Keller had been commended for his efforts to overhaul old mines and cut costs at Codelco, but his tough style is said to have triggered tensions within the company and its powerful unions.
After years of lobbying, Canada's Federal Government seems to have persuaded the European Commission to change draft rules that would open the way for Alberta crude supplies.
The law, the first major overhaul of the country’s mining sector since 1997, denies cooperatives the right to partner with private companies, whether domestic or foreign.