Freeport Files $7.5B Chile Copper Mine Expansion

2026-03-19 - 19:30

Key Points — Freeport-McMoRan filed the largest mining environmental permit in Chile’s history for a $7.5 billion overhaul of its El Abra copper mine, which would quadruple output to over 300,000 tonnes per year — The filing arrives in the same week BHP submitted a $4.4–5.9 billion permit for Escondida, signaling a wave of copper