The Quebrada Blanca mine is located in Region I in northern Chile at an elevation of 4,400 metres, approximately 240 kilometres southeast of the city of Iquique and 1,500 kilometres from Santiago. Mine personnel live in a camp facility, and the majority commute from large population centres, including Iquique and Santiago.
Teck owns a 76.5% interest in the mine. The remaining interest is owned by Inversiones Mineras S.A., 13.5%, and Empresa Nacional de Minera, 10%.
Quebrada Blanca is an open pit operation, which leaches the ore to produce copper cathodes via a SX-EW process.
Copper cathode is trucked to Iquique for shipment to purchasers.
Last updated: March 2011