Incredible mine with 2,700 miles of tunnels at an altitude double the height of Ben Nevis

Story by Richard Ashmore • June 21,2024


El Teniente© Getty

Agigantic feat of human endeavour gouged out of the magnificent peaks of the Andes in South America is where you'll find the world's largest copper mine with more than 2,700 miles of tunnels.

Despite being a giant hole into the Earth's surface, the El Teniente mine, in Chile, actually starts more than 7,500 feet above sea level, at an altitude almost double the height of the UK's tallest peak, Ben Nevis.

According to owners Codelco, the huge project employs more than 3,800 people and produced 400,000 tonnes of copper in 2022 alone.

The enormous network of tunnels stretch to a deepest point at present of 1,800 feet above sea level, which means workers have dug over a mile down so far.

Despite the success of the mine, bosses at Codelco recently addressed a slump in production which saw the smallest amount of copper produced for 25 years.



El Teniente© Getty

Speaking to the Financial Times, chief executive Rubén Alvarado said he believed last year production had "bottomed out", adding: "In 2024 we will be slightly higher than in 2023 and by 2030 we will reach 1.7 million metric tonnes."

The mine is currently undergoing a £600million expansion to section which reportedly will unlock 157 million tonnes of copper reserves.

According to Mining.com, an over £2.6billion project is aiming to extend the life of the entire mine by 50 years, by opening new seams and overhauling older equipment.



El Teniente© Getty

Chile is one of the world's biggest producers of copper and the massive deposit at El Teniente has been mined since it was discovered in the early 1800s.

The main mining operation has been in full swing since 1905 when a US-based company started production.

A two-mile-long tunnel conects the inside of the mine with the exterior and copper ore is taken to the surface via an extensive railroad system.

As well as employing nearly 4,000 people on site, the working of the mine also supports around 11,000 contractors.