Minera Centinela

What Minera Centinela does

Minera Centinela is a Chilean copper mining company formed in 2014 through the merger of Minera El Tesoro and Minera Esperanza. It operates two integrated production lines — an Óxidos line producing copper cathodes via heap leach and solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW), and a Sulfuros line producing copper concentrate via flotation, with gold as a primary byproduct. The Molybdenum Plant, commissioned in 2018 with a US$125 million build, recovers more than 2,000 tonnes of fine molybdenum per year from sulfide minerals. Centinela produced approximately 247,000 tonnes of copper in 2020, and the 2024 Nueva Centinela expansion represents a US$4.4 billion investment — the largest mining capex announced in Chile in five years — with peak construction expected to generate roughly 13,000 jobs.

The company runs on 100% desalinated seawater (eliminating freshwater consumption in the Atacama Desert) and, since 2022, on 100% renewable electricity for productive processes. Minera Centinela is a documented pioneer of large-scale thickened tailings technology and operates the only Integrated Operations Center (GIO) in Chile's private mining sector, enabling real-time remote control of all processes from Antofagasta; in 2023 it also inaugurated the first open pit in Chile with autonomous trucks and drills and launched the largest electric pickup fleet in Chilean mining. It is The Copper Mark-certified (2021, second in Chile) and operates within Antofagasta Minerals' ICMM-aligned framework.

Commercially, Centinela is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Antofagasta Minerals, itself a subsidiary of Antofagasta plc (LSE: ANTO, Luksic Group). Revenue is generated through B2B sales of copper cathode, copper concentrate, molybdenum, and gold byproducts to global smelters, refineries, and commodity traders, with prices set by LME benchmarks and global commodity markets rather than by the company. The customer base is diversified across industrial copper buyers and commodity exchanges, and go-to-market is institutional/enterprise sales rather than demand generation. Headcount stands at nearly 6,000 workers (around 2,000 own employees plus 4,000+ permanent collaborators), with more than 40% drawn from the Antofagasta Region.

Name

Minera Centinela

Legal name

Minera Centinela

Website

https://web.mineracentinela.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Minera Centinela is a Chilean copper mining company producing copper cathodes, copper concentrate, molybdenum, and gold byproducts from integrated oxide and sulfide lines, selling to global smelters, refineries, and commodity traders as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Antofagasta Minerals (Antofagasta plc).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Copper Mining

NAICS

Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining (212230)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000), Gold And Silver Ores (1040)

akta.pro primary industry

Copper Ore Mining (Open-Pit & Underground) (IMAKADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Copper Concentration (Crushing, Grinding, Flotation) (IMAKADAC), Copper Anode/Cathode Production & Handling (IMAKADAG), Copper By-Products Recovery (Molybdenum, Gold/Silver, Sulfuric Acid) (IMAKADAH), Copper Tailings, Waste & Water Management (IMAKADAL)

Keywords

• Copper mining
• Copper cathode production
• Copper concentrate
• Molybdenum processing
• Sustainable mining

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Copper Cathodes and Concentrate: Primary revenue from copper production through two main product lines: oxide ores producing cathodes via SX-EW, and sulfide ores producing copper concentrate via flotation. Gold is produced as a key byproduct. Molybdenum is also recovered from sulfide minerals.
2. Molybdenum Production: Molybdenum plant commissioned in 2018 with annual production exceeding 2,000 tonnes of fine molybdenum from sulfide mineral processing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Minera Centinela is a copper mining company operating two major production lines: an oxide ore line producing copper cathodes via heap leaching and solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW), and a sulfide ore line producing copper concentrate via flotation. The company also recovers gold and molybdenum as byproducts from sulfide mineral processing, with its dedicated Molybdenum Plant producing over 2,000 tonnes of fine molybdenum annually.

Product overview

Minera Centinela is a copper mining company operating two major production lines (oxides producing cathodes and sulfides producing concentrate with gold and molybdenum as byproducts). The company operates through integrated facilities including its core copper production, a Molybdenum Plant for byproduct recovery, and the Gestión Integrada de Operaciones (GIO) center for remote operations control. The company utilizes pioneering technologies including thickened tailings storage and autonomous mining equipment. In 2024, the company announced the Nueva Centinela project, a US$4.4 billion expansion that represents the largest mining investment in Chile in five years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Copper Cathodes (Óxidos Line)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% seawater operation - zero freshwater consumption in processes
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universidad Católica de ChilecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to improve water management in Chile, specifically developing solutions for sustainable water use in mining operations and surrounding agricultural communities.
• International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAntofagasta Minerals (parent) subscribes to ICMM's 10 sustainability principles covering corporate governance, health and safety, environmental management, and community relations. Committed to zero emissions Scope 1 and 2 by 2050.
• Copper MarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentinela and Zaldívar obtained Copper Mark certification in 2021, meeting 32 sustainability criteria across five pillars: governance, business and human rights, environment, community, and labor.
• Hydra Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium developing and testing hydrogen fuel cell technology to replace diesel in large-tonnage mining trucks (CAEX). Members include Engie, Mining3, Csiro Chile, Mitsui & Co., and Antofagasta Minerals. Testing conducted at Centinela operations.
• Senapred (National Emergency Office)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for emergency response training with communities of Michilla, Hornitos, and Mejillones. Joint initiative with municipal government for disaster preparedness.
• Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental (SEA)coreOthersGovernment agency administering Chile's Environmental Impact Assessment system. Antofagasta Minerals works with SEA for project approvals and environmental compliance.
• Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente (SMA)coreOthersEnvironmental enforcement agency that monitors RCA compliance. Fined Centinela $775,000 in 2020 for three water management compliance failures (2019-2020 inspections).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AntofagastaMinerals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/antofagasta-minerals
• Xx.com/mineracentinela
• Facebookfacebook.com/AntofagastaMinerals

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Minera Centinela