SÃO PAULO — Miners in Chile posted a 10.1-percent year-on-year increase in copper production in January on larger volumes at BHP Billiton Plc’s Escondida, Anglo American Plc’s Sur and Antofagasta Plc’s Los Pelambres projects.

Copper output from all mines reached 474,400 tonnes during the month, up from 431,000 tonnes in the same period a year earlier, according to Chilean copper commission Cochilco.

Production at BHP Billiton’s Escondida increased 51.1 percent year on year in January to 114,400 tonnes, Antofagasta’s Los Pelambres saw production rise 13.7 percent to 39,900 tonnes and Anglo American’s Sur reported a 13.1-percent increase in production to 37,200 tonnes in the same comparison.

Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco), the world’s biggest copper producer, reported output of 120,000 tonnes during the month, up 1.4 percent from January 2012. However, output at Codelco was down 29.6 percent compared with December.

Chuquicamata y Radomiro Tomic, the company’s largest project, posted a 22.4-percent year-on-year increase in January production to 64,000 tonnes.

The Chilean company reported lower output at its El Teniente project, where production fell 23.2 percent year on year to 22,900 tonnes.

Codelco’s Andina and Minera Gaby operations also registered lower output in January compared with the same month last year. Production at Andina fell 9.5 percent to 19,100 tonnes, while Minera Gaby posted a 5.7-percent drop to 10,000 tonnes.

Collahuasi, another major mine, reported output of to 22,200 tonnes in January, down 30.8 percent vs. December. The mine is owned by a consortium consisting of Anglo American (44 percent), Xstrata Plc (44 percent) and other investors. 

A version of this article was first published by AMM sister publication Metal Bulletin.