Codelco copper output jumps in January

Copper production at Chile's largest mines was mixed in January, as strong output at State mining giant Codelco was offset by weaker results at the huge Escondida mine, official figures released on Tuesday showed The State-run Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco) reported that production by Codelco, the world's largest miner of the red metal, rose 19.4% year-on-year to 142 000 t in the month. Meanwhile at Escondida, the world's largest copper deposit controlled by BHP, production fell 16.1% year-on-year to 84 700 t. Collahuasi - a partnership between Glencore and Anglo American along with Japanese companies - posted a 6.5% year-on-year rise in production to 57 000 t. Chile's total copper output edged down 0.7% year-on-year in the month to 457 100 t, Cochilco added.