Which mine, which constraint
Published reports say Codelco halted surface operations at Andina and ore shipments from the El Teniente open pit. Anglo American assessed hazards at Los Bronces, Antofagasta scaled back non-essential work at Los Pelambres, and Lundin Mining's Caserones stopped after snowfall cut power.[1]
The common feature on that list is altitude: these are high-altitude operations, and the binding constraint is road access and electricity, while the deposit stays where it is. As the Financial Times notes, the rise in metal demand rests precisely on mines of this kind — weather-exposed, with declining grades. The distinction matters: suspended capacity converts into lost tonnage only in proportion to the length of the outage.[1]
Working out the daily equivalent
The same reports put the combined annual capacity of the affected operations at about 1.6 million tonnes. Dividing that by the calendar makes it concrete: roughly 4,400 tonnes a day. A three-day halt is about 13,000 tonnes; a week is a little over 30,000. The annual-capacity headline looks large, but without the duration of the outage it is not a measure of lost supply.[1]
The reports describe most of the halts as precautionary rather than a response to confirmed damage, which points to a quick return once the weather clears. The other possibility is open: if repairs are needed to power infrastructure or access roads, the stoppage will outlast the precaution. The distinguishing observation is the restart notices companies publish operation by operation, and whether quarterly production figures are revised.[1]