Peru’s largest copper operation Antamina is hoping to get the green light for an extension of its mine life to 2036 from environmental authorities by early next year, the company’s chief executive officer has reportedly said.
Antamina CEO Victor Gobitz told Reuters that it is hoping to get that approval by early next year for an expansion project it first announced in April with a $1.6 billion price tag. The mine’s current useful life is expected to expire in 2028.
“In an optimistic scenario, we should have the approval by the end of this year or the beginning of the next,” Gobitz said, noting the go-ahead would also allow it to move forward with its already planned investments.
Antamina is waiting for a response from local authority Senace to its request to modify its environmental impact assessment. As part of the process, the miner is holding its third and final public participation event in Ancash where the mine is located.
“The operational footprint remains the same and production would not change,” he said to Reuters.
Antamina is co-owned by Glencore, BHP, Teck Resources and Mitsubishi Corp.
Source: Reuters