Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects

    Copper price stalls near record: Chile storm-hit output and mine risks for planners

    September 2, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    Copper price stalls near record: Chile storm-hit output and mine risks for planners

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Copper’s rally stalled just short of record levels as Comex December futures slipped 1.3% to $6.6020/lb and three-month LME prices retreated after coming within $2.50 of their all‑time high, even as LME inventories fell to 234,275 tonnes and Comex stocks swelled to about 688,000 tonnes. Chilean output dropped to 403,424 tonnes in July, its weakest July since 2011, after El Niño‑linked storms shut Antofagasta’s Los Pelambres and Lundin’s Caserones and forced 2026 guidance cuts at both operations. CRU now sees a previously forecast 639,000‑tonne 2026 surplus as effectively neutral, with continued US‑bound shipments and weather‑related Chilean disruptions risking a de facto deficit.

    Technical Brief

    • Chile’s July copper output fell 9.4% year-on-year and 9.8% month-on-month to 403,424 tonnes.
    • Mining’s 9.3% contraction pulled Chile’s Imacec index down 1.5% year-on-year, versus 0.4% expected growth.
    • The 1.7% month-on-month Imacec drop was the steepest since 2022, underscoring mining’s macro leverage.
    • Comex inventories at ~688,000 tonnes are almost triple LME’s 234,275 tonnes, reshaping physical trade flows.
    • US tariffs on refined copper imports rise to 15% in January 2027 and 30% in 2028, incentivising pre‑tariff stockpiling.

    Our Take

    In our recent copper coverage, Antofagasta’s weather‑related shutdown at Los Pelambres and Chile‑wide mine underperformance have been recurring themes, so the latest 9–10% July production drop in Chile reinforces a pattern of structural supply fragility rather than a one‑off storm impact.

    The planned US duties of 15–30% on refined copper imports by 2027–2028, combined with CRU’s projected 2026 surplus, suggest a medium‑term pivot in value for producers like Freeport‑McMoRan and Southern Copper towards supplying semi‑finished or concentrate into North American smelters rather than shipping refined metal into the US.

    Sibanye‑Stillwater’s US$340 million commitment to restart the Mt Lyell copper‑gold mine in Tasmania, with first ore only in 2029 and a 23‑year life, indicates that developers are banking on today’s elevated copper prices (up 44% year‑on‑year on Comex) persisting long enough to justify long‑dated, higher‑risk assets outside the core Latin American copper belt.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Greenland Resources’ $120M NIB backing: Malmbjerg project economics for mine planners
    Mining
    about 3 hours ago

    Greenland Resources’ $120M NIB backing: Malmbjerg project economics for mine planners

    Greenland Resources has secured a letter of interest from the Nordic Investment Bank for up to $120 million in export credit agency-backed funding for its Malmbjerg molybdenum project in east-central Greenland, adding to an Export Development Canada expression of interest of up to $275 million. The project, covered by a 30-year exploitation licence within a 1,147 km² land package, has NI 43-101 proven and probable reserves of 245 million tonnes at 0.176% MoS₂, containing 571 million lb of molybdenum. Planned output in years one to ten is 32.8 million lb/y of contained molybdenum metal at 0.23% MoS₂, equivalent to roughly a quarter of EU annual consumption and all EU defence demand.

    Collective’s Apollo extension in Colombia: bulk-mining and resource lens for engineers
    Mining
    about 3 hours ago

    Collective’s Apollo extension in Colombia: bulk-mining and resource lens for engineers

    Collective Mining has extended the Apollo system at its Guayabales project in Colombia by about 100 metres north after drill hole APC172-D2 cut 141.4 metres grading 4.75 g/t gold, 5 g/t silver, 0.02% copper and 0.04% zinc from ~924 metres depth, including 38 metres at 15.25 g/t gold and 8 g/t silver. The new breccia body, intersected roughly 1,000 metres below surface and about 170 metres below previous northern drilling, lies close to a planned underground access tunnel, supporting potential bulk-mining scenarios. Thirteen rigs are active at Guayabales in a programme of up to 90,000 metres this year, with Apollo’s initial resource estimate due this month.

    Gold price erases 2026 gains: risk and valuation notes for mine planners
    Mining
    about 3 hours ago

    Gold price erases 2026 gains: risk and valuation notes for mine planners

    Gold fell for a third straight session on Tuesday, with Comex December futures down as much as 2.4% to $4,374.10/oz and spot at $4,362.57/oz, as Fed hike odds for this month climbed to nearly 70% and 10-year US Treasury yields held near 4.77% alongside UK gilts at 5.22%. Silver dropped up to 3.2% to $64.83/oz, tightening the gold–silver ratio to about 67 from 70 at end-July. Despite bullion now only 0.7% higher in 2026, the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index surged 33% in August, with Eldorado up 44% and Equinox 40%, signalling continued equity leverage to metal price swings.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental