As copper demand surges worldwide, the Big Australian is turning up the spotlight on Chile, a country powering its global growth.
Speaking at a milestone event celebrating the company’s 140 years, BHP president Americas Brandon Craig said Chile plays a crucial role in the miner’s strategy.
“The Americas and Chile, in particular, are at the heart of our growth plans. We aim to be BHP’s growth engine, continuously transforming the mining industry through innovation and operational excellence,” Craig said.
Copper demand is forecast to rise 70 per cent between 2021 and 2050, creating opportunities and challenges for Chile, which already produces a quarter of the world’s supply.
Since Escondida began operations in the 1980s, BHP has grown into a cornerstone of the country’s copper industry, producing 25 per cent of national output and contributing nearly three per cent of Chile’s gross domestic product (GDP).
BHP’s Escondida mine started the 2025–26 financial year (FY26) with copper output rising four per cent to 494,000 tonnes, driven by record concentrator throughput and improved recoveries.
Cathode production increased with the continued ramp-up of the Full SaL project, which reached first production in the fourth quarter of FY25.
Environmental approval for the Laguna Seca expansion has enabled early infrastructure development, while a new concentrator permit remains on track for submission later this year, supporting BHP’s strategy to expand production in a tightening global market.
BHP’s operations in Escondida, Spence and Cerro Colorado combine scale with social impact. In 2023, the company achieved gender balance in its Chilean workforce, with 48 per cent female representation in leadership, while Indigenous peoples made up more than 10 per cent of the workforce in 2024.
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