Chile Copper Mega-Play Moves Forward as Codelco and Anglo American Advance Shared Andina-Los Bronces Pit

A significant new chapter may be opening in Chilean copper mining, with Codelco and Anglo American advancing plans for a shared open pit linking the Andina and Los Bronces operations in central Chile.

The proposal is unusual in both form and scale. Rather than pursuing two separate adjacent developments, the companies are moving toward a coordinated solution based on a single integrated mining concept supported by separate but aligned environmental filings.

The project is expected to produce about 120,000 tonnes of copper per year from 2030 through to 2051 and deliver at least US$5 billion in pre-tax value. Those numbers matter in a copper market where large new sources of long-life supply are becoming harder to find, harder to permit and more expensive to build.

By combining infrastructure rather than duplicating it, the shared pit concept points to a more efficient model for future brownfield expansion in established mining districts.

For mining companies, the appeal is clear. Shared pit design, common waste handling and processing integration can reduce capital duplication and lower the environmental footprint of expansion. For contractors, the opportunity sits across mine integration, civil works, water systems, processing modifications, haulage interfaces and environmental management packages.

Los Bronces, operated by Anglo American plc, listed on the LSE under AAL, is located in Chile’s Santiago Metropolitan Region. Andina, operated by state-owned Codelco, sits in the neighbouring Valparaíso Region high in the Andes. Together, they form part of one of the most strategically important copper corridors in the world.