Los Colorados mine
Iron mine in Chile
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Los Colorados is an open-pit iron mine in northern Chile about 45 km northeast of the port of Huasco. The ore of the mine is one of various iron oxide-apatite (IOA) ores that are part of the north-south Chilean Iron Belt. The mine opened in 1997 and in 2021 it had a production of 2,559,000 metric tons of iron.[1] It is owned by Compañía Minera del Pacífico (CMP).[1] The mine is considered a replacement for El Algarrobo a nearby mine that became exhausted of profitable ore in the 1990s.[2] Its planned cut-off grade in the 1990s was 30% Fe.[2] Currently the mine feeds iron ore to the pelletizing plant Planta de Pellets at the coast in Huasco for the manufacture of iron pellets.[3] It produces annually 4.5 million metric tons of pellets.[3] Besides this, Los Colorados mine feeds the inland Planta Magnetita in Tierra Amarilla (which also receives tailings from Candelaria).[1][4] From Planta Magnetita ore concentrate is transported in a pipeline for 120 km to the port of Punta Totoralillo.[4]
  Los Colorados  Los Colorados | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Atacama Region | |
| Country | Chile |
| Coordinates | 28°17′45.47″S 70°48′22.87″W |
| Production | |
| Products | Iron |
| History | |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Compañía Minera del Pacífico |
In 2025 the mine has submitted an environmental impact assessment for approval by authorities to expand its produce of iron pre-concentrate from 9.1 to 9.8 million tonnes.[5]
The mine was formerly owned by Compañia Minera Huasco, a joint venture of CMP (50%) and Mitsubishi Corporation (50%).[6] In 2010 Compañia Minera Huasco was folded into CMP and Mitsubishi Corporation obtained a 25% ownership of CMP; 15.9% by the folding and 9.1% by capital injection to CMP.[7][8]
