| Location | |
|---|---|
  Spence mine  Spence mine | |
| Location | Sierra Gorda |
| Region | Antofagasta Region |
| Country | Chile |
| Coordinates | 22°47′39.9″S69°15′11.88″W / 22.794417°S 69.2533000°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Copper |
| Production | 244,000 tonnes copper |
| Financial year | 2023 |
| History | |
| Discovered | 1996 |
| Opened | 2006 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Pampa Norte (BHP) |
The Spence mine is an open pit copper mine located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. More precisely it lies in the commune of Sierra Gorda in the Antofagasta Region. [1] In 2023 it produced 244,000 metric tons of copper. [1] The mine begun operations in 2006. [1] The mine is together with Cerro Colorado mine operated by the company Pampa Norte which is owned by BHP. [1] [2] It lies 162 km northeast of the port city of Antofagasta. [1]
The ores of the mine site were discovered in 1996, during a period (1995–2004) in which many medium-sized mineral deposits of gold and copper with non-mineralized cover rocks were discovered in Chile. [3]
The mine holds the The Copper Mark environmental certificate. [4]
