Chinese firm MMG’s Las Bambas mine in Peru is progressively reducing production as protesting local residents are blocking mining trucks from using a road in Velilla district in the Cusco region, nearly 200km from the mine, according to media reports citing a statement by the company.
Copper production at the mine has been affected by the ongoing protests which began on November 30 by the Challhuahuacho district’s Farmers Federation, the Defense Front, and the Youth Federation.
In 2020, the mine was expected to produce between 350,000mt-370,000mt of copper concentrate which is about 2pc of the global projected production. In April, however, the company withdrew the mine’s guidance due to the COVID-19 pandemic and did not provide new full-year output guidance.
Las Bambas is the world’s ninth-largest copper mine and capable of producing 400,000mt of copper per annum.