According to the statistics of Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines, in the first eight months, Peru's copper production accumulated 1.77 million tons, an increase of 18.1%.
At present, the largest copper mine in Peru is Cerro Verde, which produced 317,629 tons in the first eight months, an increase of 6.9% year-on-year. The mine is owned by Freeport McMoRan, an American company.
In second place is Antamina copper mine, with cumulative production of 274,285 tonnes in the first eight months. Due to the decline in ore grade, the year-on-year change in production is also large.
In addition, in third place is Southern Copper, which operates the Cuajone and Toquepala copper mines, with cumulative production of 237,329 tonnes in the first eight months, up 11.9 per cent from the same period last year.
The Quellaveco copper mine produced 196,141 tonnes in the first eight months, making it the fourth largest copper mine in Peru. The mine has produced 290,000 tonnes of copper in the 11 months since it began production in December. Annual production is expected to be 310,000 to 350,000 tons.
The Las Bambas copper mine produced 194,797 tonnes in the first eight months, making it the fifth largest copper mine in Peru.
The five mines together produce 1.22 million tonnes, or 69 per cent of Peru's total output.
In 2023, Peru's annual copper production is expected to reach 2.8 million tons.
