Codelco eyes $800M extension to keep Gabriela Mistral open until 2055

Chile’s state-owned copper producer Codelco said on Monday it has applied for an environmental permit to extend the life of its Gabriela Mistral mine by over 25 years, pushing the current closure date from 2028 to at least 2055.

The $800 million proposal aims to sustain production at the open-pit mine in Chile’s Antofagasta region, which has been operational since 2008. A key component of the plan is the transition away from using domestic land-based water by 2035. Instead, the mine...