https://www.miningweekly.com
Copper|Energy|Exploration|Export|Industrial|Mining|PROJECT|Projects|Environmental
Copper|Energy|Exploration|Export|Industrial|Mining|PROJECT|Projects|Environmental
copper|energy|exploration|export|industrial|mining|project|projects|environmental

Ecuador exports first copper concentrate from Chinese-owned Mirador mine

16th January 2020

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

QUITO – Ecuador made its first export of 22 000 t of copper concentrate from the Chinese-owned Mirador mine, the energy ministry said on Wednesday, marking a new milestone in the country's effort to develop a large-scale mining industry.

Ecuador, an Andean country neighboring No. 2 copper producer Peru, has large mineral reserves but is only beginning to establish industrial-scale mining projects.

Mirador is run by Ecuacorriente, a subsidiary of the Chinese consortium CRCC-Tongguan, which has a 30-year concession. It started production in July 2019.

The shipment of copper concentrate has a value of about 25-million dollars, according to the ministry, and was transported to the Port of Guayaquil and then by sea to the Chinese city of Tongling.

Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group, one of China's top copper smelters and a partner in Mirador, will take delivery of the concentrate shipment in late February at the port of Tongling on the Yangtze River, an official from the Chinese firm said on Thursday, adding that the cargo left Ecuador on January 6.

The project will supply Tongling Nonferrous, based in eastern China's Anhui province, with around 96,000 tonnes annually of copper concentrate, on a metal content basis, for 30 years, he added.

Mirador, located in the Zamora Chinchipe province in Ecuador's Amazon, foresees a total investment of more than $2-billion during the concession period. The Chinese company has paid some $100 million in early royalties to the Ecuadoran government.

The CRCC-Tongguan consortium bought the company with the concession for the open-pit mine under former leftist President Rafael Correa, who deepened Ecuador’s economic ties with China.

Environmental groups and local authorities have opposed mining activity in the country and are promoting popular consultation in some mineral-rich areas to prohibit their development and reverse concessions already granted to foreign companies.

Ecuador has other projects in the advanced exploration phase such as Cascabel, awarded to Australia's SolGold, and the Llurimagua project, which will be operated by Ecuadoran state mining company Enami and Chile's Codelco.

Edited by Reuters

Comments

Showroom

John Thompson
John Thompson

John Thompson, the leader in energy and environmental solutions through value engineering and innovation, provides the following: design, engineer,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Alco-Safe
Alco-Safe

An unmanned breathalyser that is made to be tough and simple to use. Can be used in any environment for operator-free breathalyser testing.

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
27th March 2024
Resources Watch
Resources Watch
27th March 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.169 0.202s - 90pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now