Codelco's Chuquicamata division will be running at reduced operating rates until mid-November following a technical fault at the Teniente copper converter last month, the company told Fastmarkets.
The Teniente converter that is used in Chuquicamata for copper smelting has been closed for nearly three weeks already, a well-informed source said on Wednesday October 10. It will remain closed until the middle of November, according to Codelco's spokeswoman. Yet, Chuquicamata's flash smelter is still operating and producing at a rate of 1,800 tonnes per day, she added. Daily production will increase to 2,400 tpd when the converter is back online in November, the spokeswoman said. "The Chuquicamata smelter is currently operating through its main smelting line, i.e. a flash furnace. The Teniente Converter is undergoing repair work until the beginning of November," Codelco said in a statement to Fastmarkets. The news, combined with bullish sentiment during LME Week about demand prospects,...