Codelco Cleared to Partially Restart El Teniente Mine After Fatal Collapse

Codelco has obtained the final regulatory approvals needed to resume some underground operations at its flagship El Teniente copper mine, nine days after a seismic collapse on 31 July killed six workers and forced a complete shutdown. Chile’s mining regulator, Sernageomin, granted a partial restart late on 9 August, and the state labour inspector endorsed the plan the following day after on-site safety checks. The authorisations allow production to restart in areas untouched by the incident, including Pilar Norte, Panel Esmeralda, Pacífico Superior and Diablo Regimiento. Sections closer to the collapse—such as Recursos Norte, Andesita, Andes Norte and Diamante—remain closed pending further inspections. Codelco said the first shift will involve about 200 employees, roughly 70 % of a typical weekend crew. Prosecutors leading a parallel investigation said inspections revealed about 3,700 metres of damaged tunnels, five times the company’s initial estimate. El Teniente, more than a century old and extending over 4,500 kilometres of galleries, is Codelco’s largest operation and a key contributor to global copper supply. Full production cannot resume until regulators conclude safety reviews of the affected sections.