BHP halts Escondida mine following fatal accident
- BHP has halted its Escondida copper mine after a fatal accident resulting in the death of a worker.
- Mine operations suspended without an immediate restart timeline.
- Facility is crucial to company strategy amid declining ore grades.
BHP (ASX:BHP) suspended all operational activities at its Escondida copper mine in Chile following the death of a worker during site maintenance.
The mine was projected to produce between 1.1 million and 1.28 million tonnes of copper this financial year, down from 1.26 million tonnes in the prior period.
“All operational activities at the mine have been suspended,” said BHP in a formal statement.
The site functions as a joint venture with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO), which owns a 30 per cent stake alongside Japan-based JECO Corp at 12.5 per cent.
Following the announcement, the BHP share price was unchanged at $62.07.
The copper asset serves as a major core component in the broader strategic move towards high-conductivity transition metals.
BHP warned in July that production would contract by up to 15% due to falling ore quality in South America.
