Prospector Trails
Mining by country/South America
Chile is the world's largest mine producer of copper. It is in the world top three for lithium (#3), molybdenum (#2). The story below follows its minerals from the ground to the economy, the export ports and the mines.
01 · What it digs
Chile mined 23% of the world's copper in 2025, ranking #1. Across the 34 minerals we track it holds a share of at least 0.5% in 6.
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, mine stage, latest year per mineral. Columns on the globe: every producer of copper.
02 · Mining in the economy
Mineral rents came to 16% of Chile's GDP in 2021, higher than 97% of the countries the World Bank reports; ores and metals made up 59% of its merchandise exports in 2025. GDP was $357bn in 2025.
World Bank WDI: mineral rents (NY.GDP.MINR.RT.ZS) and ores and metals exports (TX.VAL.MMTL.ZS.UN). The globe shades every country by mineral rents.
03 · Six years of output
Mine production, copper, lithium, molybdenum, silver, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2022 to 2026 (each year as last reported).
04 · Where it goes
Its largest mineral export line in the trade data is copper: $39.8bn in 2024, led by China ($20.9bn), the United States ($5.8bn), Japan ($5.4bn).
CEPII BACI bilateral trade, by value; arcs run from Chile to the buyer.
05 · Jurisdiction
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators put Chile at +0.68 on rule of law in 2025, higher than 75% of countries. These are perception-based estimates on a scale from −2.5 to +2.5; they describe the operating environment, not any company.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators. The globe shades every country by rule of law.
06 · Mines and projects
40 mines in Chile have output figures in open mine databases; the largest by reported output are below. Listed companies hold 22 projects here, shown as dots.
What Chile mines: copper (23% of world output, #1), lithium (19% of world output, #3), molybdenum (16% of world output, #2), silver (5.4% of world output, #5). Mineral rents are 16% of GDP. Below: 22 projects held by listed companies and 44 mines from open mine databases.
Chile in numbers: the infographic
| Mineral | World share | World rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | 23% | 1 | 2025 |
| Lithium | 19% | 3 | 2025 |
| Molybdenum | 16% | 2 | 2025 |
| Silver | 5.4% | 5 | 2025 |
| Potash | 1.2% | 9 | 2025 |
| Iron ore | 0.8% | 13 | 2025 |
| Project | Company | Minerals | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coya Sur (crystallised nitrate plant) | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | Potash | Producing |
| Lithium Chemical Plant (Carmen), Antofagasta | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | Lithium | Producing |
| Maria Elena (El Toco mining area; caliche, nitrates, iodine) | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | iodine, nitrates | Producing |
| Nueva Victoria (caliche, iodine and nitrates) | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | iodine, nitrates | Producing |
| Pampa Blanca (caliche, iodine) | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | iodine, nitrates | Producing |
| Pedro de Valdivia (iodine plant, caliche) | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | iodine, nitrates | Producing |
| SQM consolidated sales by business line (company-level pseudo-site) | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | Lithium, Potash | Producing |
| Salar de Atacama brine operations (Nova Andino Litio, formerly SQM Salar) | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | Boron (borates), Lithium, Potash | Producing |
| Indiana Gold-Copper Project (Bondadosa, Flor de Espino, Las Rucas veins) | Galantas Gold | Copper, Gold, Molybdenum | Development |
| Laguna Verde Lithium Project | CleanTech Lithium | Lithium | Development |
| Marimaca Oxide Deposit (Marimaca Copper Project) | Marimaca Copper | Copper | Development |
| Pampa Orcoma (caliche) | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | iodine, nitrates | Development |
| Playa Verde copper tailings project (Chanaral) | Halo Minerals | Copper, Gold | Development |
| Arenas Blancas (Salar de Atacama periphery) | CleanTech Lithium | Lithium | Exploration |
| Cindy target (near-mine, Marimaca) | Marimaca Copper | Copper | Exploration |
| Madrugador (Sierra de Medina Project) | Marimaca Copper | Copper | Exploration |
| Mercedes target (near-mine, Marimaca) | Marimaca Copper | Copper | Exploration |
| Pampa Medina (Sierra de Medina Project) | Marimaca Copper | Copper, Silver | Exploration |
| Viento Andino (formerly Francisco Basin) | CleanTech Lithium | Lithium | Exploration |
| Andacollo Oro Gold Project (Andacollo Gold) | Galantas Gold | Gold, Silver | Care and maintenance |
| Chepica gold-copper mine | Xtract Resources | Copper, Gold | Closed |
| Llamara Project | CleanTech Lithium | Lithium | Closed |
| Mine | Minerals | Operator | Latest published output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andina | Copper, Molybdenum, Silver | 195,531 t (2018) | |
| Antucoya | Copper | 71,900 t (2019) | |
| Candelaria | Copper, Silver, Gold | 146,330 t (2019) | |
| Carmen de Andacollo | Copper, Gold | 63,500 t (2018) | |
| Centinela | Copper, Gold, Molybdenum, Silver | 195,500 t (2019) | |
| Cerro Bayo | Gold, Silver | 0.616 t (2008) | |
| Cerro Negro Norte | Iron ore | ||
| Chuquicamata / Radomiro Tomic (Codelco Norte) | Molybdenum, Copper | Codelco | 12,793 t (2018) |
| Collahuasi | Copper, Molybdenum | Compania Minera Doña Ines de Collahuasi | |
| El Abra | Copper | 81,647 t (2019) | |
| El Algarrobo | Iron ore | ||
| El Penon | Gold, Silver | 4.96 t (2019) | |
| El Romeral | Iron ore | ||
| El Soldado | Copper | 45,800 t (2020) | |
| Franke | Copper | 20,200 t (2018) | |
| Gabriela Mistral | Copper | 107,247 t (2018) | |
| Guanaco and Amancaya | Gold, Silver | 1.72 t (2019) | |
| La Coipa | Gold, Silver | Kinross Gold | 5.05 t (2013) |
| Lobo Marte | Gold | Kinross Gold | |
| Lomas Bayas | Copper, Silver | 78,900 t (2019) | |
| Los Bronces | Copper | 285,400 t (2020) | |
| Los Bronces - Los Bronces | Copper | ||
| Los Colorados | Iron ore | 5,813,000 t (2019) | |
| Los Pelambres | Molybdenum, Copper | Minera Los Pelambres (Antofagasta plc) | 11,200 t (2019) |
| Mantos Blancos | Copper | 20,400 t (2015) | |
| Mantoverde | Copper | 32,300 t (2015) | |
| Maricunga | Gold | Kinross Gold | 1.87 t (2018) |
| Michilla | Copper | 29,400 t (2015) | |
| Minera Florida | Gold, Silver | 2.27 t (2019) | |
| Ministro Hales | Copper, Silver | 195,485 t (2018) | |
| Norte Abierto | Gold | ||
| NuevaUnion | Copper, Molybdenum, Gold | ||
| Pampa Norte | Copper | BHP | 246,500 t (2019) |
| Pampa Norte - Cerro Colorado | Copper | ||
| Pampa Norte - Spence | Copper | ||
| Pascua-Lama | Gold | ||
| Petorca | Gold, Silver | 0.508 t (2001) | |
| Punitaqui | Copper, Silver, Gold | 5,500 t (2017) | |
| Quebrada Blanca | Copper | 21,100 t (2019) | |
| Salvador | Copper, Molybdenum, Silver, Gold | 60,840 t (2018) | |
| Santo Domingo | Copper, Iron ore, Gold | ||
| Sierra Gorda | Molybdenum, Copper | Sierra Gorda SCM | 12,111 t (2018) |
| Tres Valles | Copper | 11,000 t (2013) | |
| Zaldivar | Copper | Antofagasta Plc | 116,200 t (2019) |
Copper minesGold minesIron ore minesLithium minesMolybdenum minesPotash minesSilver mines
World shares: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, latest year per mineral. Mineral rents, exports and governance: World Bank WDI and WGI. Trade: CEPII BACI. Projects: listed companies' announcements.