EcuaCorriente
EcuaCorriente S.A. (ECSA) is an Ecuadorian mining company that operates the Mirador Copper Mine — Ecuador's first large-scale metal mine — producing copper concentrate and metallic copper primarily for export to Chinese smelters under a Belt and Road Initiative joint venture with Chinese state-owned enterprises.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersQuito, Ecuador
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EcuaCorriente does
EcuaCorriente S.A. (ECSA) is an Ecuadorian privately-held mining company that operates the Mirador Copper Mine, located in the parish of Tundayme, canton of El Pangui, province of Zamora-Chinchipe in southeastern Ecuador. The Mirador mine is Ecuador's first large-scale metal mining operation and was officially inaugurated on July 18, 2019. The company is incorporated under Ecuadorian law as the operating entity for the project, which is developed and owned by China Railway Construction Copper Crown Investment Co., Ltd., a joint vehicle of two Chinese state-owned enterprises — Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Holdings Limited and China Railway Construction Corporation Limited. The project is positioned as a flagship China-Ecuador cooperation model under China's Belt and Road Initiative in South America.
The core technology is conventional large-scale open-pit mining with integrated ore processing facilities. Phase 1 is designed to mine and process 20 million tonnes of ore per year, equivalent to roughly 60,000 tonnes per day, yielding 354,000 tonnes of copper concentrate and 96,000 tonnes of metallic copper annually. Estimated resources at Mirador stand at 860 million tonnes at a 0.525% Cu grade (4.516 million tonnes of contained copper), and the adjacent Mirador Norte deposit adds an additional 596 million tonnes at 0.44% Cu. The company also maintains a tailings storage facility (Relavera Tundayme), a formal Environmental Management System, and an electronic procurement portal for equipment, materials, services, and supplier tenders. Headcount exceeds 2,400 direct employees (49% drawn from Zamora Chinchipe province) and supports more than 10,000 indirect jobs through supply contracts.
Commercially, ECSA is a single-asset commodity producer. Its sole revenue stream is the sale of copper concentrate and metallic copper to international buyers, with primary exports directed to Chinese copper smelters and commodity traders. Pricing follows international copper market rates and is not publicly disclosed. Distribution involves land transport to the port of Guayaquil for ocean shipping. ECSA has secured seven Environmental Licenses from Ecuador's Ministry of Environment between 2014 and 2020, holds ISO-aligned environmental commitments (including 197 hectares of vegetation recovered by end-2019), and has invested over US$6 million in community development between 2010 and 2019, alongside an annual US$200,000 skills-training program for local Ecuadorian employees. Corporate headquarters are in Quito (Edificio Citiplaza) and operating headquarters are at the Mirador camp in Tundayme.
EcuaCorriente firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EcuaCorriente
- Legal name
- ECUACORRIENTE S.A.
- Website
- https://ecsa.com.ec
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- EcuaCorriente S.A. (ECSA) is an Ecuadorian mining company that operates the Mirador Copper Mine — Ecuador's first large-scale metal mine — producing copper concentrate and metallic copper primarily for export to Chinese smelters under a Belt and Road Initiative joint venture with Chinese state-owned enterprises.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EcuaCorriente industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Copper Mining
- NAICS
- Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining (212230)
- SIC
- Metal Mining (1000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Copper Ore Mining (Open-Pit & Underground) (IMAKADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Copper Exploration & Resource Development (IMAKADAA), Copper Concentration (Crushing, Grinding, Flotation) (IMAKADAC), Copper Tailings, Waste & Water Management (IMAKADAL), Copper Mine Closure, Remediation & Reclamation (IMAKADAN)
Keywords
Where EcuaCorriente is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Quito
- HQ country
- Ecuador
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices2 records
Markets served
EcuaCorriente business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Copper Concentrate Sales: Mining and production of copper concentrate from the Mirador mine, processing 20 million tonnes of ore annually to produce 354,000 tonnes of copper concentrate and 96,000 tonnes of metallic copper per year. Export of concentrate primarily to China.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Copper concentrate commodity sales |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
EcuaCorriente product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EcuaCorriente S.A. operates the Mirador Copper Mine, a large-scale open-pit copper mining operation located in Tundayme, Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador. The mine processes 20 million tonnes of ore annually, producing 354,000 tonnes of copper concentrate and approximately 96,000 tonnes of metallic copper per year for export to international smelters. The company is the operator of the first large-scale metal mining project in Ecuador, with estimated mineralized reserves of approximately 860 million tonnes.
Product overview
EcuaCorriente S.A. (ECSA) operates as a large-scale copper mining company with a single primary product: the Mirador Copper Mine. The mine utilizes conventional open-pit mining and processing methods with a designed capacity of 20 million tonnes of ore processed annually, producing copper concentrate (354,000 tonnes/year) and metallic copper (96,000 tonnes/year). The company also operates an online electronic tender/procurement portal for sourcing equipment, materials, services, and suppliers for mine operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mirador Copper Mine (open-pit copper mining and processing) Large-scale open-pit copper mining operation located in Tundayme, Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador, producing copper concentrate and metallic copper for export to international smelters and traders. Annual ore processing capacity of 20 million tonnes; estimated mineralized reserves of approximately 860 million tonnes.
- Copper concentrate Copper concentrate produced at the Mirador mine at an annual volume of 354,000 tonnes, exported to international smelters for further processing into refined copper.
- Metallic copper Metallic copper produced from Mirador mine operations at an annual volume of approximately 96,000 tonnes, sold on international commodity markets.
Quantifiable outcome
- 96,000 tonnes/year of metallic copper production capacity
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use EcuaCorriente
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
EcuaCorriente technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
EcuaCorriente partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators13 records
Recent moves2 records
EcuaCorriente competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Glencore: Global diversified mining and commodity trading giant with major copper mining operations and integrated trading arm. Comparable in copper concentrate production and trading offtake dynamics, though much larger and diversified across multiple commodities.
- Codelco: Chilean state-owned copper mining company, the world's largest copper producer. Comparable as a large-scale open-pit copper producer in Latin America with long-life assets, though significantly larger and state-owned by Chile.
- Freeport-McMoRan: One of the world's largest publicly traded copper producers with major open-pit operations globally. Most directly comparable as a large-scale open-pit copper concentrate producer and exporter, though far more diversified by geography and metals.
Direct peers
- First Quantum Minerals: Mid/large-cap copper miner operating open-pit copper mines with concentrate production. Highly comparable in business model: produces copper concentrate for export to smelters, with operations in jurisdictions facing political and regulatory complexity (e.g., Panama, Zambia).
- Hudbay Minerals: Mid-cap copper miner with open-pit and underground operations in the Americas producing copper concentrate. Comparable in mine type and concentrate production model, though smaller scale and more diversified.
- Capstone Copper: Mid-cap copper miner with open-pit operations in the Americas producing copper concentrate. Comparable in scale, mine type, and concentrate-focused business model to ECSA.
- Southern Copper Corporation: Major open-pit copper miner in Latin America (Peru/Mexico) producing copper concentrate and cathodes. Highly comparable in mine type, scale, and concentrate export business model.
- Antofagasta plc: Chile-based copper miner operating large open-pit copper mines producing copper concentrate. Comparable in mine type, concentrate output, and Latin American operating environment, though operating in Chile rather than Ecuador.
Others
- China Railway Construction Corporation: Major Chinese state-owned construction company that is co-investor in ECSA's Mirador project and provides infrastructure/EPC expertise. Related as parent/partner rather than competitor; comparable as a vertically-integrated mining investor.
- Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group: Chinese state-owned nonferrous metals group that is one of ECSA's two key shareholders and an integrated smelter/refiner. Comparable as a vertically integrated copper player, but functions as parent/investor rather than a mine operator competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
EcuaCorriente social profiles
Digital presenceEcuaCorriente financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EcuaCorriente leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
EcuaCorriente funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EcuaCorriente M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EcuaCorriente
What does EcuaCorriente do?
EcuaCorriente S.A. operates the Mirador Copper Mine, a large-scale open-pit copper mining operation located in Tundayme, Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador. The mine processes 20 million tonnes of ore annually, producing 354,000 tonnes of copper concentrate and approximately 96,000 tonnes of metallic copper per year for export to international smelters. The company is the operator of the first large-scale metal mining project in Ecuador, with estimated mineralized reserves of approximately 860 million tonnes.
Is EcuaCorriente a public or private company?
EcuaCorriente is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was EcuaCorriente founded?
EcuaCorriente was founded in 1999. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is EcuaCorriente based?
EcuaCorriente is headquartered in Quito, Ecuador, in the Latin America region.
How does EcuaCorriente make money?
One revenue line is on record: copper Concentrate Sales.
Who are EcuaCorriente's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Glencore, Codelco and Freeport-McMoRan. Direct peers are First Quantum Minerals, Hudbay Minerals, Capstone Copper, Southern Copper Corporation and Antofagasta plc. Others are China Railway Construction Corporation and Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group.
Does EcuaCorriente have an API?
No public API is recorded for EcuaCorriente.
What industry is EcuaCorriente in?
EcuaCorriente's product category is Copper Mining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKADAB, Copper Ore Mining (Open-Pit & Underground), with a secondary code of IMAKADAA, Copper Exploration & Resource Development. Its NAICS code is 212230 and its SIC code is 1000.