Antamina Suspends Operations After Fatal Accident at Yanacancha Camp
Antamina, Peru’s largest copper and zinc mining operation, has temporarily shut down all activities after a tragic accident at its Yanacancha camp in Huari, Ancash, led to the death of a senior manager and left another employee injured.
In an official statement, the Antamina Mining Company said:
“This is a difficult time for all of us at Compañía Minera Antamina. We regret to inform you that, due to an accident, Mr. Edwin Colque Calisaya, our Senior Operations Manager, has passed away. Another colleague from the same division, Mr. Yorhinio León Robles, Drilling and Blasting Superintendent, sustained injuries.”
The incident occurred while both employees were on duty. The company has launched an internal investigation to determine the cause of the accident and has reached out to the affected families to offer support and assistance.
Located 270 km north of Lima in the Andes mountain range, Antamina operates at an average altitude of 4,200 meters. It is an open-pit, truck-and-shovel mine connected to the coast by a 302-kilometer slurry pipeline that transports copper and zinc concentrates to port facilities for export.
Antamina is a joint venture between BHP (33.75%), Glencore (33.75%), Teck Resources (22.5%), and Mitsubishi Corporation (10%). The mine has a daily processing capacity of 145,000 tonnes, and its measured and indicated resources—including proven and probable reserves—total approximately 863 million tonnes, grading 0.87% copper, 0.60% zinc, 11 grams per tonne silver, and 0.02% molybdenum.
In February 2024, Antamina secured environmental approval for a $2 billion (7.4 billion new soles) expansion project, which is expected to extend the mine’s operations from 2028 through 2036.
