Chile’s national copper company Codelco said it will temporarily suspend construction activities at the new mine level, Nuevo Nivel Mina, at the El Teniente mine, due to COVID-19 concerns. The temporary demobilization, which affects the Andes Norte, Diamante, Andesita and Recursos Norte projects, was initiated last weekend, reduced the number of people on-site by 4,500 people and lowered the possibilities for contagion, the company explained.

During this shutdown period, Codelco will be preparing the restart of associated projects, whose peak of activity is scheduled for the years 2021 and 2022.

In the meantime, the mining operations at El Teniente will continue under a 14 x 14 shift basis, which means 14 days of work and 14 days off. This new shift system is intended to significantly reduce manpower exposure in common areas.

 

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