Commodities

Codelco Lowers Copper Output Guidance as Chile Mining Woes Worsen

  • Codelco production hit by Chile mine mishaps, project delays
  • State company raises cost projection as ore grades deteriorate

The Codelco Chuquicamata open pit copper mine near Calama, Chile.

Photographer: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg
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Codelco, the world’s biggest copper supplier, lowered its annual production guidance and raised cost estimates after another disappointing quarter at its mines and projects in Chile.

The state-owned behemoth’s output is running at the lowest in a quarter century, prices are down and costs are up — all at a time when the world needs more copper for batteries and electric grids in the shift away from fossil fuels.