The Escondida quarry, located in the Atacama Desert, Northern Chile, is a birthplace of huge deposits of copper, which were discovered here in 1990. It is a complex of two quarries, developed at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level. In less than 30 years the quarry has grown to impressive proportions. In 2011 Escondida became the world’s largest copper-producing mine, in 2007 more than 1.5 million tons of the precious metal were recovered.
To accurately assess the scale of production, it should be stated that these indexes make approximetely 10 % of the global copper production. Surprising is the fact, that the mine employes only about 6000 people. The size of the industrial area is so great, that only satellite pictures help to appreciate its appearance.
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