Codelco, BHP saw copper production rise in December

Codelco and BHP’s (ASX, LON, NYSE: BHP) sprawling Escondida mine saw copper output rise in December, Chilean state copper agency Cochilco said on Friday.

Cochilco said output at Chile state miner, the world’s top copper miner, rose 1.2% in the month versus the same period a year earlier, hitting 187,600 tonnes. That came after a steep drop in November impacted by riots in the country.

Production at BHP’s massive Escondida rose a steep 16% to 105,600 tonnes against a weak December a year earlier.

The Collahuasi copper mine in northern Chile, a joint-venture between Anglo American (LON: AAL) and Glencore , produced 56,500 tonnes in December, down 0.2%, the agency said.

Chile is the world’s top copper producer.

(By Fabian Cambero and Adam Jourdan; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)