the port of Antofagasta for a period of 12 months. The latter port is due to handle around 30,000 tonnes annually, while Coquimbo should see up to 400,000 tonnes initially, rising to 500,000 tonnes later on into the contract. Consignments using Coquimbo will commence early this year.