The expansion pause follows new geological studies showing greater seismic risks than previously understood. The project is adjacent to the Andesita and Teniente 7 mining areas, where a rockburst on July 31, 2025, killed six workers and halted production across parts of El Teniente. El Teniente’s copper production was about 27% lower year over year in the first five months of the year, while the company’s new chairman has acknowledged its goal of returning to 1.7 million tonnes of annual copper production by 2030 is no longer achievable. The disruption adds to mounting concerns over global copper supply. Chile, meanwhile, has just reported its weakest second-quarter copper production in almost two decades.